Osteopathic manipulation of the ankle improves spinal flexibility in elite alpine skiers: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: The prolonged restrictions of ankle degrees-of-freedom when wearing ski-boots leads to prolonged mechanical compression of the athlete's ankle and feet with alteration of the mechano-receptors in the skin of the sole of the foot. Our hypothesis was that prolonged repetitive use of ski boots may impair ankle function and, ultimately, postural control in skiers. This study conducted on elite alpine skiers was designed to verify if an osteopathic treatment aimed at improving ankle function may affect postural control on skiers. METHODS: Seven elite skiers were assessed using three-dimensional quantitative movement analysis of the spine and postural analysis before and after osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). OMT consisted of low-amplitude thrusts in the ankle and myofascial release of the interosseous membrane and shank. RESULTS: The range of motion of the shoulders in the frontal plane, of pelvic obliquity and lumbar curve increased significantly after OMT. No changes appeared in terms of posture. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a single OMT session targeted to the ankle seems to induce beneficial biomechanical effects in terms of spinal flexibility in elite alpine skiers. This may be beneficial for the athlete's performance capacity and safety.