Foot sole two-point discrimination is not associated with dynamic standing balance in healthy adults.
Takemi Sato, Hiroyuki Saito, Kentaro Yotsumoto and 4 others
PMID 40034556WHAT IT FOUND
Foot sole two-point discrimination was not linked to dynamic standing balance in healthy adults.
Toe grip strength was linked to dynamic balance on a firm floor, and two-point discrimination was linked to static balance on firm floor.
Key findings
01Foot sole two-point discrimination was associated with static balance on a firm floor, but not with dynamic balance.
02Toe grip strength was associated with dynamic balance on a firm floor.
03Static sway and dynamic limits of stability were not significantly correlated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was small and limited to healthy adults, so findings may not apply to patients with balance disorders, neuropathy, vestibular problems, or fall risk. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that two-point discrimination or toe grip strength causes balance changes. It examined only quiet standing and voluntary leaning with feet fixed; it did not test stepping, changing base of support, or dynamic activities closer to daily life. It did not measure touch, vibration, trunk or proximal lower limb muscle activity, or brain activity.
Declared interests
The authors reported no funding or conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that foot sole sensory exercises improve dynamic standing balance. The study found no association between two-point discrimination and dynamic balance, was cross-sectional, and included healthy adults only, so it cannot demonstrate treatment effects.