The effects of foot core training on muscle activations, gait, balance, and lower extremity performance in individuals with pes planus

In this study; it was aimed to determine the effects of foot core training added to exercise therapy on muscle activations, gait, balance, and lower extremity performance in individuals with asymptomatic flexible pes planus. Twenty-eight individuals with asymptomatic flexible pes planus were randomly divided into two groups. Classical pes planus exercise therapy was applied to the control group for eight weeks. In addition to this exercise treatment, the study group was given foot core training. In the study, pes planus was evaluated with Navicular Drop (ND) Test, muscle activations with surface electromyography (sEMG) method, gait with BTS G-walk device, balance performance with Y Balance Test, and lower extremity performance with vertical jump test. As a result of the study, ND values in both extremities decreased significantly in both groups (dominant p<0.01, nondominant p<0.01), while the change in the study group was greater than in the control group (p=0.01). While the stance phase muscle activation ratio values of the abductor hallucis muscle increased (dominant p<0.01, nondominant p=0.03), the stance phase muscle activation ratio values of the tibialis anterior muscle decreased in the study group in both extremities (dominant p=0.02, nondominant p=0.02). For these values, no change was observed in the control group (p>0.05). While the muscle activation ratio values of the peroneus longus muscle in the stance phase of gait increased in the dominant extremity in both groups after the application (study group p=0.01, control group p=0.04), this change was similar in both groups (p>0.05). No change was observed in the all parameters of walking in both groups after exercise (p>0.05). Balance results in both extremities increased in all directions after treatment in both groups (p<0.05). The change in the posteromedial direction of the non-dominant side was observed more in the study group than in the control group (p<0.01). Measured jump heights increased after exercise in both groups (p<0.05); post-exercise changes in jump height results were found to be similar in both groups (p>0.05). The results of our study revealed that foot core training added to the classical exercise therapy of asymptomatic flexible pes planus can produce more effective results on muscle activations and balance than only exercise therapy. Keywords: Balance, electromyography, foot core exercise, gait, pes planus.