The influence of local pain on balance control in patients with chronic ankle instability

Abstract Background Local pain around the ankle joint is a common symptom in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). However, whether the local pain would impose any influence on the balance control performance of CAI patients is still unknown. Methods A total of twenty-six subjects were recruited and divided into the following two groups: pain-free CAI (group A) and pain-present CAI (group B). Subjects in both groups received two independent tests: the star excursion balance test and the single-leg stance test, in order to reflect their balance control ability more accurately. Results Compared with group A, the group B showed significantly more episodes of the history of sprains, decreased ankle maximum plantarflexion angle, and lower Cumberland scores (all p