Functional Electrical Stimulation of Peroneal Muscles on Balance in Healthy Females

Balance improvement could contribute to ankle stability for the prevention of ankle sprains.Functional electrical stimulation(FES)is an effective way of augmenting muscle activity and improving balance.This study investigated the effect of FES of peroneal muscles on single-and double-leg balance.Fifteen healthy females(age=23:1±1:6 years,height=1:63±0:07m,and weight=63:7±9:9 kg)performed single-and double-leg standing balance tests with eyes open and closed before and after 15-minute FES intervention during treadmill running at a comfortable,self-selected pace.FES of peroneal muscles was provided bilaterally,using an Odstock Dropped Foot Stimulator.The total excursion of the centre of pressure(COP)was calculated to assess the standing balance control ability.The total excursion of COP in single-and double-leg stance with eyes open reduced significantly after FES intervention by 14.7%(p<0:001)and 5.9%(p=0:031),respectively.The eyes-closed condition exhibited a 12.7%(p=0:002)reduction in single-leg stance but did not significantly change in double-leg stance(p>0:05).Limb preference did not account for balance postintervention.No significant difference in total excursion of COP was found between preferred and less preferred limbs with both visual conditions(p>0:05).FES of peroneal muscles improved standing balance control with eyes open in double-leg and single-leg stance and with eyes closed in double-leg stance.The improvements in balance control with FES treatment did not vary concerning limb preference.

Effect of exercise interventions and prophylactic devices on reducing peroneal muscle reaction time by sudden ankle perturbation:A systematic review and meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to determine whether interventions could improve peroneal reaction time in both healthy and those with injured ankle participants based on a systematic review and meta-analysis.An electronic search of the following database was carried out:MEDLINE,ScienceDirect and SPORTDiscus(1965–2020).Studies utilising sudden ankle inversion to measure peroneal reaction times were selected.28 studies were included for the systematic review,and 18 studies for the meta-analysis.The peroneal reaction time for pre-and post-intervention were compared into two groups,Group 1 was therapeutic exercise intervention,and Group 2 was prophylactic devices.The results showed a statistically significant difference in reduced peroneal reaction time in favour of participants in the exercise group(SMD=0.74,95%CI[1.09,0.39],p<0.001,I^(2)80%),while the prophylactic devices group showed no significant difference between control and intervention group.The effect size measured was 0.81 and 0.31 in Group 1 and Group 2,respectively.Faster peroneal muscle onset reaction time post-intervention,which was found following therapeutic exercise,should be considered for rehabilitation and preventing of ankle sprain injury.

Application of Interactive Video Games as Rehabilitation Tools to Improve Postural Control and Risk of Falls in Prefrail Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine whether interactive video game(IVG)training is an effective way to improve postural control outcomes and decrease the risk of falls.A convenience sample of 12 prefrail older adults were recruited and divided into two groups:intervention group performed IVG training for 40 minutes,twice per week,for a total of 16 sessions.The control group received no intervention and continued their usual activity.Outcome measures were centre of pressure(COP),mean velocity,sway area,and sway path.Secondary outcomes were Berg Balance Scale,Timed Up and Go(TUG),Falls Efficacy Scale International(FES-I),and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence(ABC).Assessment was conducted with preintervention(week zero)and postintervention(week eight).The intervention group showed significant improvement in mean velocity,sway area,Berg Balance Scale,and TUG(p<0:01)compared to the control group.However,no significant improvement was observed for sway path(p=0:35),FES-I(p=0:383),and ABC(p=0:283).This study showed that IVG training led to significant improvements in postural control but not for risk of falls.