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

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. The purpose of this study is to compare the treatment effect between Chinese bone-setting and standard care for the management of patient with acute ankle sprain. 68 patients with ankle sprain were randomly divided into 2 groups (Chinese bone-setting and standard care). The pain intensity and angle of dorsiflexion were assessed. All the patients were evaluated two times: before and after treatment (i.e. immediate effect). Both groups demonstrated the immediate effect of decreasing pain and increasing angle of dorsiflexion. The Chinese bone-setting group obtained a greater improvement than control group in ankle dorsiflexion angle.