2.4.3. Instruments
musculoskeletal pain
DISEASES
The study used a questionnaire with sociodemographic variables (age, marital status, education, and monthly family income) and health-related variables (body mass index/BMI, presence of diagnosed diseases, musculoskeletal pain in the last 7 days, musculoskeletal pain in the last 12 months, and medications), and the evaluation of plantar tactile sensitivity.The evaluation of tactile pressure sensitivity in the plantar region was performed through the Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments “esthesiometer” of the brand SORRIThe monofilaments have the purpose of evaluating and quantifying the tactile perception threshold and sensation of deep foot pressure [The monofilaments were applied to 10 different points on each foot, as predefined by Armstrong et al. [Before starting the procedure, a test was performed with the monofilament, which was applied to an area of the participants’ arm with preserved sensitivity so that the correct understanding of the test could be verified. The participants were positioned on a stretcher in a supine position, eyes closed, and in a quiet environment. Each monofilament was applied perpendicularly for about 1–2 s at each point so as to curve over the area without sliding over the skin of the elderly woman. The tests started with the thinnest and lowest pressure monofilament (0.05 gf, green color), and in case of no response, a monofilament of larger diameter and pressure (0.2 gf, blue color) was used, and so on until the participant was able to detect the touch.Each monofilament was pressed onto the skin, and the participant was instructed to indicate the time and place when she felt the pressure of the filament. The application was repeated twice on the same site and alternated with at least one simulated application in which the monofilament was not applied. This way, three questions were asked per application site and were considered an absent sensation if two answers were incorrect in the three attempts. It is noteworthy that the elderly were strictly monitored over the 8 weeks, noting their non-participation in activities that could influence the study.The recording of the tests was made by marking at each established point the color corresponding to the first monofilament that the participant detected by touch. To allow a comparison between the situations, a numerical score was stipulated for each monofilament that ranged from 0 (zero) no perception to 6 (six) normal sensitivity; that is, the higher the score, the better the plantar tactile sensitivity. The sensitivity was determined by regions of the right and left feet: the forefoot (the sum of the points of seven regions), the midfoot (the sum of the points of two regions), the hindfoot (the score of one region), and the whole foot (the sum of all points assessed).The evaluations of the variables were carried out in two moments: before training (T0) and after training (T1), by researchers who did not participate in the allocation process of older women and had no contact with the treatment groups. For the CGT, the participants were evaluated and reassessed following the same period and place established for the intervention groups.