Backward step to safety: new study tests reverse walking to stop senior falls
NCT ID NCT07650097
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 01, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study tests whether adding backward walking exercises to standard rehabilitation can reduce falls in people over 75 who are at high risk of falling. About 300 participants in France will either receive usual care or replace part of their rehab with supervised backward walking on a treadmill. Researchers will track falls, balance, and mobility for one year to see if this simple change makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- walking backwards exercise
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to prevent falls in older adults, helping them stay independent longer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage trial. The benefit may be small or not apply to everyone, and backward walking carries a risk of falling during the exercise itself.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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75 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * People aged 75 or older * Consultant at a geriatric day hospital * At high risk of falling. High risk of falling is defined in accordance with the World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative. The patient must have at least one of the following characteristics: * At least two falls in the last 12 months; * A fall resulting in an injury requiring medical attention; * Inability to get up unaided after a fall for at least one hour; * Suspected syncope; * Frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale ≥4) * Able to walk on a treadmill (physically able and capable of understanding the physiotherapist's instructions) * Able to understand and follow instructions from healthcare professionals * Patient or guardian who has been informed about the study and has given their free, informed and written consent to participate * Covered by a social security scheme (member or beneficiary) excluding Aide Médicale d'Etat (AME). Exclusion Criteria: * Acute medical condition incompatible with prolonged standing (at the inclusion visit) * Estimated life expectancy of less than one year (at the inclusion visit) * Participation in another interventional trial or being within the exclusion period following a previous trial, where applicable (at the inclusion visit) * Balance disorders related to vestibular and cerebellar disorders (at the inclusion visit).
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hôpital Charles-Foix
Ivry-sur-Seine, 94205, France