The Influence of Plantar Pressure Patch Application and Location on Gait Parameters and Dynamic Balance in Healthy Adults

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of acupressure patch application at different plantar locations on the gait parameters and dynamic balance in healthy adults to determine if targeted plantar stimulation could reduce gait asymmetry and enhance the balance performance.Methods: Twenty-four healthy adults participated in this study.The experiment was conducted under five conditions: control and four experimental groups with acupressure patches applied to the first metatarsal base, fifth metatarsal base, calcaneus, and hallux.The gait parameters, including bilateral asymmetry in step length, stride length, center of pressure (COP) angle, and force parameters, were measured using a gait analyzer.The dynamic balance was assessed using the Functional Reach Test (FRT).Results: Significant differences were found in the bilateral asymmetry of the step length (p= 0.044), COP angle (p= 0.049), force parameters (p= 0.043), and FRT scores (p= 0.047).Post-hoc analysis showed that step length asymmetry decreased under the lateral condition (p= 0.001).The COP angle asymmetry reduced under medial (p= 0.004) and heel (p= 0.043) conditions, and the force parameter asymmetry decreased under the medial, lateral, and heel conditions.The FRT scores improved under lateral (p= 0.020) and heel (p= 0.019) conditions. Conclusion:The application of acupressure patches at specific plantar locations effectively reduced gait asymmetry and improved the dynamic balance.The effects were location-specific, suggesting that targeted plantar sensory stimulation may serve as a potential intervention for improving gait symmetry and balance control.