Ankle Sprains
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An injury that causes missed time from practice and game activity is difficult for many athletes to handle. It causes a disruption in the athletes' life, the team's ability to play to their potential, and it makes the coaches job that much harder. The ankle sprain is one injury that could result in a great deal of time being missed from sports, but it does not necessarily need to be that way. Approximately one in five time loss injuries last year in high school athletics across the nation was an ankle sprain. A time loss injury means that the athlete missed at least one practice or game due to injury. When the ankle sprain is treated and rehabilitated adequately the athlete is returned to their sport healthy and happy in a matter of a few days or weeks. They will also be able to return with very few problems related to their ankle. If the sprain is not treated and rehabilitated adequately the athlete may return to their sport much later than they could have, and they will not be at the top of their game. Also with improper rehabilitation the athlete will be at risk for further injury to the ankle when they return to activity.
Prevention Is The Key! There are three stages in dealing with the ankle sprain. The first stage, and most important, is prevention. The easiest way to "treat" an ankle sprain is to make it as difficult as possible to occur. There are several easy ways to prevent ankle injuries. One method involves making sure that the playing fields or courts that the athlete participate on are level and do not have any holes, mounds of dirt or grass, or slick spots on them. Another way to help prevent sprains is to wear high top shoes laced snugly. Also commercial ankle stabilizers, such as the Sweed-O® lace-up ankle brace or Active Ankle® braces have been shown to greatly reduce the incidence of ankle injury. A third prevention method involves proper strength and proprioception training. (See Ankle Pearls)
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©2000 - 2006 David Edell Information on this site is not a substitute for physician directed care. Please consult your personal physician for more detailed information concerning specific injuries or illnesses. Last Update for AthleticAdvisor.com: 06/04/2006 12:01:52 PM |
