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The effectiveness of wedge shoes in patients with insufficient vestibular compensation
Munetaka Ushio1, Toshihisa Murofushi, Wataru Okita
1Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. IZT01356@nifty.ne.jp
Objectives:
Patients who fail to achieve sufficient vestibular compensation after acute vestibular deafferentation show a tendency to deviate toward the affected side. This study evaluated the effectiveness of wedge shoes specially manufactured with a 4mm inclination on the affected side to patients with chronic vestibular insufficiency.
Methods:
Subjects comprised 13 patients with chronic vestibular insufficiency for >6 months after acute unilateral vestibular dysfunction and 9 healthy volunteers. Subjects underwent vestibular tests wearing wedge shoes and regular shoes. Differences in results were compared.
Results:
Patients showed significant improvements in the straight gait test (p<0.01), Unterberger-Fukuda stepping test (p<0.01) and posturography test (p=0.015) when wearing wedge shoes compared with wearing regular shoes.
Conclusion:
Our results suggested that raising the lateral sole of shoes on the affected side could effectively ameliorate the effects of chronic vestibular insufficiency.
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