Objective: To compare the efficacy differences between acupuncture-moxibustion and physiotherapy interventions in improving proprioception of athletes with lateral collateral ligament injury of the ankle joint.
Methods: Thirty patients with injured lateral collateral ligament of ankle joint were randomly divided into acupuncture group (n = 15) and physiotherapy group (n = 15). Patients of the acupuncture group were treated by acupuncture and moxibustion stimulation of Qiuxu (GB40), Kunlun (BL 60), Shenmai (BL 62), Jiexi (ST 41), and Ashi-points, etc., and those of the physiotherapy group treated with TDP irradiation of the regional lateral malleolus. The treatment of the two groups was conducted once the other day, 3 times each week, continuously for 8 weeks. Before and after the treatment, the ankle-joint's active and passive repositioning error angles were measured by using a joint angle ruler.
Results: The average error angle values of active and passive reposition tests of the injured ankle-joint were 4.98 +/- 1.11 and 4.78 +/- 1.3 before the treatment, and 3.67 +/- 0.58 and 3.51 +/- 0.64 after the treatment, respectively in the acupuncture group, being reduced significantly after the treatment (both P < 0.01). No significant changes of the average error angle values of both active and passive reposition tests of the ankle-joint were found after the treatment in the physiotherapy group (P > 0.05). Comparison between two groups showed that the average error angle, average active and passive reposition angles of the injured ankle in the acupuncture group were evidently lower than those in the physiotherapy group (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Acupuncture and moxibustion can effectively improve the proprioception of the injured lateral collateral ligament of the ankle joint in athletes, which is superior to conventional physiotherapy in the therapeutic effect.