Background
Ankle sprains occur frequently among young and active people, accounting for almost two million injuries per year. Previous reports suggest that acupressure therapy for acute ankle sprains may shorten the recovery time.
Objective
To evaluate whether acupressure therapy can improve ankle sprain recovery when compared to standard RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) treatment.
Design
A randomized controlled trial was conducted. The study protocol was registered in ChiCTR with the study registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-14004794.
Setting
Department of TCM Orthopedics, PLA No.60 Center Hospital, Dali, China and Department of Orthopedics, Xixi Hospital of Hangzhou, Hangzhou China, between June 2014 and January 2016.
Patients
68 patients with acute ankle sprains were assessed for study eligibility, and a total of 62 patients were included in the present study.
Methods
All patients with ankle sprains seen by the Orthopedics Department within 48 hours since the time of injury were identified. Consenting patients were randomized to either: (1) Standard treatment (ST group), (2) Standard treatment + Acupressure (AP group), or (3) Standard treatment + mock Acupressure (mock AP group).
Main Outcome Measurements
Outcomes of interest included the volume of the ankle (VOFAL), range of ankle movement (ROAM) and visual analogue pain scores (VAPS). The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS) and SF12v2 scores were used to assess quality of life.
Results
Among the 62 randomized patients, the mean (95% confidence interval (CI)) VOFAL in AP group decreased from 185.24 (95% CI 142.80-227.67) to 62.14 (95% CI 44.03-80.25) after three sessions of acupressure treatment. This was a statistically significant difference (p<.01) when compared to the means of ST group [119.00 (95% CI 89.14-148.86)] and mock AP group [118.18 (95% CI 83.99-152.37)]. After the first treatment, the mean ROAM, VAPS, and AOFAS scores of the AP group were 31.67 (95% CI 27.78-35.55), 3.33 (95% CI 2.97-3.70), 55.86 (95% CI 50.03-61.69), respectively. These scores were statistically better (p<.01) than the mean of the ST and mock AP group scores. In addition, the mean SF12v2 scores of AP group at 4 and 8 weeks were 109.95 (95% CI 107.29-112.62) and 119.67 (95% CI 119.27-120.05), respectively. These scores were also significantly higher than that of the ST group and mock AP groups (p<.01).
Conclusion
Acupressure therapy may improve recovery following acute ankle sprain injury, yielding shortened time of disability and improved quality of life.
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