The Impact of Finger Exercise on Falls, Balance, Gait, Quality of Life, and Depressive Symptoms Among Community-dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background Finger exercise, a practice involving specific, coordinated finger and hand movements designed to stimulate acupoints, meridians, and jing-well points, offers a promising non-pharmacological strategy for health management in aging populations. However, its broader health benefits and underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. We aimed to evaluate the effects of finger exercise on falls, balance, gait, quality of life, and depressive symptoms in older adults. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 284 participants were randomized to an intervention group (n = 142), performing 20-minute finger exercise sessions twice daily for two months, or a control group (n = 142) receiving no intervention. Primary outcomes included falls (tracked weekly), balance, and gait (assessed by POMA). Secondary outcomes included quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and salivary biomarkers. Group differences were analyzed using Zero-inflated Poisson regression for fall counts, ordinal logistic regression for the percentage of fallers, and linear regression for continuous variables. Results Among 276 completers (140 intervention; 136 control), the intervention group had fewer falls (25 vs.63 events), better balance (mean±SD: 13.4 ± 1.9vs.12.5 ± 2.3), gait (10.5 ± 2.5vs.9.6 ± 3.0), higher physical (52.3 ± 9.0vs.48.0 ± 8.0), psychological (57.5 ± 8.5vs.53.1 ± 8.4), and social (60.2 ± 11.5vs.46.1 ± 9.9) quality of life scores, fewer depressive symptoms (3.4 ± 1.8vs.4.6 ± 1.7), and higher BDNF levels (5.5 ± 1.9vs.4.3 ± 1.8), with all differences statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions Finger exercise showed potential to reduce fall risk and improve quality of life and depressive symptoms, possibly by altering physiological markers such as BDNF levels. Further research is needed to confirm these findings, explore underlying mechanisms, and assess long-term impacts of this intervention in diverse older populations. Trial registration chictr.org.cn ChiCTR2300071223.