Date Approved

4-7-2020

Embargo Period

4-7-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. Athletic Training

Department

Health and Exercise Science

College

School of Health Professions

Advisor

Pletcher, Erin

Committee Member 1

Mann, Douglas

Committee Member 2

Gibb, Jessica

Keywords

Balance, Chronic Ankle Instability, Core Stability

Subject(s)

Sports injuries--Treatment

Disciplines

Orthopedics | Sports Medicine

Abstract

Ankle injuries are one of the most common injuries in the athletic population because of the anatomy of the ankle in conjunction with dynamic activity. During injury, mechanoreceptors are damaged, effecting neuromuscular control. Lack of neuromuscular control puts patients at risk for re-injury. Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has been defined as a condition associated with recurrent sprains and persistent symptoms, including feelings of "giving way," loss of function and limited movement and continuous ankle pain. Patients with CAI are commonly shown to have functional deficits in postural control, such as overcompensating on the uninvolved limb or unable to maintain proper balance. Previous studies have shown the effects of a core program on the reach distance using a 3-point grid or using subjects with previous knee injuries. Other studies have shown deficits in landing using a drop landing test. Most sports are played on a dynamic plane, meaning the athlete is moving among multiple planes at once. A drop landing test assesses the dynamic balance of patients and can determine if they suffer from a deficit. Many do not focus on landing following a core stability program in conjunction with a balance test in patients with a history of ankle injuries. The aim of this study was to assess the landing-stabilization times and reach distance of recreationally active individuals with chronic ankle instability following a 6-week core stability program compared to those who do not complete the program. The outcomes matched with previous studies of improvement in reach distance, with a higher improvement in the experimental group, meaning that incorporating a core program resulted in an improvement. The outcomes also followed previous research suggesting that subjects with chronic ankle instability show an increased stabilization time. Subjects in the experimental group showed a decrease in their stabilization time. The information gathered in this thesis could benefit patients with a history of ankle injuries by decreasing their risk of re-injury when incorporating a core program into their rehabilitation.

Download

Share

COinS