Chiropractic Management of Chronic Ankle Pain and Limited Mobility in a Pediatric Athlete: A Case Report.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this case study was to report the chiropractic management of a teenage athlete who had chronic pain after a lateral ankle sprain.

CLINICAL FEATURES: A 15-year-old male patient presented with persistent ankle pain due to an inversion sprain while playing soccer approximately 8.5 months prior. Emergency department records noted a left lateral ankle sprain, including the anterior talofibular ligament, calcaneofibular ligament, and posterior talofibular ligament. The examination revealed ankle tenderness upon palpation, limited active and passive dorsiflexion range of motion, restricted talocrural joint posterior glide, and moderate lateral compartment muscular hypertonicity.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Chiropractic management included high-velocity, low-amplitude chiropractic ankle manipulation and education on home-based ankle dorsiflexion stretching. After 4 treatments, the athlete returned to unencumbered athletic participation. Follow-up evaluation at 5 months revealed no pain or functional complaints.

CONCLUSION: This teen athlete's chronic pain from a lateral ankle sprain resolved with a short course of chiropractic manipulation coupled with home-based stretching.