Clinical study on Tuina plus physical agents for lateral collateral ligament injury of ankle in gymnasts / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

ABSTRACT

Objective: To compare the efficacy of Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) plus physical agents and physical agents alone for lateral collateral ligament injury of ankle in gymnasts, and to explore the feasibility of Tuina for injury intervention in competitive athletes.Methods: A total of 64 gymnasts with types Ⅰ-Ⅱ lateral collateral ligament injury of ankle were selected and divided into a control group and an observation group according to a full analysis set based on the intention-to-treat principle, with 32 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received ultrasound and microwave treatment, while those in the observation group received additional Tuina manipulations. The efficacy was evaluated by total effective rate, visual analog scale (VAS) score, and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scale (AOFAS-AHS) score. Results: The total effective rate was 96.9％ in the observation group and 90.6％ in the control group. There was no statistical difference in the total effective rate between the two groups (P>0.05). The markedly effective rate was 75.0％ in the observation group and 46.9％ in the control group. The markedly effective rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the VAS scores of both groups showed a downward trend, and there were statistical differences between different treatment time points in the same group (P<0.05). After one and three months of treatment, the VAS scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). There were statistical differences in the AOFAS-AHS score before and after treatment within the same group (P<0.05). After one month of treatment, there was no statistical difference in the AOFAS-AHS score between the two groups (P>0.05). After three months of treatment, the AOFAS-AHS score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, indicating statistical significance (P<0.05). There was an interaction between time and group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Tuina plus physical agents can improve the symptoms of lateral collateral ligament injury of ankle in gymnasts. This combined treatment is superior to physical agents alone in relieving pain and improving joint functions. Therefore, Tuina plus physical agents can be used as a treatment for lateral collateral ligament injury of ankle in gymnasts.