Rotem-Lehrer N, Laufer Y
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of attentional focus instructions during balance training among subjects with ankle ligament injury. 36 male volunteers who were referred to physical therapy following a grade 1 or 2 ankle sprain were allocated to 1 of 2 groups, which were instructed to focus attention either internally or externally during postural control training. Three training sessions were conducted on consecutive days and consisted of ten 20-second trials at 2 stability levels, using the Biodex Stability System. Participants utilizing an external focus of attention improved significantly over the study period in all 3 stability indices, while those utilizing internal focus of attention did not improve significantly.
The results suggest that an external focus of attention is advantageous for the transfer of learning of a postural control task following an ankle injury. Furthermore, they indicate that using an external focus of attention when training under moderately unstable conditions can significantly improve postural control under less stable conditions.
Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 2007, 37(9), 564-9