There’s no question, ankle sprains are inconvenient! They usually occur from turning the foot in while it is pointed down. When this occurs there is an abnormal amount of stress on the ligaments on the lateral or outside of the ankle. You can tear this ligament; and if the injury is severe, you can tear all three ligaments or even worse, break your ankle or a bone in your foot. Most commonly it is the front one that is injured.
However, the treatment is not the same as it was in the past. Now, many sports medicine specialists believe best thing to do with an ankle sprain is to walk on it in a boot or brace. So, if you injure your ankle remember this PRICElees information to treat your ankle. The first thing you want to do is Protect it with a little stirrup splint on it to protect the joint; then, start walking on it. If you can tolerate walking on it without an assistive device, like crutches or a cane, do that. However, if you need a cane or crutch for a few days, use it. Weight bear as you can tolerate while protected with a splint, the better off you are going to be. The evidence tells us that you are going to recover faster and easier.
Immediate treatment is PRICE – Protection (splint); Rest (not walking around doing your normal activities); Ice; Compression (wrap it); Elevate it (elevate your foot frequently throughout the day). This all done immediately helps the healing process.
The doctors at Diagnostic Foot Specialists also offer Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy to speed up the healing time of ankle injuries along with other soft tissue ailments of the foot and ankle
Full recovery requires you to be able to squat completely, look the same on both sides with no pain, duck walk, sprint, and run with fast cuts going right and left. If you can do all those things, then you can return to your activities like playing basketball.
