Effects of a physical therapy treatment in sensory and functional responses of neuropathic diabetic patients

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to elaborate and apply a physical therapy treatment for diabetic neuropathic patients, comparing their sensorial, motor and functional responses before and after treatment to those of a healthy control group. Ten healthy subjects (CG) and 10 neuropathic diabetes patients (DG) clinically diagnosed were studied. Motor, functional
and sensorial evaluations were performed pre and post-intervention in both groups. Treatment was individually applied in 45-minute sessions twice a week, during 5 weeks. Therapy program consisted in stretching exercises for hamstrings, triceps surae and tibialis anterior muscles, actively-resisted exercises for intrinsic and extrinsic foot and ankle muscles, practice of daily activities and feet self-care orientations. Data were statistically analysed. When comparing DG post treatment data to DG-pre and CG, thermal sensitivity showed improvement in heel, hallux, lateral and medial forefoot; DG ankle dorsiflexion and eversion ROM reached values similar to those of CG's; DG showed significant improvement in ankle extension and inversion; and DG-post reached the same muscular functions observed in CG in intrinsic feet muscles, tibialis anterior and triceps surae. The physical therapy treatment showed effective in reducing distal numbness, tingling and pricking and it was also effective in preventing muscle function and mobility limitations in diabetic neuropathic patients.