An interventional study of Otago Exercise Programme and Otago Exercise Programme + Short-Foot Exercise in Aging, sponsored by Pamukkale University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 65 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-14.
Sponsored by Pamukkale University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The Otago Exercise Programme is a multicomponent exercise approach targeting strength, balance, and mobility in older adults. Short-foot exercises are designed to improve intrinsic foot muscle activation and medial longitudinal arch control. This randomized comparative study will investigate whether adding short-foot exercises to the Otago Exercise Programme provides additional benefits in older adults.
Age-related changes in sensory processing, proprioception, muscle strength, and postural control may contribute to impaired balance and reduced functional mobility in older adults. The ankle-foot complex plays an important role in postural control by providing mechanical support and sensory information during standing and walking. Changes in ankle proprioception, ankle muscle function, and foot posture may therefore influence balance-related performance in older adults.
The Otago Exercise Programme is a structured, multicomponent exercise approach developed to improve lower extremity strength, balance, and walking ability in older adults. Short-foot exercises specifically target the intrinsic foot muscles and active control of the medial longitudinal arch. The addition of short-foot exercises to a conventional balance and strengthening programme may provide a complementary approach by addressing foot-related neuromuscular control.
In this randomized comparative study, participants will be assigned to either the Otago Exercise Programme alone or the Otago Exercise Programme combined with Short-Foot Exercises. Both interventions will be administered under physiotherapist supervision for 8 weeks, twice weekly. The study will compare the effects of these two exercise approaches and evaluate whether the addition of short-foot exercises provides further benefit beyond the Otago Exercise Programme alone.
Pamukkale University is the lead sponsor of 340 studies on the registry; 62 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Participants in this arm will receive a supervised Otago Exercise Programme for 8 weeks, with 2 sessions per week. Each 50-minute session will consist of 5 minutes of warm-up, 40 minutes of Otago exercises, and 5 minutes of cool-down. The Otago component will include lower extremity strengthening, static and dynamic balance exercises, and functional balance and walking tasks. Exercise difficulty will be progressively adjusted according to individual performance and safety.
Behavioral: Otago Exercise Programme
Participants in this arm will receive the Otago Exercise Programme combined with Short-Foot Exercises for 8 weeks, with 2 supervised sessions per week. Each 60-minute session will include 5 minutes of warm-up, 10 minutes of Short-Foot Exercises, 40 minutes of Otago exercises, and 5 minutes of cool-down. Short-Foot Exercises will target intrinsic foot muscle activation and medial longitudinal arch control by drawing the first metatarsal head toward the heel without toe flexion. Exercises will progress from sitting to standing, mini-squat, and soft-surface standing. Three blocks of 12 repetitions will be performed, with each contraction held for 5 seconds and 2 minutes of rest between blocks.
Behavioral: Otago Exercise Programme + Short-Foot Exercise
The Otago Exercise Programme will be delivered under physiotherapist supervision for 8 weeks, 2 days per week, for a total of 16 sessions. Each session will last 50 minutes and will include warm-up, lower extremity strengthening, static and dynamic balance exercises, functional balance and walking tasks, and cool-down. Exercises will be progressively adjusted according to participant performance and safety.
The combined intervention will be delivered under physiotherapist supervision for 8 weeks, 2 days per week, for a total of 16 sessions. Each 60-minute session will include 5 minutes of warm-up, 10 minutes of Short-Foot Exercises, 40 minutes of Otago exercises, and 5 minutes of cool-down. Short-Foot Exercises will target intrinsic foot muscle activation and medial longitudinal arch control and will progress from sitting to standing, mini-squat, and soft-surface standing according to participant performance.
Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (5STS
Lower-extremity functional capacity will be assessed using the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (5STS). Participants will sit on a standard-height chair without armrests, with the arms crossed over the chest, and will be instructed to stand up fully and sit down five consecutive times as quickly as possible. The time from initiation of the first stand to completion of the fifth sitting will be recorded in seconds. Lower completion times indicate better functional performance
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (Week 8).
Dynamic Balance - Mini-BESTest
Dynamic balance will be assessed using the Mini-BESTest, a 14-item clinical balance test evaluating anticipatory postural adjustments, reactive postural control, sensory orientation, and dynamic gait. Each item is scored from 0 to 2, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 28. Higher scores indicate better dynamic balance performance.
Time frame: aseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (Week 8).
Ankle Joint Position Sense
Ankle joint position sense will be assessed using the KFORCE Sens® electrogoniometer at target angles of 10° dorsiflexion and 20° plantar flexion. After passive positioning at the target angle, participants will actively reproduce the target position with eyes closed. Joint position sense error will be calculated as the absolute difference, in degrees, between the target and reproduced angles. Three trials will be performed for each movement direction, and the mean value will be used. Lower error values indicate better joint position sense.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (Week 8).
Ankle Muscle Strength
Ankle dorsiflexor and plantar flexor muscle strength will be assessed using the JTECH PowerTrack II Commander hand-held dynamometer. Three measurements will be performed for each muscle group, and the mean value will be used for analysis. Higher force values indicate greater muscle strength.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (Week 8).
Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)
Fear of falling will be assessed using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). The scale consists of 16 items, each scored from 1 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 16 to 64. Higher scores indicate greater concern about falling.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (Week 8).
Navicular Drop Test
Foot posture will be assessed using the Navicular Drop Test. The vertical distance from the navicular tuberosity to the floor will be measured in a seated subtalar-neutral position and again during relaxed bilateral standing. The difference between the two measurements will be recorded in millimeters as the navicular drop value. Higher values indicate greater medial longitudinal arch collapse and pronation tendency.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention (Week 8).
Start is estimated for Oct 2026; primary completion for Apr 2027, 6 months later.
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From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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