Effect of the Auricular Acupoint Associated with Physical Exercise in Elderly People: A Randomized Clinical Test

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the effect of auricular acupoint associated with physical exercise on balance, mobility, and fear of falling in the elderly.

Method: The study is characterized as a clinical, controlled, and randomized trial with 22 elderly people divided into two groups: kinesiotherapy group (n = 11) and kinesiotherapy/auriculotherapy group (n = 11). The instruments used for evaluation were Falls Efficacy Scale International; Berg Balance Scale, and Timed up and Go Test. The intervention was performed with frequency 2×/week for 8 weeks. In the kinesiotherapy/auriculotherapy group, in addition to kinesiotherapy, auriculotherapy was applied in specific acupoints. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine the normality of the data, and for comparison, analysis of variance was used for repeated measures of two factors.

Results: There was a significant intragroup reduction for the Timed up and Go Test (p = 0.00) and Falls Efficacy Scale International (p = 0.00), and significant intragroup Berg Balance Scale (p = 0.00) for both groups.

Conclusion: The auricular acupoint did not influence the balance, mobility, and fear of falling in the elderly studied.

Keywords: aging; auriculotherapy; balance; elderly; falls; rehabilitation.