Home-based physical therapy intervention with adherence-enhancing strategies versus clinic-based management for patients with ankle sprains.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To some extent, favorable treatment outcomes for physical therapy intervention programs depend on patients attending their clinic appointments and adhering to the program requirements. Previous studies have found less-than-optimal levels of clinic attendance, and a viable option might be physical therapy intervention programs with a large component of home treatment. This study investigated the effects of a standard physical therapy intervention program--delivered primarily at either the clinic or home--on ankle function, rehabilitation adherence, and motivation in patients with ankle sprains. SUBJECTS Forty-seven people with acute ankle sprains who were about to start a course of physical therapy intervention participated in the study. METHODS Using a prospective design, subjects were randomly assigned to either a clinic intervention group or a home intervention group. Ankle function and motivation were measured before and after rehabilitation, and adherence to the clinic- and home-based programs was measured throughout the study. RESULTS The groups had similar scores for post-treatment ankle function, adherence, and motivation. The home intervention group had a significantly higher percentage of attendance at clinic appointments and better physical therapy intervention program completion rate. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Home-based physical therapy intervention appears to be a viable option for patients with sprained ankles.