Alan Needle

Appalachian State University | ASU · Department of Health and Exercise Science

Context Current research into the etiology of joint instability has yielded inconsistent results, limiting our understanding of how to prevent and treat ligamentous injury effectively. Recently, cortical reorganization was demonstrated in patients with ligamentous injury; however, these neural changes have not been assessed relative to joint laxity...

Purpose Recent studies have highlighted central nervous system alterations following ligamentous injury that may contribute to joint instability. However, research has not observed cortical responses to joint loading or sensory changes in the context of joint laxity following injury. Methods Forty-two subjects were stratified into healthy (CON),...

The array of dysfunction occurring after ligamentous injury is tied to long-term clinical impairments in functional performance, joint stability, and health-related quality of life. To appropriately treat individuals, and in an attempt to avoid sequelae such as post-traumatic osteoarthritis, investigators have sought to better establish the etiolog...

Background Research suggests that individuals with musculoskeletal injury may have difficulty negotiating physical tasks when they are combined with cognitive loads. Objective Our objective was to conduct a systematic review to understand the effects of increased cognitive demand on movement patterns among individuals with musculoskeletal injuries...

Ankle sprains and their common sequalae are thought to negatively affect physical activity levels and health-related quality of life among active populations, but limited evidence has described this among younger populations. This study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of ankle sprain and chronic ankle instability among rural adolescents and...

The study aimed to assess the feasibility and potential efficacy of a non-motor intervention utilizing motor imagery (MI) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to enhance motor function. The research involved a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial with three groups: MIActive, MISham, and Control. Participants engaged in a cogniti...

In patients with musculoskeletal injury, changes have been observed within the central nervous system that contribute to altered movement planning. This maladaptive neuroplasticity potentially explains the clinical disconnect where residual neuromuscular dysfunction and high rates of reinjury that are often observed even after individuals clear ret...

Fiedler, MJ, Triplett, NT, Hamilton, KC, Needle, AR, and van Werkhoven, H. The effect of different weight plate widths (bumper vs. standard) on the biomechanics of the bench press. J Strength Cond Res 38(4): e143-e149, 2024-Anecdotal evidence suggests that bumper plates impact lifts in powerlifting and weightlifting differently than standard cast i...

Background Acute lateral ankle sprains (ALAS) are associated with long-term impairments and instability tied to altered neural excitability. Arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) has been observed in this population; however, relationships with injury-related impairments are unclear, potentially due to the resting, prone position in which AMI is typi...

Purpose To identify, critically appraise, and synthesize the existing evidence regarding the effects of therapeutic interventions on arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Materials and methods Two reviewers independently performed exhaustive database searches in Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, CINAH...

Objectives: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is associated with decreased neural excitability that negatively impacts function. This study assessed a 2-week neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) intervention over the ankle pronators on neural excitability, performance, and patient-reported...

Recent literature has highlighted altered spinal-reflex excitability following acute lateral ankle sprain (ALAS), yet there is little information on the conduction velocity of spinal reflex pathways (CV-SRP) in these patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of ALAS on the CV-SRP. We employed a cross-sectional study with two groups:...

Neural changes in the ankle stabilizing muscles following ankle sprains are thought to be one contributing factor to persistent ankle dysfunction. However, empirical evidence is limited. Therefore, we aimed to examine spinal reflex excitability of lower leg muscles following acute ankle sprains (AAS). We performed a case-control study with 2 groups...

Background Ankle injuries can foster maladaptive changes in nervous system function that predisposes patients to subsequent injury. Patients are often placed in a dynamic boot immobilizer (BI) following injury; however, little is known about the effects of this treatment on neuromechanical function. Research question We aimed to determine the effe...

Clinical Scenario : The impact of concussion in baseball athletes is far reaching although typically less studied than collision sports. The neuromotor sequelae of these injuries can have lasting effects on the high level of coordination needed in baseball skills. In professional athletes, the long-term effects of concussion combined with the high...

Background Athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI) are prone to recurrent ankle giving-way episodes due to impairments in the joint’s stress-shielding capacity. CAI can deteriorate athletes’ biomechanics and increase the risk of other lower limb injuries. One popular treatment for CAI is Kinesio tape (KT). The effects of lateral ankle support...

1) Background: Research into foot strike patterns (FSP) has increased due to its potential influence on performance and injury reduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in FSP throughout a maximal 800-m run using a conformable inertial measurement unit attached to the foot.; (2) Methods: Twenty-one subjects (14 female, 7 male; 23...

Context: Chronic ankle instability is documented to be followed by a recurrence of giving away episodes due to impairments in mechanical support. The application of ankle Kinesiotaping (KT) as a therapeutic intervention has been increasingly raised among athletes and physiotherapists. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of an...

Background: Ankle Kinesio-taping (KT) is being globally used an intervention to provide the ankle joint complex with sufficient support against sudden excessive mechanical stress during various activities. However, its effects on proximal joints are unclear. This study investigated the impact of ankle KT on ankle-knee joint coupling in sagittal, fr...

