Proprioceptive Rehabilitation Prevents Ankle Sprain Following L5-S1 Radiculopathy: A Case Report

Abstract

This case report describes the functional outcomes of a proprioceptive rehabilitation protocol for primary prevention in a 31-year-old patient with L5-S1 radiculopathy sequelae confirmed by electroneuromyography and associated ankle proprioceptive deficit. The patient underwent a seven-week proprioceptive rehabilitation protocol comprising 10 supervised sessions, with a six-month follow-up period. Assessment tools included the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), the single-leg balance test with eyes closed, and the visual analog scale (VAS) for perceived stability. At six-month follow-up, significant improvements were observed: FAAM activities of daily living (FAAM-ADL) score increased from 68% to 94%, FAAM sports activities (FAAM-Sport) score improved from 45% to 87%, single-leg balance time with eyes closed extended from 3 to 18 seconds, and VAS for perceived stability increased from 3/10 to 8/10. No ankle sprain episodes were reported during the follow-up period. These findings suggest that preventive proprioceptive rehabilitation effectively reduces ankle sprain risk in patients with peripheral neurological deficits. This primary prevention approach demonstrates promising results for managing functional deficits secondary to radiculopathy and warrants evaluation in larger cohorts. The protocol's success highlights the importance of targeted proprioceptive training in preventing musculoskeletal complications in neurologically compromised patients.