The Effect of Thera-Band Resistive Exercises on Pain, Dynamic Balance, and Function of Amateur Teenage Basketball Players

 Aims and background: With respect to the prevalence of ankle injuries due to the decrease in range of motion of dorsiflexion, and to the lack of proper function in foot and/or lack of balance among basketball players, utilizing exercise plans is of great importance. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the effect of eight weeks of thera-band exercises on the range of motion on pain, dynamic balance, and function in amateur teenage basketball players suffering from ankle dorsiflexion limitation. Materials and methods: Thirty teenage basketball players aged between 12 and 17 suffering from ankle dorsiflexion limitation participated in this quasi-experimental study, and were assigned to experimental group (n=15) and control group (n=15). Evaluation of ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, dynamic balance, function, and pain were conducted using lunge test with weight bearing, Y test, v-cut test, and VAS test respectively. The participants in experimental group performed thera-band exercises for eight weeks, three thirty-minute sessions each week. Findings: The results of the statistical tests showed that thera-band exercises have positive effects on pain, dorsiflexion range of motion, dynamic balance, and function of teenage basketball players suffering from dorsiflexion limitation, and it significantly increases range of motion, balance, function, and pain reduction in ankle (p≤0.05). Conclusion: Adding thera-band exercises to the common sets of exercises of teenage basketball players may result in more balance and range of motion of the ankle, and improvement in function, which would prevent ankle injuries.