Sensory-Targeted Ankle Rehabilitation Strategies (STARS)

The posterior ankle mobilization treatment is a manual therapy technique that consists of gently gliding your ankle in the backward direction through a pain free range of motion. This is a common therapy technique used by athletic trainers for the treatment of ankle sprains. The objective of this therapy technique is to glide the ankle into the area which restricts range of motion and gently stretch the restricted area. To begin this treatment, a certified athletic trainer with experience in applying this therapy technique will provide mild traction to the ankle joint to lightly distract the bones of the ankle joint. The athletic trainer will then apply two sets of joint mobilizations which will each last 2 minutes. Each repetition will consist of gently gliding the ankle joint in the backward direction until an area of restriction is reached. The athletic trainer will push into the restriction and then glide the ankle back to the starting position.

The foot massage treatment is a manual therapy technique that consists of gently rubbing the bottom of your feet with both hands like kneading dough. To begin the treatment, you will be asked to lie comfortably on a treatment table you're your feet hanging slightly off the edge. The athletic trainer with experience in applying this therapy will place his hands on the bottom of your foot and begin to massage your feet from your toes down to your heel. The athletic trainer will perform 2 sets of 2 minutes of massage with 1 minute rest in between sets.

The calf stretching treatment is a technique that is commonly used in sports and rehabilitation. You will be asked to place your foot on a slant board located next to a wall with your heel positioned below your toes on the slant board. You will be asked to lean towards the wall until you feel tension in your calf muscles that feels like a good stretch. You will perform 2 sets of 3 stretches that are held for 30 seconds each. Between each stretch, you will rest for 10 seconds. Between each set, you will rest for 1 minute.