Improvement of Mobility, Strength, Stability and Pain in Soccer Players with Recurrent Ankle Sprains Through Myofascial Release, Strength Exercises and Taping: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Background. Recurrent ankle sprains are common in soccer players, characterized by restricted range of motion, pain, and decreased proprioception, strength, and postural control. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial over 4 weeks, 36 recreationally active male football players randomly to experimental group (myofascial release applied to the subastragaline joint, eccentric training with an isoinertial device and neuromuscular taping) or control group (same intervention without neuromuscular taping). Outcomes measures were range of motion, strength, stability and perceived pain in the ankle joint. The within-subject effect and group interaction were obtained by means of a repeated measures ANOVA.Results. We found significant differences in range of motion in dorsiflexion (p < 0.001; η2p = 0.31) and plantar flexion (p < 0.01; η2p = 0.23). We also found differences depending on the moment in the strength in dorsiflexion (p = 0.001; η2p = 0.19) and plantar flexion (p < 0.001; η2p = 0.29) and in the intra-subject effect in the variables perceived pain (p = 0.03; η2p = 0.11) and the mean anteroposterior and mid-lateral velocity with eyes open (p < 0.001; η2p = 0.25). No significant changes in group interaction were found in any of the variables (p > 0.05).Conclusion. The combination of fascial therapy and eccentric strength training with an isoinertial device improves ankle mobility, strength and stability in footballers with recurrent ankle sprains. The use of taping techniques failed to provide a greater improvement of the study variables when combined with manual therapy and strength techniques.Trial Registration Number: www.clinicaltrials.gov (id: NCT04257916; Date of registration: 2nd, April, 2020).