Enhancing Balance in Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability: The Power of Visual Feedback

Objectives: This study determines whether feedback during exercise can improve balance in people with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Using feedback is a method to increase attention and willingness to perform an activity, which can be applied in various ways, including visual, audio, and sensory. Methods: This research was semi experimental and practical. The sample of the current research was 30 male athletes aged 20 to 25 years with CAI. The participants were purposefully selected and then separated into two groups proprioceptive exercise with feedback and proprioceptive exercise without feedback. In the pre-test, they were evaluated using the stork balance test in two states, eyes open and closed for static and one-leg jump stabilization for dynamic balance. The athletes then performed proprioceptive training for 24 sessions over 8 weeks. Then, in the post-test, the desired variables were re-evaluated. The paired sample t-test and analysis of covariance were used to analyze the data. Significance was considered at the level of 0.05 and analysis was done in the SPSS software, version 27. Results: Both exercise modalities exhibited a notable disparity in pre-test and post-test outcomes. However, comparative between the cohorts revealed a significant distinction in static balance performance under conditions of eyes closed versus eyes open (P=0.040 and P=0.033) and in dynamic balance (P=0.019). Discussion: Using feedback while doing exercises is helpful and leads to improved balance. Visual feedback gives the athletes a better understanding of the situation at the moment so that they can perform their best against what they see. Also, using vision compared to other senses creates more confidence in people to maintain the situation. Combining feedback with proprioceptive exercises in rehabilitation has an additive effect on improving the residual effects of injury.