Background and Aim: Falling and its consequences is one of the main concerns of the
elderly adults. Introducing techniques for improving balance of elderly and preventing them
from falling is the critical goals of the health system in any society. The purpose of this study
was to evaluate the immediate effect of massage and mobilization of the feet and ankles on
balance for elderly adults.
Materials and Methods: In this study men and women over 60 years of age were randomly
assigned into two groups of 15 persons. In the intervention group, the therapeutic protocol
included 20 minutes of massage and mobilization on the feet and ankles. In the control group,
shortwave diathermy was used for 20 minutes in the off mode (placebo) on the feet and
ankles. In this study the subjects in both groups were analyzed by two clinical balance tests
namely “one leg standing test” and “Lateral reach test” before and after the start of the
protocol and the results were compared before and afterward.
Results:
Findings showed that in the “one leg standing test” the balance is improved significantly in
the intervention group after 20 minutes of massage and mobilization (P < 0.05) and the
interaction between time and group was also significant in the “one leg standing test” with P
< 0.01 in the intervention group. In “Lateral reach test”, although there was not a significant
difference before and after the intervention in both groups, a numerical increase was noticed
in the lateral reach distance in the intervention group. The interaction between time and group
was significant in the intervention group with P < 0.01.
Conclusion: According to the results, massage and mobilization of the feet and ankles has an
immediate effect on balance in the elderly adults.