The Long-Term Effects of Tissue Flossing on Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion in Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability

Context: Ankle sprains are one of the most common sport related injuries. Recurrent ankle sprains can lead to chronic ankle instability (CAI) which can cause many deficits in ankle function including decreased dorsiflexion range of motion (DF-ROM). Multiple manual therapy techniques have been studied and proven to increase DF-ROM. Tissue flossing is an additional technique which as shown short term increases in DF-ROM. More research must be conducted to identify the long-term effects on DF-ROM. Objective: To identify the effectiveness of tissue flossing on increasing DF-ROM in athletes with CAI. Participants: 24 college-aged athletes (36 limbs) on a varsity roster at one Division III institution with CAI as determined by the FAAM and FAAM sport scores. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to the placebo or tissue flossing group. Both groups completed the same intervention exercise program for eight treatment sessions over four weeks. The tissue flossing group completed the exercises with the floss band applied and the placebo group completed the exercises with a sham tissue flossing band applied. Main Outcome Measures: The weight bearing lunge test (WBLT) and modified WBLT were used to measure DF-ROM at the baseline, 72 hours post the last intervention, and one week post the last intervention. Results: The tissue flossing group was significantly different than the placebo group for both the WBLT and Modified WBLT at both the 72-hour measurement and one week measurement. Conclusion: Tissue flossing improved short and long-term DF-ROM in patients with CAI. Clinicians should consider adding tissue flossing to CAI treatment. KEYWORDS: Tissue Flossing, Dorsiflexion, Chronic Ankle Instabilit