Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

Background & Objectives: The ankle is one of the most important joints in individuals and athletes. Chronic ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries occurring in this joint. Therefore, addressing this issue and comparing intervention methods for rehabilitation in this injury is of high importance. The aim of this study was to compare two protocols: combined exercise and combined exercise with visual feedback, on functional instability and range of motion in individuals with chronic ankle sprain.
Methods: This study was a semi-experimental clinical trial with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. Forty-five participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: combined exercise, combined exercise with visual feedback, and control. In the pre-test phase, functional instability was assessed using the Cumberland questionnaire (validity 0.83, reliability 0.99) and a goniometer (validity 0.83, reliability 0.73). Then, the experimental groups performed the exercises for 8 weeks. After the exercises, the evaluations were repeated, and statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software.
Results: Based on the results, there were significant differences in the range of motion for dorsiflexion (p < 0.001), plantarflexion (p < 0.001), inversion (p < 0.001), and eversion (p < 0.001) between the post-test and pre-test. Additionally, functional instability showed a significant improvement in the post-test compared to the pre-test (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that combined exercise and combined exercise with visual feedback are effective in improving range of motion and functional instability in individuals with chronic ankle sprain. Therefore, it is recommended to use these exercises and visual feedback for the rehabilitation of chronic ankle sprain.
Keywords: Ankle sprain, visual feedback, range of motion, functional instability, balance-resistance exercises.