The proprioceptive insole: A therapeutic aid for the diabetic patient in prevention?

Abstract

The diabetic foot represents one of the most common complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Prevention of the diabetic foot is therefore essential both to ensure the patient a better quality of life and to reduce the costs borne by the NHS and this requires a multidisciplinary approach. It is important to underline that the major complications of the diabetic foot are due to biomechanical, vascular and neuropathic alterations. Diabetic patients are less likely to perform physical exercises and tend to walk less, adopting compensatory strategies based on the type of terrain they find. They walk slower, tend to take shorter steps with a wider base of support, have limited knee and ankle mobility. It is very important to study the biomechanics and hyperload points in order to assess the risk of ulceration. In this study we decided to treat the postural alterations of diabetic patients not suffering from neuropathy with the use of proprioceptive insoles by analysing the degrees of perturbation of postural balance using a stabilometric platform. This work intends to evaluate the objective possibility of considering posturology in diabetology as an instrument discipline, to guarantee the patient less risk of ulceration through a correct postural structure and a possible postural reprogramming.