Current Concerns Regarding Gait Rehabilitation in People with Plantar Static Disorders Caused by Neurological Dysfunction
Abstract:
The plantar static disorders we are referring to are caused by foot dorsiflexion deficits. The gait model from which the current research started is the gait of the person with hemiplegia. In these individuals, from a locomotion point of view, the abnormality is represented by the inability of knee flexion and dorsal leg extension and is distinguished by asymmetric gait patterns with compensatory movements of the healthy limb and trunk and inadequate motor coordination. The gait is slow with an asymmetric base of support and the foot performs a circumduction movement during locomotion. There are many approaches to gait rehabilitation based on different models of motor physiology and yet about a quarter of survivors, even after receiving rehabilitation services, still have residual gait disorders. Our own study has shown that gait recovery in people with hemiplegia is achieved by applying classical rehabilitation protocols over a long period of time. In 87% of the cases followed, rehabilitation programmes are designed with an emphasis on the foot joint, in 10.7% of cases the knee joint is also addressed and in 3% of cases the hip joint is also addressed. Our proposal involves gait rehabilitation in a reduced time frame by addressing all joints of the lower limb through the use of therapeutic physical exercise, medical devices and neuromuscular taping with a set of impulses to retrain, strengthen and refine the remaining movement capacity.
