Almost one in three injuries treated in sports medicine clinics within the U.S. are ankle sprains. This equates to roughly 23,000 people suffering from this particular injury daily. Additionally, female athletes—basketball players especially—are 25 percent more likely to sprain this lower body joint.
Part of what makes ankle sprains so problematic is that these injuries can sometimes have long-term consequences not only in the foot but to other areas of the body as well. For example, a 2016 study found that individuals suffering from ankle sprain often have lasting effects related to sensitivity and mobility in the foot and calf. They also tend to have more difficulties with postural control, which can impact the way you walk, stand, and run for years and years to come.
A newly released piece of research reveals that chiropractic can potentially help individuals with ankle sprain injuries overcome these impacts by increasing strength in the hips.
Chiropractic for Ankle Sprains: The Research
On July 20, 2020, the Journal of Manipulate and Physiological Therapeutics published a study involving 25 participants who had endured a minimum of one ankle sprain resulting in weakness yet still had full, pain-free range of motion in their hips and knee. Two participants had mild ankle mobility restriction as a result, 20 had moderate restriction, and the remaining three participants were severely restricted.
High-velocity, low-amplitude adjustments were performed on the following joints: proximal tibiofibular, distal tibiofibular, talocrural, and subtalar. After analyzing the participants 48 hours post-treatment, researchers noted that a 14.2 percent increase in hip abductor force.