Do diabetic neuropathy patients benefit from balance training?

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Diabetology
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Peripheral neuropathy is a frequent complication of diabetes, leading to impaired balance.
• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects neural pathways crucial for maintaining postural stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of balance exercises on sway indices in diabetic patients experiencing peripheral neuropathy.
• To compare balance performance between diabetic patients with neuropathy and a healthy control group.

Main Methods:

• A clinical trial involving 10 diabetic patients with neuropathy and 10 age-matched controls.
• Balance assessment using the Biodex Balance System under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions.
• Intervention group underwent 10 sessions of progressive balance training (Biodex stability, rocker, wobble-board).

Main Results:

• The experimental group showed significant reductions in overall and anterior-posterior stability indices post-intervention.
• Pre-intervention, diabetic patients exhibited significantly poorer balance indices compared to the control group.
• Post-intervention, no significant difference in balance indices was observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Balance training effectively improves stability indices in diabetic patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy.
• Targeted balance exercises can mitigate balance impairments associated with diabetic neuropathy.