The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of balance exercises combined with whole-body vibration training on balance and ankle function in adults with chronic ankle instability. A total of 30 adults with chronic ankle instability were ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of balance exercises combined with whole-body vibration training on balance and ankle function in adults with chronic ankle instability. A total of 30 adults with chronic ankle instability were enrolled in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: Experimental Group (EG), which performed balance exercises combined with whole-body vibration training; Experimental Group 2 (EG2), which underwent whole-body vibration training only; and a Control Group (CG), which performed balance exercises only, with 10 participants in each group. Training was conducted twice a week for four weeks.
All subjects received a pre-test before the first intervention and a post-test after 8 sessions of intervention. Measurements: For static balance, the Bio-Rescue device was used to record the surface area and velocity under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. For dynamic balance, the Y-Balance Test was used to measure the composite reach distance. Functional tests included the Single-Hop Test and the Up-Down Hop Test. Additionally, two subjective scales, the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT), were used to assess participants' ankle function and subjective ankle instability.
All groups showed post-intervention improvements in most measures. Significant time × group interactions were observed for CAIT, Single-Hop, and Up-Down Hop Tests (p 〈 .05). Specifically, the improvement magnitude in EG was significantly greater than in EG2 (p 〈 .05). However, compared with CG, no significant between-group differences were found for these tests. These results suggest that combined training may improve balance ability and functional motor performance in patients with chronic ankle instability by simultaneously enhancing motor neuron excitability, proprioceptive feedback, postural control, and neuromuscular coordination, and therefore may have clinical value in the rehabilitation of ankle disorders.