Physical Therapy Professor Leads Research Project on the Effects of Intrinsic Foot Muscle Strengthening
Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, Erin Futrell, PT, MPT, PhD.
By: Damon Markiewicz
The Springfield College Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship, with support from Springfield College President Mary-Beth A. Cooper, PhD, DM, hosted the April Presidential Scholar’s Talk featuring Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, Erin Futrell, PT, MPT, PhD.
Futrell provided an insightful discussion on her latest research, which explores the impact of intrinsic foot muscle strengthening exercises on foot strength, structural integrity, proprioception, and fall risk reduction in older adults. The intrinsic foot muscles have been largely unexplored in healthcare and fitness research because these muscles have been difficult to measure and isolate from larger muscles in the lower legs and feet. As technology has advanced, real-time ultrasound imaging, electromyography, and specific strength measurement devices are now available to clinicians to explore these muscles.
“The research project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control, and it focuses on participants 65 years old and older, who may have a high fall risk,” explained Futrell. “The research includes doing a couple of different interventions, including wearing minimal footwear, or recommending specific exercises to isolate the foot muscles. We are testing to see if these interventions reduce the participants fall risk, or if the interventions improve their balance and make those muscles stronger. Also, if by exercising these muscles, can participants gain a better sensory awareness of their feet. The overall objective is to reduce falls in older adults with unconventional methods that have not been looked at before.”
Overall, the research is a three-year project. Participants entering the research study do the interventions for the first four months, followed by the Foot Intrinsic Testing and Training Lab (FiTT Lab) research team checking in with participants for about a year, tracking falls, and seeing if something makes a difference in the individuals fall risk.
As part of the research team, Futrell teamed up with colleague Regina Kaufman, PT, EdD, Springfield College professor of Physical Therapy. Kaufman is an academician and clinician with more than 30 years of experience working with adults of all ages with neurologic and other chronic health and mobility conditions. She has a strong commitment to community-engaged education, and she fulfills this commitment as Director of the Physical Therapy Community Mobility Clinic (CMC).
“I was fortunate to team up with Regina, who is pretty much an expert in older adults and falls, and she has done a lot of work in that area,” explained Futrell. “My expertise comes in more with the intrinsic foot muscles, so we teamed up, and we also have Physical Therapy doctoral students working with us to recruit people and screen them to make sure they are eligible for the study, and help with measurements.”
In addition to Futrell and Kaufman, licensed physical therapist Melissa Supinski is also part of the research team in a post-doctoral research professional role.
“As part of the approved grant, we were able to fill a post-doctoral position to work with me and help manage the students, the participants, and get a full enriching experience in a research project,” explained Futrell. “Not a lot of clinicians get this opportunity, so this helps to keep our profession rolling with getting physical therapists involved in research.”
Participants for the research study have included Springfield College faculty and staff, as well as individuals recommended from a multitude of community partners in the surrounding area.
“Community partners, such as Loomis Lakeside at Reed’s Landing, have been helpful in recruiting participants, and allowing us to do some of our measurements on site,” explained Futrell. “I’ve received letters of support from the city of Springfield to advertise at the local senior centers. In addition, Regina has used contacts at Baystate Medical Center, who specialize in treating older adults throughout Springfield, so overall, we have some good leads.”
Futrell went on to explain, “We are all about evidence-based practice, and we tell the students that all the time. What we’re teaching, what they’re learning, what they’re gaining from working with community members is evidence-based learning. I believe this is the third grant funded project the Department of Physical Therapy has developed recently, and all of the research has involved students. The students patriciate in developing the evidence, and they get exposed to it. As a department, we are very proud to provide this type of experience to our students, and allow them to experience a research study in a very meaningful way.”
And when it comes to projecting some goals for the FiTT Lab team, Futrell reiterates that this research is tied into our Humanics philosophy, and its goal is to help others continue to live a healthy life.
“My hope is that actually wearing minimal footwear might be a simple solution, and it’s something that needs to happen from the time that you’re a child,” explained Futrell. “Hopefully, we don’t need to wear these big padded shoes all the time. If we can develop our feet and use our feet in the way they were meant to be used, put them in minimally cushioned shoes that allow your foot to function as if you’re barefoot, and allow you to use those muscles to their full potential.”
Futrell added, “And, could that make a difference in foot structure, so people don’t have bunions or toe deformities, or ankle problems as they get older, because their feet are nice and strong from a young age? Those are important questions we strive to answer.”
