Training & Testing 1 Cloak R et al. Vibration Training Improves Balance … Int J Sports Med 2010; 31: 1–7 IJSM/1679/13.9.2010/Macmillan ■ Proof copy for correction only. All forms of publication, duplication or distribution prohibited under copyright law. ■ accepted after revision August 05, 2010 Bibliography DOI http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1055/s-0030-1265151 Int J Sports Med 2010; 31: 1–7 © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York ISSN 0172-4622 Correspondence Ross Cloak The University of Wolverhampton School of Sport Performing Arts and Leisure Walsall Campus ws1 3bd Walsall United Kingdom Tel.: + 1/902/323 248 Fax: + 1/902/323 244 r.cloak@wlv.ac.uk Key words ● ▶ ankle ● ▶ vibration ● ▶ balance ● ▶ injury Vibration Training Improves Balance in Unstable Ankles include postural control [2, 29, 46, 48–50], dynamic balance [13, 21, 24, 34, 39, 63] and muscle fatigue [1, 17, 19, 31, 36, 40, 42, 52, 59]. Therefore exer- cises that increase static/dynamic balance and fatigue resistance should be routinely performed following ankle injury to allow a safe return to sporting activity. This is particularly prevalent among female ballet dancers due to the time they spend en pointe (balancing on the tips of their toes in specially made shoes) and can have an impact on performance and career progression [38]. Whole body vibration training (WBVT) is a train- ing method which has been recently introduced as a rehabilitative tool among clinicians [5, 11, 35, 37, 43, 55, 57]. It has been hypothesised that the transmission of mechanical oscillations from the vibrating platform may lead to physiological changes in muscle spindles, joint mechanorecep- tors, higher brain activity and strength and power properties [37]. WBVT has also been reported as improving balance scores within certain popula- tions. Recent research conducted by Rees et al. [43] identified that 8 weeks of WBVT significantly improved single leg static balance. Other clinical Introduction ▼ Recent research has found the ankle to be the second most commonly injured body site in sport, with ankle sprain being the most common type of ankle injury particularly prevalent among dance populations due to the nature of the activ- ity [15, 38]. Dance requires its participants to fre- quently jump and land on 1 leg, as well as performance of specific aesthetic movement pat- terns of the foot, all of which presents a higher risk for ankle sprains [54]. A functional instabil- ity in the ankle may persist after initial injury leading to an increased risk of recurrent ankle injury and subsequent time loss and distress to the athlete [4, 23, 30, 44, 45]. Functional ankle instability (FAI) is a condition characterised by repetitive episodes of “giving way” and/or incidence of recurrent ankle sprains [58]. While the cause of FAI remains unclear, it has been suggested that both passive structures such as ligaments, articular surface of the ankle and neurological structures are damaged at the time of an ankle sprain contributing to recurrent instability [40]. These neurological impairments Authors R. Cloak 1 , A. M. Nevill 1 , F. Clarke 1 , S. Day 2 , M. A. Wyon 1 Affiliations 1 The University of Wolverhampton, School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, Walsall, United Kingdom 2 Manchester Metropolitan University, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Cheshire, United Kingdom Abstract ▼ Functional ankle instability (FAI) is a common condition following ankle injury characterised by increased risk of injury. Ankle sprains are a common acute form of injury suffered in danc- ing and loss of balance can affect not only risk of injury risk but also performance aesthet- ics. Whole body vibration training (WBVT) is a new rehabilitation method that has been linked with improving balance and muscle function. 38 female dancers with self reported unilateral FAI were randomly assigned in 2 groups; WBVT and Control. Absolute centre of mass (COM) distribu- tion during single leg stance, SEBT normalised research distances and Peroneus longus mean power frequency ( f med ) where measured pre and post 6-week intervention. There was a sig- nificant improvement in COM distribution over the 6 weeks from 1.05 ± 0.57 to 0.33 ± 0.42 cm2 (P < 0.05), and 4 of the 8 planes of direction in the SEBT Ant, Antlat, Med and Antmed from 77.5 ± 7.1 to 84.1 ± 5.8 % (P < 0.05) compared to control groups during the course of the 6 week training intervention. There was no evidence of improvement in peroneus longus ( f med ) over time (P = 0.915) in either group. WBVT improved static balance and SEBT scores amongst dancers exhib- iting ankle instability but did not affect peroneus longus muscle fatigue.