title: [Effects of acupuncture-moxibustion intervention on proprioception in athletes with lateral collateral ligament injury of ankle joint].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy differences between acupuncture-moxibustion and physiotherapy interventions in improving proprioception of athletes with lateral collateral ligament injury of the ankle joint.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with injured lateral collateral ligament of ankle joint were randomly divided into acupuncture group (n = 15) and physiotherapy group (n = 15). Patients of the acupuncture group were treated by acupuncture and moxibustion stimulation of Qiuxu (GB40), Kunlun (BL 60), Shenmai (BL 62), Jiexi (ST 41), and Ashi-points, etc., and those of the physiotherapy group treated with TDP irradiation of the regional lateral malleolus. The treatment of the two groups was conducted once the other day, 3 times each week, continuously for 8 weeks. Before and after the treatment, the ankle-joint's active and passive repositioning error angles were measured by using a joint angle ruler.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average error angle values of active and passive reposition tests of the injured ankle-joint were 4.98 +/- 1.11 and 4.78 +/- 1.3 before the treatment, and 3.67 +/- 0.58 and 3.51 +/- 0.64 after the treatment, respectively in the acupuncture group, being reduced significantly after the treatment (both P < 0.01). No significant changes of the average error angle values of both active and passive reposition tests of the ankle-joint were found after the treatment in the physiotherapy group (P > 0.05). Comparison between two groups showed that the average error angle, average active and passive reposition angles of the injured ankle in the acupuncture group were evidently lower than those in the physiotherapy group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture and moxibustion can effectively improve the proprioception of the injured lateral collateral ligament of the ankle joint in athletes, which is superior to conventional physiotherapy in the therapeutic effect.
authors.affiliation: Guangxi College of Sports and Physical Educatian, Nanning 530012, China. tangwenjiang@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Wen-Jiang
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Chui-Gang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Li-Rong
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D056352:Athletes; D017885:Collateral Ligaments / Q000293:injuries*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009071:Moxibustion; D011434:Proprioception; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult