Research from VU University Medical Center reveals that a simple balance exercise program can cut the risk of recurrent ankle sprains by 50%. Maarten Hupperets, PhD candidate, will defend his thesis on January 21.
In sports like football, ankle sprains rank as the most common injury. The first year after a sprain carries a heightened recurrence risk, often resulting in chronic pain.
Proven Exercise Program
With over 500,000 sprains annually in the Netherlands, rolling out Maarten Hupperets' program nationwide is essential.
Hupperets studied more than 500 athletes aged 12-70 with recent ankle sprains, randomly assigning them to two groups. Post-recovery, one group performed unsupervised home-based exercises, like single-leg balancing.
The program delivered results: Athletes who followed eight weeks of simple balance exercises saw a 50% lower risk of ankle sprain recurrence in the next year compared to those who didn't.
The EMGO+ Institute at VUmc, Consumer and Safety Foundation, and Association for Sports Medicine aim to promote the program and advocate for its inclusion in health insurance coverage.
