Dry needling effects on muscle recruitment pattern and motor control in basketball players with functional ankle instability
Universidad de Alcala
28 participants
Mar 28, 2016
Interventional
Conditions
Summary
The main objective of this study is to determine whether dry needling of myofascial trigger points on the muscles of ankle joint improves recruitment pattern and muscle reaction time as well as motor control in basketball players suffering from functional ankle instability. The results of this study aim to propose a fast, inexpensive and effective therapy for the treatment of this type of injury in basketball players. Subjects included in the final sample will have to meet some inclusion and exclusion criteria such as: playing basketball, history of, at least, 1 significant ankle sprain, history of previous twist ("giving away") episodes, recurrent sprains and/or feeling of ankle joint instability; as well as confirming confirming the absence of any surgery on the lower limbs or lower limbs injuries occurred in the previous three months, vestibular and neurological disorders and feeling pain in other areas at the same time of evaluation. Sample will be divided into two groups and subjects will be randomly assigned to any of them. The first group will receive a dry needling in two muscles of the leg (fibularis longus and tibialis anterior muscles) and another group (control group or placebo group) will receive a placebo dry needling. In this case, the needle will not reach the target muscles, but it will only stay on skin surface. Electromyograpic outcomes will be assessed together with motor control tests, by using a centre of pressures measurement platform. This tasks will be performed just before and inmediately, 48 hours and 1 month after intervention. Data will include: muscle reaction time and recruitment pattern of the mentioned muscles as well as displacement area, displacement velocity of the centre of pressures and sway varibility. Finally subjects daily life tasks related to foot and ankle dysfunctions will be assessed, but in this case, a validated questionnare before the intervention and after the last assessment will be used. This questionnare is known as Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM).
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria10
- Playing basketball.
- History of, at least, 1 significant ankle sprain.
- a. The first ankle sprain must have occurred at least 12 months before inclusion in the research.
- b. It must have provoked signs of inflammation.
- c. It must have led to, at least, one day of physical activity loss.
- History of previous twist ("giving away") episodes, recurrent sprains and / or feeling of ankle joint instability.
- a. 2 or more episodes of twist must have taken place in at least 6 months before inclusion in the study.
- b. Recurrent ankle sprains involves 2 or more episodes within the same ankle joint.
- c. Feeling ankle instability is defined as "the situation because of which during activities of daily living (ADLs) and sport activities the subject perceives that the ankle joint is unstable. This is usually associated with fear of suffering an acute sprain ".
- d. It must be confirmed the presence of ankle instability through a self-administered questionnaire (CAIT).
Exclusion Criteria5
- History of previous surgeries on musculoskeletal structures in any of the lower extremities.
- Previous fracture events on any of the lower limbs that required realignment techniques.
- Suffering from acute musculoskeletal injuries on other joints of the lower limb in the previous three months, responsible for, at least, one day of physical activity loss.
- Vestibular and neurological disorders .
- Feeling pain in other areas at the same time of evaluation.
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Interventions
Deep dry needling on ankle joint stability muscles involves using a needle to reach the target muscle looking for obtaining changes in the muscle recruitment measured in terms of electromyography and outcomes of centre of pressures. The target muscles will be fibularis longus and tibialis anterior muscles. Both of them will be palpated with flat technique and needle will be inserted (a) perpendicular to skin surface in a lateral to medial direction toward the fibula bone for fibularis longus muscle; and (b) whith a slight medial direction toward the tibia for tibialis anterior muscle. The needle will remain for a maximum of 2 minutes while the multiple rapid insertions technique is applied in order to obtain sharp pain, referred pain or local twitch. Treatment will be administered by trained physiotherapists and will be developed in a single 10 minute session, including patient preparation and muscle evaluation before dry needling as well as ischemic compression applied after treatment. Measures will be obtained four times: just before and after the dry needling application, 48 hours and 1 month after intervention.
Locations(1)
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ACTRN12616000386437