Physiotherapy does not help improve recovery from ankle sprains, according to the findings of a major study reported today.
The four-year study in Kingston, Canada, compared physiotherapy with usual medical care – such as using painkillers, ice and rest.
Some 500 patients took part in the research, reported in The BMJ.
After six months 43% of patients who received physiotherapy had not achieved recovery.
This compared with 38% of those who received normal medical care.
The researchers say the patients were randomly assigned to one treatment or the other – but admit the sample might have been biased because of the strict protocol for involvement.
Researcher Brenda Brouwer, of Kingston General Hospital, writes: "While there was not a clinically important effect with the standardised physiotherapy regimen provided to our participants, there is potential for the investigation of alternative interventions that would reduce morbidity in patients with these injuries."
The call for alternative interventions was backed by Chris Bleakley, from Ulster University, UK.
Writing in the journal, he says the findings are an "important addition to the evidence base."
Effect of early supervised physiotherapy on recovery from acute ankle sprain: randomised controlled trial BMJ 17 November 2016
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