A 120-second stretch improves postural control and plantar pressure: quasi-experimental study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: There are no studies on long-term bilateral calf stretching in relation to balance and plantar pressure. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate that there is better control of posture and pressures after continuous stretching of the posterior calf muscles. DESIGN AND SETTING: Pre and post-intervention study conducted in a private clinic. METHODS: We measured static footprints and stabilometry before and after continuous passive plantar flexor stretching of duration 120 seconds, among 24 healthy subjects. RESULTS: We found differences in Y displacement with eyes closed (P = 0.010), but not among other variables with eyes closed: X displacement (P = 0.263); surface (P = 0.940); laterolateral speed displacement (P = 0.279); and anteroposterior speed displacement (P = 0.914). There were also no differences in eyes-open variables: X displacement (P = 0.341); Y displacement (P = 0.491); surface (P = 0.167); laterolateral speed displacement (P = 0.852); and anteroposterior speed displacement (P = 0.079). The plantar pressures in the heel (maximum pressure, P = 0.048; mean pressure, P = 0.001) and in the midfoot (maximum pressure, P = 0.004; mean pressure, P = 0.004) were reduced, but not in the forefoot (maximum pressure, P = 0.391; mean pressure, P = 0.225). The surface became larger in the forefoot (P = 0.000) and midfoot (P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous static stretching of plantar flexors for 120 seconds improved stance balance and reduced plantar pressures (maximum and mean) in the rearfoot and midfoot. It also increased the surface in the midfoot and forefoot. TRIAL REGISTRATION: at clinicaltrials.gov, under the number NTC03743168.

A 120-second stretch improves postural control and plantar pressure: quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: There are no studies on long-term bilateral calf stretching in relation to balance and plantar pressure. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate that there is better control of posture and pressures after continuous stretching of the posterior calf muscles. DESIGN AND SETTING: Pre and post-intervention study conducted in a private clinic. METHODS: We measured static footprints and stabilometry before and after continuous passive plantar flexor stretching of duration 120 seconds, among 24 healthy subjects. RESULTS: We found differences in Y displacement with eyes closed (P = 0.010), but not among other variables with eyes closed: X displacement (P = 0.263); surface (P = 0.940); laterolateral speed displacement (P = 0.279); and anteroposterior speed displacement (P = 0.914). There were also no differences in eyes-open variables: X displacement (P = 0.341); Y displacement (P = 0.491); surface (P = 0.167); laterolateral speed displacement (P = 0.852); and anteroposterior speed displacement (P = 0.079). The plantar pressures in the heel (maximum pressure, P = 0.048; mean pressure, P = 0.001) and in the midfoot (maximum pressure, P = 0.004; mean pressure, P = 0.004) were reduced, but not in the forefoot (maximum pressure, P = 0.391; mean pressure, P = 0.225). The surface became larger in the forefoot (P = 0.000) and midfoot (P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous static stretching of plantar flexors for 120 seconds improved stance balance and reduced plantar pressures (maximum and mean) in the rearfoot and midfoot. It also increased the surface in the midfoot and forefoot. TRIAL REGISTRATION: at clinicaltrials.gov, under the number NTC03743168.

Effect of the cushioning running shoes in ground contact time of phases of gait.

The main objective of this research was to know how five different cushioning shoes may interfere in ground contact times of each gait phase of walking and running in contrast with barefoot condition. Thirty healthy sport recreational male runners participated in this study. They played over a treadmill wearing minimalist, Boost®, Ethyl-vinyl-acetate (EVA), Air® chamber and pronation-control cushioning shoes technologies and under barefoot condition, recording the last 30 s of walking and running at 5.17 km/h and 9 km/h respectively, while ground contact time duration of each phase of gait was recorded with circular standard pressure sensors located on plantar feet. During walking, the heel contact phase was the station that increased significantly ground contact times wearing all sole cushioning shoes (p < 0.001), excepting no sole shoes (minimalist), versus barefoot condition, being Air® chamber the model that showed the highest times of contact floor versus barefoot (0.28 ±â€¯0.08 ms and 0.23 ±â€¯0.12 ms vs 0.12 ±â€¯0.07 ms and 0.18 ±â€¯0.07 ms in heel contact during midstance phases, respectively). During running, propulsion phase was the station that showed the highest spent times on ground contact with the floor under all shoe conditions, even with minimalist, being again Air® chamber the model with higher significant times in two of three phases versus barefoot (0.11 ±â€¯0.04 ms and 0.16 ±â€¯0.11 ms vs 0.09 ±â€¯0.03 ms and 0.10 ±â€¯0.02 ms in midstance and propulsion phases respectively). Air chamber® was the model too with the most switch ratio to forefoot strike pattern (0.07 ±â€¯0.10 ms to 0.16 ±â€¯0.11 from heel contact to propulsion phase, respectively). In conclusion, a ground contact times increase using all cushioning running shoes compared with barefoot condition was shown in both walking and running test.

