Introduction: Chronic ankle instability is a condition characterized by feelings of instability, recurrent ankle sprains and functional deficit. The comprehensive physiotherapeutic program that emphasize proprioceptive, neuromuscular control, and balance training significantly reduce the risk of recurrent ankle sprains. Purpose: The purpose of this undergraduate thesis is to analyze the effects of balance training in individuals with chronic ankle instability, based on a review of the scientific literature. Methods: The literature search was carried out in the PubMed database. The inclusion criteria for the selected articles were: randomized controlled trial and search frame between 2009 and 2019. The literature was searched in English with the following keywords: chronic ankle instability, functional ankle instability, balance training, balance therapy and balance treatment. Results: Forty-one articles were reviewed. Eight studies conducted between 2009 in 2019 were included in the final review and thoroughly analyzed. The results show that balance training is effective in treating the chronic ankle instability and significantly reduces a recurrence of the ankle sprain, but it is unclear which type has the greatest effect. Discussion and conclusion: Literature review has shown that including a balance training in the physiotherapy program is beneficial, when dealing with a chronic ankle instability. To further research it is important to understand the benefits of each component of the training program. Further research is also needed to investigate when significant improvements have occurred in order to determine what is the most appropriate length of the training program and how long after the training program has been completed, the observed effects of the exercise are maintained.
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