Joint mobilization and static stretching for individuals with chronic ankle instability - A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Chronic ankle instability (CAI) affects numerous individuals, leading to reduced function and increased risk of re-injury.
• Current interventions for CAI often involve a combination of manual therapy and exercise, but optimal timing remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effects of joint mobilization timing during a 4-week calf stretching program on outcomes for individuals with CAI.
• To investigate the combined effects of joint mobilization and calf stretching on clinician- and patient-oriented measures.

Main Methods:

• A randomized two-group pretest-posttest design was employed in a laboratory setting.
• Ten adults with CAI were allocated to either an early-mobilization or late-mobilization group, both undergoing a 4-week calf stretching intervention with mobilization in the first or last two weeks, respectively.
• Outcome measures included range of motion, postural control, and patient-reported scales (FAAM, DPA, FABQ).

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed between the early-mobilization and late-mobilization groups post-intervention.
• Significant improvements were noted in Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) for Activities of Daily Living, Disablement in the Physically Active Scale (DPA), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) for Physical Activity, and dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) from pre- to post-intervention.
• No other significant pre- to post-intervention differences were detected.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary findings suggest that the timing of joint mobilization, when combined with calf stretching, does not influence treatment efficacy for CAI.
• The combination of joint mobilization and calf stretching effectively improves dorsiflexion ROM and self-reported function in individuals with CAI.
• The observed improvements are comparable to those reported for isolated joint mobilization or stretching interventions.