Effect of Weight-Bearing Exercise on People With Diabetes and Neuropathic Feet
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00763087 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : September 30, 2008
Last Update Posted : November 7, 2017
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The purpose of this study is to determine if people with Diabetes Mellitus and peripheral neuropathy can increase their activity (i.e. walking or stationary biking) and leg strength without having an increase in foot problems compared to a group of people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy that do no exercise.
Our hypothesis is that the weight-bearing exercise group will achieve greater increases in weight-bearing activity (i.e., increased steps/day and cumulative load) and leg strength compared to the non-weight bearing exercise group and the non-exercising control group; and there will be no clinically meaningful difference in incidence or indicators of foot lesions between groups.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Diabetes Mellitus Peripheral Neuropathy | Behavioral: weightbearing exercise Behavioral: nonweightbearing exercise Behavioral: nonexercising control | Not Applicable |

Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 43 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | Effect of Weight-Bearing Exercise on People With Diabetes and Neuropathic Feet |
Study Start Date : | September 2008 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | January 2011 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | January 2011 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: nonweightbearing exercise |
Behavioral: nonweightbearing exercise
All subjects in the 2 exercise groups will participate, as able, in 3 supervised 1 hour exercise sessions per week for the first month and 2 supervised and 1 unsupervised exercise session per week for the remaining 2 months. Subjects in each exercise group will be seen on alternating times to avoid cross contamination of treatment intervention. Biking intensity for all subjects will be applied with the intent to exceed their routine physical stress level, and therefore incur positive adaptations to physical stress, but not exceed their threshold for injury. |
Placebo Comparator: nonexercising control |
Behavioral: nonexercising control
All subjects will be instructed, verbally and with written documents, regarding appropriate foot and skin care twice per month. |
Experimental: weightbearing exercise |
Behavioral: weightbearing exercise
All subjects in the exercise group will participate, as able, in 3 supervised 1 hour exercise sessions per week for the first month and 2 supervised and 1 unsupervised exercise session per week for the remaining 2 months. Subjects in each exercise group will be seen on alternating times to avoid cross contamination of treatment intervention. Walking intensity for all subjects will be applied with the intent to exceed their routine physical stress level, and therefore incur positive adaptations to physical stress, but not exceed their threshold for injury. |
- daily step count [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
- skin breakdown [ Time Frame: 3 months ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 40 Years to 90 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Type 1 or Type 2 DM and PN
- biothesiometer > 25mV and
- unable to sense the 5.07 Semmes Weinstein monofilament on at least one spot on the plantar foot
- Relatively sedentary
- step count of 2-9,000 steps per day
- exercising less than 3 times per week (<20 min/session).
- Have the approval of his/her primary care physician to participate in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Subjects who weigh greater than 300 pounds (DXA scanner's weight limit).
- A history of severe foot deformity, such as Charcot neuroarthropathy or partial foot amputation that would require custom therapeutic footwear.
- Any co-morbidity or medication that would interfere with ability to exercise according to ADA and ACSM guidelines.
- People with severe depression as determined by the Beck Depression Inventory II with a score of 29 or greater.
- People who are physically incapable of tolerating one hour of activity.
- Women of child bearing age due to risk of exposure from radiation in DXA testing.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00763087
United States, Missouri | |
Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University in St. Louis | |
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63108 |
Principal Investigator: | Michael J Mueller, PT, PhD | Washington University in St. Louis, Program in Physical Therapy |
Responsible Party: | Washington University School of Medicine |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00763087 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
06-0953 |
First Posted: | September 30, 2008 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | November 7, 2017 |
Last Verified: | November 2017 |
diabetes mellitus peripheral neuropathy exercise |
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Diabetes Mellitus Glucose Metabolism Disorders Metabolic Diseases |
Endocrine System Diseases Neuromuscular Diseases Nervous System Diseases |