Effectiveness of Diabetic Foot Exercise on Foot Pain Level in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Abstract. Introduction Many diabetic patients experience circulatory disorders, especially in the legs. People with DM will feel pain in their legs after traveling long distances. Diabetic foot exercise is an activity or exercise that is done by moving the muscles and joints of the feet. Foot exercise can help improve impaired blood circulation and strengthen the small muscles of the feet in diabetic patients. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of diabetic foot exercises on foot pain level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methode: The design of this study used a quasi-experimental design with pre and post test group design with control group. The number of research samples was 44 respondents in the intervention group and control group. Data analysis used independent t test and paired t test. Result: The results showed that diabetic foot exercise was effective in reducing leg pain in patients with type 2 diabetesmellitus with p = 0.000 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study can be used as an independent nursing intervention in physical exercise to reduce foot pain and increase leg blood circulation in patients with type 2 DM.