Corrective exercises: assessment of dynamic changes in ankle stability and proprioception among women attending dance workouts

Abstract

Introduction. Daily ankle injuries affect 1 in 10,000 persons [1]. Specifically, up to 69.8% of professional dancers and 42.1% of non-professional dancers suffer from ankle injuries [2]. Insufficient function recovery can lead to ankle joint chronic instability, that is mainly associated with components of the nerve and muscle junction. Consequently, those changes lead towards, impairments of sensory motor skills and contribute to stabilization loss [4]. As evidenced, around 20% of dancers with acute ankle sprain develop chronic ankle instability [3]. This research aims to evaluate the dynamical changes in the indicators of dancers' ankle stability and proprioception after the corrective exercises appliance. Research methods and organization. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from Research Ethics Committee (No. BEC-SR(M)-37). All participants signed the informed consent form before taking part in this study. Seventeen cheerleading dancers aged 19 to 30 [5], with at least one year of dancing experience, without any ankle injuries in the past year, were enrolled. Prior to study initiation all dancers had to fill-in questionnaire about their age, weight, height, dance training attendance period, and intensity of pain in the ankle area. Ankle range of motion (ROM) was evaluated using goniometry. Neuromuscular control and ankle stability were evaluated through Single Leg Hop (SLH) test. Functional movement of the body was evaluated with functional movement screening (FMS) test. For dynamic balance, mobility and movement symmetry evaluation Y balance test was used. Based on the results of the initial evaluation, corrective exercise program was developed. Participants had to perform it 3 times per week before their typical workout for the next 6 weeks, in total 18 sessions. Once corrective program was ended, the second evaluation was performed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0 and Microsoft Excel for Windows. A non-parametric Wilcoxon test was used to compare the two dependent samples. We set the significance level at p < 0.05. Results. There was increase in right ankle extension ROM after corrective exercise program (p=0,026; Z= -2.220), without changes in the left. No increase was present in both ankles flexion ROM after corrective exercise programme. We observed increase in right ankle eversion ROM after corrective exercise programme (p=0.007; Z= -2.719), without changes in left. Thus, increase in right ankle inversion ROM after exercise programme (p=0.027; Z= -2.212), with no changes in the left. There was increase in distance of right leg single leg hop test after corrective exercise programme (p=0.015; Z= - 2.44), with no changes in the left. There was Z= -3.519) and (p=0.001; Z= -3.409), respectively. After corrective exercise programme there was incensement in left and right crossover single leg hop test (p=0.022; Z= -2.298) and (p=0.001; Z= -3.310), respectively. We observed changes in timed single leg hop after exercise programme in right (p=0.006; Z= -2.756), with no changes in the left. In FMS Hurdle step increase was present with right and left leg (p=0.002; Z= -3.162 and p=0.02; Z= -2.333), respectively. In Y-Balance test we observed distance augmentation in posterior direction with right and left leg (p=0,005; Z= -2.817 and p=0,006; Z= -2.769), respectively. There was incensement in posterolateral direction with right leg (p=0.001; Z= -3.385), without changes in left. Posteromedial direction augmented with right leg (p=0.005; Z= - 2.817), but not with left. […].