Impact-induced muscle damage (IIMD) is a common sports injury, often resulting in acute skeletal muscle contractile dysfunction. Whole-body heat shock (WBHS) is reported to attenuate skeletal muscle atrophy in animal models. The purpose of this study was to determine if WBHS prior to IIMD will attenuate subsequent muscle damage and accelerate recov...

Objectives To determine the effects of ankle Kinesio-taping (KT) on postural sway, lower limb ROM, and muscle activity during a unilateral balance tasks. Design Case control study design. Setting Data were collected at the human movement analysis laboratory. Participants 30 collegiate athletes with chronic ankle sprain (11 females and 19 males,...

Background Ankle dorsiflexion motion and plantarflexor stiffness measurement offer clinical insight into the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders. We aimed to determine reliability and concurrent validity of an ankle arthrometer in quantifying dorsiflexion motion and plantarflexor stiffness. Methods Ten healthy indi...

Background Evidence of neuroplasticity after joint injury has suggested that individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) may have degraded movement when facing cognitive demand. To date, research into these effects have been limited to static balance models, and typically only incorporate a single type of cognitive demands. Research question...

Postmenopausal status is associated with an increase in total and abdominal body fat as well as increased incidence of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine if watermelon supplementation affects select systemic markers of atherosclerosis and measures of insulin resistance in overweight and obese p...

Purpose: Given maladaptive neuroplasticity following musculoskeletal injury, interventions capable of restoring corticospinal excitability should be considered. We therefore aimed to determine if 4-weeks of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (aTDCS) with eccentric exercise would improve neural excitability, functional performance, and...

The aim of this study was to examine bone, muscle, strength and stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) performance in young and elderly individuals with an ankle model to elucidate potential effects of ageing that have been suggested to influence fall risk. Moderately active young (n=10; age=22.3±1.3 yrs) and elderly (n=8; age=67.5±3.3 yrs) males completed...

Optimizing joint stiffness through appropriate muscular activation is crucial for maintaining stability and preventing injury. Conditioning techniques may affect joint stability by increasing joint stiffness and altering neuromuscular control; however no studies have assessed this in a controlled setting. Fifteen endurance athletes, 12 power athlet...

Context: Given the frequency of ankle sprains, especially in the athletic population, prevention is a primary task of athletic trainers and other sports health care professionals. Objective: To discuss the current evidence as it relates to prophylactic programs for the prevention of ankle sprains and to provide critical interpretation of the evi...

Adolescent physical activity and CAI study data. This is the fully anonymized data set used for this study. (SAV)

Chi-square analysis data. This is the data set used for chi-square analyses for this study. (SAV)

Field-based sprint performance assessments rely on metrics derived from a simple model of sprinting dynamics parameterized by 2 constants, v0 and τ, which indicate a sprinter's maximal theoretical velocity and the time it takes to approach v0, respectively. This study aims to automate sprint assessment by estimating v0 and τ using machine learning...

Enhanced understanding of dynamic postural stability (DPS) has the potential to curtail lower extremity injuries with important implications for athletic and scientific populations. The ability to stabilize following dynamic tasks such as jumping is dependent on several intrinsic factors, including ligamentous laxity, proprioception, and neuromuscu...

Joint immobilization has been demonstrated to modify neural excitability in subsets of healthy populations, leading to disinhibition of cortical and reflexive pathways. However, these findings may have limited clinical application as most models have investigated casting and rigid immobilization, while many musculoskeletal injuries often utilize dy...

The assessment of sprint velocity is useful for evaluating performance and guiding training interventions. In this paper, we describe an adaptive filtering algorithm to estimate sprint velocity using a single, sacrum-worn magneto-inertial measurement unit. Estimated instantaneous velocity, average 10 m interval velocity, and peak velocity during 40...

The purpose of this investigation was to compare fascicle and tendon length of the gastrocnemius at the end of the eccentric phase during a hop utilizing a single countermovement (sCM) versus multiple countermovement (mCM1, mCM2, mCM3) strategy. Seventeen healthy males performed nine hopping trials of sCM and nine trials of mCM. Ankle and knee join...

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of functional performance tests (FPTs) in differentiating between individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and healthy controls. Data Sources: The National Library of Medicine Catalog (PubMed), the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allie...

Purpose: Maintaining joint stability is dependent on the ability of the nervous system to prepare for, sense, and react to potentially injuries loads. In attempts to understand the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying joint stability, this afferent and efferent activity has been quantified separately at the cortical, segmental, and peripheral lev...

Study Design Cross-sectional. Objectives To quantify the prevalence of ankle sprain among a population of rural high school students. Background The healthcare burden of ankle sprains and their sequelae have been highlighted, largely due to the substantial volume of injuries observed. Although injury rates are frequently presented, a paucity of e...

