Effectiveness of a heel cup with an arch support insole on the standing balance of the elderly

Tzu-Hsuan Chen,1,* Li-Wei Chou,2,3,* Mei-Wun Tsai,4 Ming-Jor Lo,5 Mu-Jung Kao4,5 1Department of Rehabilitation, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan; 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 3School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 4Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Rehabilitation, Yangming Branch, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this paper Background: The use of insoles may enhance postural stability and prevent falls. The aim of this study was to design a new insole and to explore the effectiveness of the insole on the standing balance of the healthy elderly. Methods: The study was conducted at a community hospital. Patients older than 65 years at an outpatient clinic without abnormal gait patterns, lower limb deformities, or foot pain were enrolled. The participants were assigned to good- and poor-stability groups on the basis of the stability index (SI), using the Biodex® Balance System. A heel cup with an arch support insole was provided. Participants wore the insole for 8 weeks for a minimum of 4 hours/day. A static balance test for SI was performed at the initial meeting and 8 weeks after the assigned insoles were worn for each participant. Results: Five participants (10.0%) of 50 total did not finish the study. There were 25 patients in the good-stability group and 20 in the poor-stability group. The SI, before and after intervention, was significantly different for all 45 participants (3.244±0.688 versus 3.064±0.671; P