title: The effectiveness of wedge shoes in patients with insufficient vestibular compensation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients who fail to achieve sufficient vestibular compensation after acute vestibular deafferentation show a tendency to deviate toward the affected side. This study evaluated the effectiveness of wedge shoes specially manufactured with a 4mm inclination on the affected side to patients with chronic vestibular insufficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised 13 patients with chronic vestibular insufficiency for >6 months after acute unilateral vestibular dysfunction and 9 healthy volunteers. Subjects underwent vestibular tests wearing wedge shoes and regular shoes. Differences in results were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients showed significant improvements in the straight gait test (p<0.01), Unterberger-Fukuda stepping test (p<0.01) and posturography test (p=0.015) when wearing wedge shoes compared with wearing regular shoes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested that raising the lateral sole of shoes on the affected side could effectively ameliorate the effects of chronic vestibular insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. IZT01356@nifty.ne.jp
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ushio
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murofushi
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Mitsuya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Kimitaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012775:Shoes; D014717:Vertigo / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology*