Hydrogen Water Therapy Speeds Recovery from Ankle Sprain in Athlete
- Authors
- Dejan Javorac, Valdemar Stajer, Sergej Ostojic
- Journal
- F1000Research
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.12688/f1000research.22850.1
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Serbia
- Health Condition
- Ankle Sprain
- Body System
- Musculoskeletal
TL;DR
An athlete with a sprained ankle experienced less pain, swelling, and improved movement after being treated with hydrogen-rich water instead of the usual RICE method.
Key Finding
A professional athlete with an ankle sprain experienced a 60% reduction in pain, a 2.8% decrease in swelling, and a 27.9% improvement in ankle movement within 24 hours of receiving multiple hydrotherapy sessions with hydrogen-rich water.
Summary
This case report describes a single professional athlete with a grade II ankle sprain who received six 30-minute sessions of foot soaking in hydrogen-rich water over 24 hours after the injury. The athlete's pain decreased from moderate to mild, ankle swelling reduced slightly, and ankle movement improved significantly during that first day.
Practical Takeaway
This is a single case report, not a controlled study, so it cannot prove hydrogen-rich water hydrotherapy works for ankle sprains in general. While the results are encouraging, much larger and more rigorous studies are needed before drawing conclusions about its effectiveness as a first-aid treatment.
Abstract
Background: The traditional treatment of soft tissue injuries consists of the RICE protocol - rest, ice, compression, and elevation, followed for up to 72 hours after a trauma. Although designed as an immediate therapy to reduce inflammation that occurs after an acute injury, the RICE protcol might not be the best way to promote healing due to limiting blood flow. Molecular hydrogen (H 2) has recently been put forward as a possible adjuvant treatment in musculoskeletal medicine, yet limited data are available concerning its effectiveness as a first-aid intervention. Case report: We report here a case of an elite professional athlete who suffered a grade II ankle sprain, and who subsequently received six sessions of ankle and foot hydrotherapy (e.g. 30-min at every four hours) with super-saturated hydrogen-rich water during the first 24 hours post-injury. The pain VAS self-completed by the patient dropped from 50 points (moderate pain) at baseline (immediately after injury) to 20 points (mild pain) at 24-h follow-up. Ankle swelling dropped by 2.8% and dorsiflexion range of movement improved by 27.9% from baseline to follow-up, respectively. Conclusions: Our case has indicated that an acute multi-session hydrotherapy with hydrogen-rich water might be a helpful treatment in terms of pain, swelling reduction and regaining range of motion after an ankle sprain.