Introduction:

An ankle sprain is a common occurrence that can occur at any age. The aetiology of this condition is the elongation of the fibres or collagen in the ankle ligaments, resulting in partial or complete disruption of the fibres. Individuals with a history of ankle sprain often experience chronic ankle difficulties, including chronic discomfort, muscle weakness, and symptoms associated with chronic ankle instability.

Methods and materials: 

An ankle sprain is a common injury that can occur at any age and involves the stretching or tearing of ligament fibres. It often leads to chronic problems such as persistent pain, muscle weakness and instability. The article explores an intervention protocol based on specific exercises and foam rolling techniques, with a particular focus on the calf and foot muscles. Among the tools used for the study were Moover One inertial sensors (Motustech) for movement analysis.

Conclusions: 

The study highlighted that a combined 5-week programme based on foam rolling (FR) and static stretching (SS) techniques significantly improves ankle joint mobility (ROM), angular velocity and performance in counter-movement jumps, compared to static stretching alone. The full study is available to download for those who wish to explore the methodology and results in more detail.

Authors: 

Antonino Patti, Ewan Thomas, Valerio Giustino, Carlo Rossi, Antonio Paoli, Patrik Drid, Antonio Palma, Antonino Bianco.