Effect of Subtalar and Talocrural Joint Mobilization on Foot Ranges and Posture in Diabetics

Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous metabolic disease due to insulin disturbance affecting around 422 Million people worldwide according to the WHO it is characterized by hyperglycemia and ischemia, as a result of defects in insulin secretion. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) ranks highly on the international health agenda as a global pandemic and as a threat to human health and global economies. The number of people with T2DM worldwide has more than doubled during the past 20 years. Lower extremity musculoskeletal complications are frequently observed in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) and peripheral neuropathy (PN) and include limited joint mobility, impaired strength, atrophy causing increased stiffness of articular capsule, ligaments and tendons. Ankle planter flexion and dorsiflexion was found to be decreased preventing the ankle from reaching its closed-pack position by holding the ankle in a hyper supinated position. People with DMPN have a dorsi flexed foot and ankle position resulting in slow gait with prolonged disease secondary to the peripheral effect of the disease on other body systems.

According to Abate and colleagues there is a 24% reduction in ankle plantar-flexion range of motion in people with DM. Manual mobilizations have proved to decrease the stiffness at ankle joint improving the ranges in previous studies Previous literature have shown that Interventions to address foot and ankle plantar-flexion mobilizations could improve its function by increasing flexibility reduce the risk of plantar ulceration. Distraction of the distal tibiofibular joint has been thought to increase space and decrease impingement in the talocural joint to allow full ankle dorsiflexion.