Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to Use a BAPS BoardCreating ChallengesWho Benefits With BAPS
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How to Use a BAPS Board
Creating Challenges
Who Benefits With BAPS
A BAPS board is a piece of exercise equipment commonly found in physical therapy clinics, or used to boost athletic performance.BAPS stands forBiomechanicalAnklePlatformSystem. It is used to improve balance andproprioceptionin the ankle, knee, and hip after injury or surgery.
This article explains how a BAPS board works and physical conditions in which the BAPS may offer benefits.
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The BAPS board is an irregularly shaped disc with a screw hole in the middle. There are five hemispheres of varying sizes, and one of them gets screwed into the bottom of the disc, making it quite unsteady.
But the design is intentional, allowing you to exercise and strengthen your ankles. Here’s how it’s used:
The edge of the board can also be moved in circular directions with your ankle. The BAPS board is versatile, and it can be used with either the left foot outline on one side or the right foot outline on the other. To switch sides, simply unscrew the hemisphere on one side, flip the BAPS board over, and screw it into the opposite side.
A typical session on the BAPS board may include moving the board forward and back 20 times, side to side 20 times, and in circles 20 times. The different directions of motion challenge different muscle groups around your ankle and leg.
The BAPS board can be used to improve ankle stability and proprioception.Brett Sears, PT
Brett Sears, PT
Creating More or Less of a Challenge
Five different-sized hemispheres are included with the BAPS board to help build up balance, strength,range of motion, and proprioception.Proprioception refers to your body’s ability to recognize where it is and how much pressure is on your body from the floor or other objects.
As you improve, you can use a larger hemisphere on the bottom to increase the intensity of the exercise. There are also five extra holes in the BAPS. These are located in specific places around the board and are designed to accept a small post on which a weight can be placed to further challenge the muscles around the ankle.
Different muscles will be worked depending on where you place the post on the BAPS board.
Who Created the BAPS Board?
How a BAPS Board Is Used in Physical Therapy
The BAPS board can be used while sitting down, standing up with some extra support from the other foot, or standing up with one foot on the board. Usually, seated BAPS exercises are done early after surgery or injury whenweight-bearingexercises may not be tolerated.
As you improve and can tolerate more weight on your lower extremity, you can move from sitting to standing with support, to finally a single-leg stance. Some physical therapists also use the BAPS board to improve proprioception in the arms after shoulder surgery or injury.
The BAPS board is a specialized piece of equipment, and it is best used under the guidance of a physical therapist, physical therapy assistant, or sports medicine professional.
Prevent Ankle Sprains With Balance and Proprioception Exercises
Who May Benefit From BAPS Board Therapy
After injury or surgery, your body’s proprioception system may not be functioning properly, and your balance may be impaired. Conditions that may require the use of a BAPS board during rehab with aphysical therapistinclude:
How the board is used will depend on the type and severity of the injury. Someone with an ankle sprain that doesn’t require surgery can begin using a BAPS board within the first or second week of their treatment.The wait can be seven weeks or more for someone recovering from a high tibial osteotomy surgery.
Research suggests that the benefits of BAPS exercises may be greater when treating adolescents rather than other populations.Talk to your healthcare provider about whether the BAPS board is a good choice for your specific needs.
Summary
The BAPS board has been used since 1986 to help people with ankle injuries and similar conditions. It helps to strengthen the ankle, improve balance and range of motion, and help with proprioception.
The BAPS board is commonly used in physical therapy and sports medicine. Talk to your healthcare providers about the role of a BAPS board in treatment and how to use it safely.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cain MS, Ban RJ, Chen YP, Geil MD, Goerger BM, Linens SW.Four-Week Ankle-Rehabilitation Programs in Adolescent Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability.J Athl Train. 2020 Aug 1;55(8):801-810. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-41-19.Wang H, Yu H, Kim YH, Kan W.Comparison of the effect of resistance and balance training on isokinetic eversion strength, dynamic balance, hop test, and ankle score in ankle sprain.Life (Basel). 2021;11(4):307. doi:10.3390/life11040307Moon KM, Kim J, Seong Y, et al.Proprioception, the regulator of motor function.BMB Rep. 2021;54(8):393-402. doi: 10.5483/bmbrep.2021.54.8.052Spectrum Therapy.BAPS.Shamseddini Sofla F, Hadadi M, Rezaei I, Azhdari N, Sobhani S.The effect of the combination of whole body vibration and shoe with an unstable surface in chronic ankle instability treatment: a randomized clinical trial.BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2021 Mar 19;13(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s13102-021-00256-6.OrthoIllinois Podiatric Surgery.Ankle Sprain Protocol.Hospital for Special Surgery.Sports Rehabilitation & Performance Center Achilles Tendon Repair Guidelines.Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for High Tibial Osteotomy Reconstruction.Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for Lateral Ankle Sprain: non-operative management.Zhang P, Liu F, He X, Brooke-Wavell K, Song Q, Fong D.Effect of biophysical interventions on balance and postural control in patients with ankle instability: A systematic review.Medicine in Novel Technology and Devices, Vol. 18 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.medntd.2023.100241.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cain MS, Ban RJ, Chen YP, Geil MD, Goerger BM, Linens SW.Four-Week Ankle-Rehabilitation Programs in Adolescent Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability.J Athl Train. 2020 Aug 1;55(8):801-810. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-41-19.Wang H, Yu H, Kim YH, Kan W.Comparison of the effect of resistance and balance training on isokinetic eversion strength, dynamic balance, hop test, and ankle score in ankle sprain.Life (Basel). 2021;11(4):307. doi:10.3390/life11040307Moon KM, Kim J, Seong Y, et al.Proprioception, the regulator of motor function.BMB Rep. 2021;54(8):393-402. doi: 10.5483/bmbrep.2021.54.8.052Spectrum Therapy.BAPS.Shamseddini Sofla F, Hadadi M, Rezaei I, Azhdari N, Sobhani S.The effect of the combination of whole body vibration and shoe with an unstable surface in chronic ankle instability treatment: a randomized clinical trial.BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2021 Mar 19;13(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s13102-021-00256-6.OrthoIllinois Podiatric Surgery.Ankle Sprain Protocol.Hospital for Special Surgery.Sports Rehabilitation & Performance Center Achilles Tendon Repair Guidelines.Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for High Tibial Osteotomy Reconstruction.Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for Lateral Ankle Sprain: non-operative management.Zhang P, Liu F, He X, Brooke-Wavell K, Song Q, Fong D.Effect of biophysical interventions on balance and postural control in patients with ankle instability: A systematic review.Medicine in Novel Technology and Devices, Vol. 18 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.medntd.2023.100241.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cain MS, Ban RJ, Chen YP, Geil MD, Goerger BM, Linens SW.Four-Week Ankle-Rehabilitation Programs in Adolescent Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability.J Athl Train. 2020 Aug 1;55(8):801-810. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-41-19.Wang H, Yu H, Kim YH, Kan W.Comparison of the effect of resistance and balance training on isokinetic eversion strength, dynamic balance, hop test, and ankle score in ankle sprain.Life (Basel). 2021;11(4):307. doi:10.3390/life11040307Moon KM, Kim J, Seong Y, et al.Proprioception, the regulator of motor function.BMB Rep. 2021;54(8):393-402. doi: 10.5483/bmbrep.2021.54.8.052Spectrum Therapy.BAPS.Shamseddini Sofla F, Hadadi M, Rezaei I, Azhdari N, Sobhani S.The effect of the combination of whole body vibration and shoe with an unstable surface in chronic ankle instability treatment: a randomized clinical trial.BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2021 Mar 19;13(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s13102-021-00256-6.OrthoIllinois Podiatric Surgery.Ankle Sprain Protocol.Hospital for Special Surgery.Sports Rehabilitation & Performance Center Achilles Tendon Repair Guidelines.Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for High Tibial Osteotomy Reconstruction.Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for Lateral Ankle Sprain: non-operative management.Zhang P, Liu F, He X, Brooke-Wavell K, Song Q, Fong D.Effect of biophysical interventions on balance and postural control in patients with ankle instability: A systematic review.Medicine in Novel Technology and Devices, Vol. 18 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.medntd.2023.100241.
Cain MS, Ban RJ, Chen YP, Geil MD, Goerger BM, Linens SW.Four-Week Ankle-Rehabilitation Programs in Adolescent Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability.J Athl Train. 2020 Aug 1;55(8):801-810. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-41-19.
Wang H, Yu H, Kim YH, Kan W.Comparison of the effect of resistance and balance training on isokinetic eversion strength, dynamic balance, hop test, and ankle score in ankle sprain.Life (Basel). 2021;11(4):307. doi:10.3390/life11040307
Moon KM, Kim J, Seong Y, et al.Proprioception, the regulator of motor function.BMB Rep. 2021;54(8):393-402. doi: 10.5483/bmbrep.2021.54.8.052
Spectrum Therapy.BAPS.
Shamseddini Sofla F, Hadadi M, Rezaei I, Azhdari N, Sobhani S.The effect of the combination of whole body vibration and shoe with an unstable surface in chronic ankle instability treatment: a randomized clinical trial.BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2021 Mar 19;13(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s13102-021-00256-6.
OrthoIllinois Podiatric Surgery.Ankle Sprain Protocol.
Hospital for Special Surgery.Sports Rehabilitation & Performance Center Achilles Tendon Repair Guidelines.
Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for High Tibial Osteotomy Reconstruction.
Massachusetts General Brigham Sports Medicine.Rehabilitation Protocol for Lateral Ankle Sprain: non-operative management.
Zhang P, Liu F, He X, Brooke-Wavell K, Song Q, Fong D.Effect of biophysical interventions on balance and postural control in patients with ankle instability: A systematic review.Medicine in Novel Technology and Devices, Vol. 18 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.medntd.2023.100241.
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