Abstract
Background Lateral ankle sprains are among the common injuries in the physically active population in different age groups and progress to chronic ankle instability (CAI). Accordingly, the current study assesses the effectiveness of strengthening and proprioceptive training programs on proprioception and balance in those suffering from CAI. Design Quasi-experimental design. Methods Thirty-six individuals with self-reported CAI were assigned into three groups based on age: group 1 (23 +/- 1.84), group 2 (35.80 +/- 1.68), group 3 (44.25 +/- 4.86), then performed strength and balance exercises for 6 weeks. The study furthermore measured pre- and post-training of joint position sense (JPS), static balance, dynamic balance, chronic ankle instability tool (CAIT) and lower extremity functional scale (LEFS). Results Statistical analysis showed significant improvement (P < 0.01) on all outcome measures among all groups. In group 1, mainly the plantar flexion JPS improved to 3.7 degrees, while in group 2 and group 3 the eversion JPS improved to 3.1 degrees and 1.78 degrees (P < 0.01). With reference to static balance with one's eyes closed and eyes open, the improvement in group 1 was 4.46, 11.05 s, group 2 was 2.23, 7.85 s and group 3 was 1.69, 4.68 s. In relation to dynamic balance, the development in group 1 was 5.85 cm, while group 2 was 4.71 cm and group 3 was 2.49 cm. Moreover, both CAIT and LEFS showed significant differences (P < 0.01) after training. Conclusion This study found that combined strengthening and proprioceptive training effectively improves stability, proprioception, balance, and self-reported functional outcomes.