Background and Aim: Ankle sprain is the most common musculoskeletal injury in athletes. A balance deficit is a significant risk factor for ankle injuries, often leading to ankle joint instability. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of neuromuscular training with and without cognitive intervention on dynamic balance and proprioception in female athletes prone to ankle sprain injuries.
Methods: This randomized control trial, double-blind study employed a pre-and post-test design. The study population consisted of female athletes from Hamedan city clubs, with 36 participants selected based on inclusion criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to either neuromuscular training with cognitive intervention (n=18) or neuromuscular training without cognitive intervention (n=18). Dynamic balance and proprioception were assessed using the Y-balance test and joint angle reconstruction in both groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (P<0.05).
Results: The results indicated a significant time * group interaction for balance in the directions of anterior, posterior-lateral, and proprioception (P<0.05). Although pairwise comparisons showed improvements in dynamic balance and proprioceptive variables in both groups (P<0.05), the percentage of changes and improvements was higher in the group that performed neuromuscular exercises with cognitive intervention across all variables.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that integrating neuromuscular training with cognitive intervention results in superior progress. Therefore, it is recommended that athletes with balance deficits and those prone to ankle sprains engage in simultaneous neuromuscular and cognitive training.