The effect of a 4-weekwobble board training program on proprioceptive acuity

Background: Wobbleboard (WB) training is frequently used in the rehabilitation of ankle sprains, and improvement in proprioception is considered to underpin training success. Aim: To determine if proprioceptive acuity, measured as inversion/eversion movement detection, improved with WB training in participants with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Method: Thirty-two participants with CAI, defined as recurrent ankle sprain, were randomly allocated to either a WB training group (n = 16) or a non-training control group (n = 16). Participants in the WB training group trained for 12 minutes, twice daily, for 4 weeks. Proprioceptive acuity was measured before and after the training intervention or control period as the 70% detection threshold of passive inversion and eversion movements imposed at the ankle joint. Propriocep-tive acuity was measured at three velocities (0.1, 0.5, and 2.5 degrees/sec [deg/s]). The change in proprioceptive acuity from pre- to posttest at each velocity was compared between groups by independent t-test. Results: WB training significantly improved proprioceptive acuity at 0.1 deg/sec compared to a non-training control (mean change WB group: -1.1 ± 0.92 deg/s, control group: -0.2 ± 0.53 deg/s, P = 0.002). However, there was no significant difference between the groups at either 0.5 deg/s or 2.5 deg/s. Conclusion: A 4-week WB training program improved proprioceptive acuity in the inversion/eversion direction only at the slowest velocity. This may reflect a training specificity effect rather than an overall proprioceptive change.