Rehabilitation of Acute and Chronic Ankle Sprain for Male Cricketers Through Headway (Isometric, Isotonic and Proprioception) Exercises

Abstract

The present study investigated that Headway (Isometric, Isotonic and Proprioception) exercises are effective for acute & chronic ankle sprain injury, which was observed through experimental research. Ninety-four amateur cricketers of age, 15-35 years (Control Injured, N=48; Headway Rehab Group N=46) with a confirmed acute or chronic ankle sprain, selected from four different cities of Punjab, Pakistan was evaluated through Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), Single Leg Balance test (SLB) and subject to a set of progressively increasing exercises on ground known as Headway rehab exercises which consisted of Isometric, Isotonic and proprioception protocols. Another group of the same level of cricketers (N=40) was managed parallel for comparisons. The Control Injured and Headway Rehab Group was left with 40 subjects each because during the course of Headway exercise eight and six subjects left the study due to their personal reasons. Comparisons of pre and post-exercise (Control Injured Group) values showed a significant increase (p<0.001) in Lateral direction reach and Posteromedial direction (p<0.05) while the rest of the six directions showed non-significant results. Headway Rehab Group showed an overall improvement of 5.2% and 7.5% with an increase (cm) of 3.4 and 4.9 for the non-injured and injured leg respectively. However, the range of improvement in percentage for all eight directions (anterior, anterolateral, lateral, posterolateral, posterior, posteromedial, medial, anteromedial) lies between 5.7-7.1(range) and 6.3-9.6 (range) for the non-injured and injured leg respectively. Similarly, the difference between pre and post-exercise difference of two positions of non-injured leg and injured leg (closed and open eyes) in seconds were 2.9, 12.1 and 4.1, 27.7 respectively. However, the improvement percentage of two directions (closed and open eyes) of Headway Rehab Group was 44.9 and 75.3 for non-injured and 12.7 and 51.6 per cent for injured group respectively. It was evaluated through the Single Leg Balance Test and analyzed by paired sample t-test found highly significant (p<0.001). The results indicated that Headway exercises improved isometric and isotonic muscular strength, proprioception and stability that ultimately helped to recover, regaining strength and reinstall proprioception. After completing the Headway Rehab plan the subjects were followed for four months to check the recurrence and found recurrence of Control Injured Group and Headway Rehab Group was 17.5% and 12.5% respectively.

Diagnosis, Treatment & Rehabilitation of Rotator Cuff Acute & Chronic Injury in Throwing Sports Athletes by Isometric, Isotonic and Theraband Exercises

“…Additionally, the medicines prescribed by the specialist also played a vital role for recovery and regaining strength. Moreover, the history of the treatment, management strategies along with grades are helpful not only in designing the rehabiliatation plan but also beneficial in recovery of the shoulder injuries [7,13,10,11].…”

“…A well-planned physiotherapist program, trying non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAM), and getting rest soon along with stopping playing are basic protocols for efficient recovery. Dynamic and static Stretching with arm mobilization is used to treat posterior capsular contractures [14,15,13,10]. To create strength in the shoulder joint, core muscles (abdomen), and thoracic muscles are used to reinstate normal scapulothoracic and trunk rotation mechanics as reduce pain, regain rotator cuff strength, and recital function improved.…”

“…Rehabilitation with exercises now a day's become a necessary part to come back to its original performance condition. A rehabilitation plan of sports injuries required extra care, highly structured exercise and sports specifically approach along with specificity, over loading, progression and rest and restoration principle which prepared both athlete and the injured tissue as per requirement of mental and physiological demands at peak performance [13,10,16,21,22]. The target rehabilitation weekly plan is mentioned in the Table 2 along with two unload weeks and Table 3 with exercises respectively .…”

“…After the recovery phase, these protocols utilized as a maintenance plan for further recurrence and increase life span of rotator cuff muscles. 3 to 5 days a week exercise conditioning program was done regularly by the athletes using different methods of shoulder stretching, exercises that would strengthen the shoulder and the use of rubber bands for mobilization of the muscles [2,10]. The nonsurgical rehabilitation treatment is showed in Table 4.…”

“…Connor et al, [8] cited in his study about 25% of athletes has a problem of throwing with pain, and 40% of the athletes have rotator cuff injuries as compared with nonthrowing arm. To cure this injury the concept of rehabilitation utilized efficiently, effectively and economically which required comprehensive rehab plan along with extra care, healing process, restore range-of-motion, isometric and isotonic strength, and sports specific loom which arranged both athlete and the injured tissue psychological, physiological and kinsiophobia at higher rate of performance [9][10][11].…”