The immediate effects of Chinese bone-setting in patients with acute ankle sprain

Background: Ankle sprain, or ankle injury, is common. Standard care for an acute ankle sprain included (RICE) rest, ice, compress, elevation, and analgesia. Chinese bone-setting (Chinese manipulation) has been applied in cases of ankle sprain for years, and showed good treatment effect. However, there is lack of evidence-based research to show the immediate treatment effects of Chinese bone-setting on the acute ankle sprains patients. OBJECTIVE: To compare the treatment effect between Chinese bone-setting and standard care for the management of patient with acute ankle sprain. METHODS: Patients with ankle sprain were randomly divided into 2 groups. Patients in the experimental group received the Chinese bone-setting and standard care. Patients in the control group received standard care only. The pain intensity and angle of dorsiflexion were assessed. All the patients were evaluated two times: before and after treatment (i.e. immediate effect). RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that both groups have the immediate effect of decreasing pain and increasing angle of dorsiflexion. The experimental group obtained a greater improvement than control group in ankle dorsiflexion angle.