Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in the lower quarter affecting with an estimated 2 million cases occurring each year in the U.S. Manual therapy and exercise remain the gold standard of care for these injuries due to their ability to accelerate a patient’s recovery from the injury compared to usual care...
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries encountered by Physical Therapists working in sports medicine practices. Prior research has shown 85% of these injuries will involve the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. The severity of the sprain is graded on a 3 point scale which describes the degree of ligamentous injury....
The stability of a joint is determined by 3 main categories including passive structures (anatomical bone congruency, ligamentous support), active structures (muscles and tendons), and our proprioception or balance system. Together they create a powerful system of stability to support a joint in both healthy and injured or sprained conditions. Importantly, an injury to one...
Performing traditional strength training movements with an added component of instability has long been know to change the recruitment of muscles. The unstable nature of the exercise enhances position sense (proprioception), balance, and joint stabilization during each repetition. Previous research recommends using stable surfaces and exercises when the goal is optimal strength and power development. ...
Injuries to our spinal and extremity joints can impact a variety of structures including muscle, ligament, and nervous system receptors. The sensors or proprioceptors are critical in providing real time feedback to our spinal cord and brain on the positions of our limbs. This feedback system is disrupted by injury leading to slower information processing...