A Comparison between Two Methods of Exercise in Water and Land to Improve Pain, Function, Static and Dynamic Balance in Patients with Chronic Ankle Sprain

Ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries of the ankle joint. Recurrent and chronic ankle sprain can cause balance impairment. Recurrent injury is a consequence of inadequate rehabilitation and instability of ankle joint will follow. In this quasi-experimental study, 30 women with chronic ankle sprain participated and were randomly assigned to three groups: exercise therapy in water, land and control. Pain, motor function, static and dynamic balance were measured before and after the exercise program. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-21 software (P=0.05). Findings demonstrated a significant difference in pain, motor function, static and dynamic balance in each training group after 8 weeks of exercise therapy (P˂0.05). There were no significant differences between the two training groups in pain, motor function, static and dynamic balance (P>0.05). Although there were no statistically significant differences between the two exercise groups, the difference between the two groups in the mean percentage of changes can indicate that the clinical effects of aquatic therapy are higher than exercise in land.