Electromyography activity of triceps surae and tibialis anterior muscles related to various sports shoes.

Triceps surae (TS) and tibialis anterior (TA) activation patterns have not yet been studied under different types of sport shoes. We hypothesized that sports shoes may reduce the activity patterns of these muscles in relation to barefoot condition. Thus, our main aim was to evaluate the activity patterns of TS and TA muscles in healthy people during all gait phases using five types of sport shoes with respect to barefoot condition. A total sample of thirty healthy participants, mean age 36.20 ±â€¯8.50, was recruited in a podiatry laboratory following an observational research design. During walking and running, electromyography signals were recorded from TS and TA muscles using surface electrodes in the following experimental situations: 1.) barefoot, 2.) minimalist, 3.) pronated control, 4.) air chamber, 5.) ethyl-vinyl-acetate and 6.) boost. The TS and TA showed significant reductions (P < 0.05) in the peak amplitude of different sport shoes types with respect to the barefoot condition in different phases of the gait cycle during walking and running. Nevertheless, the boost sport shoe produced statistically significant increases in the peak amplitude of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle in comparison with the barefoot condition in the midstance phase of the gait cycle during running (P = 0.047). In addition, the pronation control and air chamber sport shoes produced statistically significant increases in the peak amplitude of the TA muscle with respect to the barefoot condition in the contact phase of the gait cycle (P = 0.021; P = 0.013), respectively, during running. Despite TS and TA muscles activity patterns seem to be reduced using different sport shoes types with respect to the barefoot condition in different phases of the gait cycle during walking and running, some sport shoes may increase this muscular activity in specific phases of the gait cycle during running.

Electromyography comparison of the effects of various footwear in the activity patterns of the peroneus longus and brevis muscles.

BACKGROUND: Peroneus longus and brevis (PLB) disorders are commonly in people with lateral ligamentous instability, ankle pain, lateral hindfoot pain and structures of the proximal compartment of the lower legs and their muscle activity is believed to be influenced by different footwear types. The proposal of this research is to evaluate the effects of five types of footwear with respect to the barefoot condition and analyze the activity patterns of PLB muscles in healthy subjects during the gait cycle. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects were recruited in a laboratory in this cross-sectional research design. While walking, electromyography (EMG) activity was measured from PLB via surface electrodes in six experimental conditions: 1) barefoot, 2) minimalist, 3) pronated control, 4) air chamber, 5) ethyl-vinyl-acetate (EVA) and 6) boost. These data were obtained and compared. RESULTS: The peroneus brevis showed significant reductions in the peak amplitude of the five footwear types (minimalist, pronation control, air chamber, EVA and boost) with respect to the barefoot condition in the propulsion phase of the gait cycle during walking (P = 0.034; P < 0.001; P < 0.001; P < 0.001; P = 0.006) and running (P = 0.004; P < 0.001; P = 0.001; P < 0.001; P = 0.001), respectively. Furthermore, peroneus longus showed significant reductions in the peak amplitude of these five footwear types with respect to the barefoot condition in the propulsion phase of the gait cycle during running (P = 0.005; P = 0.038; P = 0.019; P = 0.025; P = 0.021). CONCLUSION: The EMG activity patterns of the PLB muscles may depend on the use of different types of sport shoes such as minimalist, pronation control, air chamber, EVA and boost footwear with respect the barefoot condition in different phases of the gait cycle during walking and running.