Study Design Cross-sectional. Objectives To determine the effect of ankle sprain on self-reported physical activity (PA) among rural high school students. Background Ankle sprains and their long-term sequelae are believed to deter individuals from PA, negatively affecting health. College-aged individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) have...

Accompanies "The use of a single inertial sensor to estimate 3-dimensional ground reaction force during accelerative running tasks." Detailed description of the estimate of the sensor's quaternion orientation.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the feasibility of using a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the sacrum to estimate 3-dimensional ground reaction force (F) during linear acceleration and change of direction tasks. Force plate measurements of F and estimates from the proposed IMU method were collected while subjects...

Heavy load carriage has been identified as a main contributing factor to the high incidence of overuse injuries in soldiers. Peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRFMAX) and maximal vertical loading rates (VLRMAX) may increase during heavy prolonged load carriage with the development of muscular fatigue and reduced shock attenuation capabilities....

Background Ankle sprains are associated with detrimental long-term sequelae tied to neuromechanical alterations. Neurological adaptations occurring in the initial weeks after injury may be responsible for long-term adaptations resultant in altered movement patterns; however, few studies have quantified neuromechanical and functional adaptations fol...

Rolling sensations at the ankle are common after injury and represent failure in neural regulation of joint stiffness. However, deficits following ankle injury are variable and strategies for optimizing stiffness may differ across patients. This study aimed to determine if ankle stiffness and muscle activation differ between patients with varying h...

The role of cortical drive in stroke recovery for the lower extremity remains ambiguous. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cortical drive and gait speed in a group of stroke survivors. Eighteen individuals with stroke were dichotomized into fast or slow walking groups. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was...

Postural control is a crucial component required for maintenance of joint stability. Recent evidence has linked alterations in the cortex with sensations of instability as quantified through motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from transcranial magnetic stimulation. However, no studies have quantified the effect of single-limb stance on cortical excitab...

Context: The use of Kinesio tape among healthcare professional has grown recently in efforts to efficiently prevent and treat joint injuries. However, limited evidence exists regarding the efficacy of this technique in enhancing joint stability and neuromuscular control. Objective: This study aimed to determine how Kinesio tape application to th...

Growing evidence suggests that the nervous system contributes to non-contact knee ligament injury, but limited evidence has measured the effect of extrinsic events on joint stability. Following unanticipated events, the startle reflex leads to universal stiffening of the limbs, but no studies have investigated how an acoustic startle influences kne...

Context Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is an overuse injury occurring among the physically active. Linked to increased strain on the medial tendons of the ankle, studies emphasize controlling medial foot loading in the management of this condition. Kinesio taping (KT) has gained popularity for treating musculoskeletal pathologies; however, it...

The ability of the nervous system to accommodate changes to joint mechanics is crucial in the maintenance of joint stability and the prevention of injury. This neuromechanical coupling is achieved through several mechanisms such as the central and peripheral regulation of muscle tone and subsequent alterations to joint stiffness. Following joint in...

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Kinesio® taping on static restraint and dynamic postural control of the ankle joint. Thirty female subjects with no history of ankle injury participated in this study. Subjects were tested for passive ankle laxity and stiffness, and time to stabilization following forward, backward, medial,...

Background: Ankle sprains are the most common injury among physically active people, with common sequelae including repeated episodes of giving way, termed functional ankle instability. Copers are a cohort in ankle research comprised of those who have sprained their ankle but have not suffered any further dysfunction. The use of an elastic tape, K...

CONTEXT: Current research into the etiology of joint instability has yielded inconsistent results, limiting our understanding of how to prevent and treat ligamentous injury effectively. Recently, cortical reorganization was demonstrated among patients with ligamentous injury; however, these neural changes have not been assessed relative to joint la...

Context: Ankle sprains are common in athletes, with functional ankle instability (FAI) developing in approximately half of cases. The relationship between laxity and FAI has been inconclusive, suggesting that instability may be caused by insufficient sensorimotor function and dynamic restraint. Research has suggested that deafferentation of periph...

To both prevent and accelerate recovery and return-to-play from ankle sprains, clinicians frequently employ the use of external prophylactic support (EPS), such as taping and bracing, to provide mechanical support to the ankle joint. While common practice clinically, research has been inconclusive in demonstrating the effectiveness of EPS in restri...

Sensory signals emanating from peripheral mechanoreceptors are critical to the formulation of coordinated movement strategies and maintenance of joint stability; however, previous research has relied on indirect measures limited to the perception of joint motion or position. PURPOSE: Develop a method for simultaneously recording peripheral afferent...

This study focused on the concurrent validity and reliability of an ankle arthrometer and clinical tests of ankle laxity. A posttest-only control group design was used to compare anterior-posterior (AP) displacement in participants with clinically graded laxity (mechanical instability) and a control group. Forty-four individuals with no recent ankl...