| Description |
Ankle sprains in an athletic setting are considered one of the most common injuries sustained. Cryokinetics is commonly used in the treatment of these injuries. Recent literature suggests dynamic balance rehabilitation is influential for faster return to functional activity. Limited research has been published on the influence Cold-Water- Immersion (CWI) has on dynamic balance performance at the ankle. We evaluate CWI influence on a modified y-balance test and postural sway. We anticipated no significant differences between a treatment and control. Alpha was set at ≤ 0.05. A crossover design was utilized with a randomized treatment and control day along with randomized reach direction. Data collection was performed in a research laboratory setting with thirty subjects (female=15 male=15, age= 24±1.5 years, ht =172.75 cm±8.0, mass=70.8±12.8 kg). Study took place over two separate data collection days consisting of treatment and control. Treatment included subjects placing the nondominant lower leg into a container of cold water (maintained between 0 - 5 °C) for a minimum of 10 minutes and maximum of 15 minutes along with self reported numbness. Post treatment, subjects were asked to perform a modified y-balance test on a force plate. If numbness was lost during testing, the subject placed the lower leg back into the container for a minimum of 5 minutes and self-reported numbness. Normalized reach direction in the anterior (ANT), posteromedial (PM), and posterolateral (PL) were recorded with an intratester reliability of (0.67-0.96). Center of Pressure (COP) excursions of means velocity squared via forceplate was calculated with anterior/posterior (R=0.86) and medial/lateral (R=0.81) values. Normalized reach and COP measures were compared using RMANOVA. There was no significant within-subject interaction on all variables [Wilks' Λ=0.70, F (df) = 0.999, p = 0.471]. ANT reach presented closest to significance and largest effect size [F=2.51, p = 0.123, effect size = 0.33]. However, subjects self-reported an increased difficulty during testing. Measures indicate no significant difference in performance of the dynamic balance task. This may reinforce earlier dynamic balance rehabilitation of acute ankle sprains. With a faster introduction to rehabilitative exercises, athletes may minimize the long-lasting effects experienced from acute ankle sprains. Further research should evaluate the effect dynamic balance has on an injured population. |
