Objective: To determine whether there is an impact of diabetic neuropathy on balance and fall risks in diabetes type 2 patients.
Methodology: It is a cross sectional study that involved diabetes type 2 patients aged between 40 to 60 years with neuropathy, confirmed by Michigan neuropathy screening scoring. Study excluded the patients with ongoing comorbidities and neuropathies of other cause. This study included 196 patients. Data were collected through non probability purposive sampling technique from 3 different hospitals in Lahore (Services Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Surgimed Hospital). Three measures were used for each parameter of the study, Michigan neuropathy screening instrument for neuropathy, Timed up and Go Test for balance assessment and Fall Efficacy Scale International for fall risk assessment. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 25.
Results: Out of 196 patients, only 16(8%) had no neuropathy and 180(92%) had considerable neuropathy with mean score of 17.8954 on Michigan neuropathy instrument. For TUG test, 148(75.5%) patients were labelled slow and 48(24.5%) as normal. For fall efficacy scale international, 80(41%) patients were completely independent and other 116(59%) were moderate to completely dependent, defining the fear of fall that each patient had.
Conclusion: There is a remarkable association between diabetic neuropathy, risk of falls and balance. The level of significance between neuropathy and balance impairments increased risk falls was high.
Key words: Diabetic neuropathy, balance impairments, fall risk, daily life activities.
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