Acute Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Dynamic Postural Control in Subjects with Functional Ankle Instability

Ankle sprains are highly common in recreationally active individuals and can lead to functional ankle instability (FAI), characterized by repeated ankle sprains and functional deficits. Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a novel modality that influences neuromuscular function, and may be effective for rehabilitation of FAI. However, no study has investigated the effects of WBV on neuromuscular deficits associated with FAI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of WBV on dynamic postural stability and muscle activity in individuals with FAI. We quantified dynamic postural stability as the time to stabilization (TTS) and measured preparatory and loading phase EMG of the gluteus medius, peroneus longus, rectus femoris, and tibialis anterior muscles of the involved leg. However, there were no significant effects of WBV on these measures. These findings suggest that acute WBV exposure may not be an effective method for rehabilitation for FAI.Master of Art