Effect of Static Stretching Using Foot Stretching Device in the Elderly: An Interim Report

The exerciser “Relegs,” a home-use rehabilitation device, was modified such that static stretching could be performed. In this study, the effect of static stretching for foot using the modified device was evaluated in twelve healthy elderly people. After stretching, the passive dorsiflexion angle of the foot increased significantly and the stretched length of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle which was evaluated using an ultrasound imaging device shortened significantly. This indicated that the flexibility of the soft tissues other than muscles might have been improved by static stretching using an automated foot stretching machine in the elderly.