1-Week Graded Exposure Intervention on Balance, Visual-Motor Reaction Time and Fear in Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a common injury from lateral ankle sprains, often resulting in persistent sensorimotor and psychological impairments. Traditional rehabilitation primarily targets physical deficits, with limited focus on psychological factors such as kinesiophobia and reinjury anxiety. This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a 1-week graded exposure (GE) intervention on psychological sensorimotorr outcomes in individuals with CAI. Eighteen participants completed a pre–post intervention assessing fear (TSK-11, PHOSA), anxiety (RIAI), dynamic balance (SEBT), and visual-motor reaction time (VMRT). Following the intervention, participants demonstrated significant reductions in fear and anxiety, along with improvements in dynamic balance and VMRT. These findings suggest that a short-term GE intervention may effectively address both psychological and physical impairments associated with CAI. Incorporating psychologically informed strategies into rehabilitation may enhance patient outcomes and provide a more comprehensive approach to injury recovery.