Abstract
INTRODUCTION: diabetes has a strong association with an increased risk of disability. Activity limitation encompasses activities of daily living, balance and gait and, in subjects with diabetic foot (DF), foot self-management skills. OBJETIVE: to determine the effectiveness of a home kinesiology exercise plan on activity limitation in subjects with DF. METHODS: quasi-experimental design. The 47 subjects were divided into: group 1 (G1, n=21) included subjects with unilateral DF without prosthesis, and group 2 included subjects with bilateral DF (G2A, n=15) or unilateral (G2B, n=11) DF with prosthesis. Foot and footwear access and postural control on one foot with eyes open and closed were assessed. Moreover, in G2A and G2B functional mobility was assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, ankle and foot function were evaluated using the Foot and Ankle Ability Measures (FAAM) questionnaire. The intervention involved a 14-day home kinesiology exercise plan. RESULTS: 39 subjects were evaluated. Postural control improved in 55% of G1 (n=11) with eyes closed (p= 0.0172) and, in G2A, in 100% (n=12) with eyes open (p= 0.00195) and in 50% (n=6) with eyes closed (p= 0.0313), in both cases on the right foot. TUG decreased in both groups (G2A p= 0.0049 and G2B p= 0.0384) and FAAM% increased in 94.73% of G2A (p= 0.0118). DISCUSSION: activity limitation was observed in all subjects with DF that improved with an exercise plan.