Can Neurodynamic Therapy Work Alongside Functional Rehab for Chronic Ankle Instability in College Athletes
Faculty Mentor
Otto Buchholz
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-7-2025 11:30 AM
End Date
5-7-2025 1:30 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Wellness & Movement Sciences
Abstract
A 22-year-old male college basketball athlete presented with a history of multiple lateral ankle sprains bilaterally with a diagnosis of chronic ankle instability (CAI). The athlete had neurological symptoms specifically in his left ankle only, and when paired with the history of CAI led to muscular weakness and proprioception challenges. Typical functional rehabilitation was used bilaterally, however neurodynamic therapy was used on the left ankle to address these deficits. These therapies are emerging in prevalence and target neurological symptoms by using a nerve flossing technique that helps move the nerve through tension and gliding through the body through light movements in the body aimed at moving the tissue around the surrounding tissue. This has been shown to reduce nerve irritation and pain while improving nerve function. A single leg hop and the star excursion balance test were used and show improvements bilaterally, but no observable differences between the affected and unaffected limb were noted. Using the FAOS scale the patient saw continuous improvement, as well as expressing that he felt his affected leg had grown as strong as his unaffected leg. While clinical outcomes were inconclusive for benefits, patient outcomes showed beneficial to the athlete. The outcomes of this case suggest that using neurodynamic therapy to address a patient's level of strength and neuromuscular activation while improving the patient perception of recovery with chronic ankle instability could be a useful tool for clinicians.
Recommended Citation
Chapman, Justin Robert, "Can Neurodynamic Therapy Work Alongside Functional Rehab for Chronic Ankle Instability in College Athletes" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 22.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/ps_2025/p2_2025/22
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Can Neurodynamic Therapy Work Alongside Functional Rehab for Chronic Ankle Instability in College Athletes
PUB NCR
A 22-year-old male college basketball athlete presented with a history of multiple lateral ankle sprains bilaterally with a diagnosis of chronic ankle instability (CAI). The athlete had neurological symptoms specifically in his left ankle only, and when paired with the history of CAI led to muscular weakness and proprioception challenges. Typical functional rehabilitation was used bilaterally, however neurodynamic therapy was used on the left ankle to address these deficits. These therapies are emerging in prevalence and target neurological symptoms by using a nerve flossing technique that helps move the nerve through tension and gliding through the body through light movements in the body aimed at moving the tissue around the surrounding tissue. This has been shown to reduce nerve irritation and pain while improving nerve function. A single leg hop and the star excursion balance test were used and show improvements bilaterally, but no observable differences between the affected and unaffected limb were noted. Using the FAOS scale the patient saw continuous improvement, as well as expressing that he felt his affected leg had grown as strong as his unaffected leg. While clinical outcomes were inconclusive for benefits, patient outcomes showed beneficial to the athlete. The outcomes of this case suggest that using neurodynamic therapy to address a patient's level of strength and neuromuscular activation while improving the patient perception of recovery with chronic ankle instability could be a useful tool for clinicians.
