You sprain your ankle at soccer practice.  You head to the nearest ortho quick care, get an x-ray, and get put in a boot (that they'll charge you $400 for, but you could get for $40 online!) for a few weeks.  A few weeks later, you’re still sidelined when a teammate sprains her ankle too.  You think, “Now I’ll have an IR buddy while we recover.”  But within two weeks, she’s playing again, and you’re still not back to normal.  What’s she doing that you aren’t? (Keep reading below or click to download the Ankle Sprain Guide to find out!)

This is what happened to one of our most recent physical therapy athletes.  She saw a teammate, who sustained the same injury after she did get back in the game first!  The first athlete wasn't even out of that $400 boot yet!  The difference maker?  An active approach to ankle sprain recovery.  Her teammate skipped the boot (not necessary unless you have a fracture), and started physical therapy ASAP.  After seeing her teammate make it back to the field in two weeks, our new athlete decided to try the same approach.  Within a single session of physical therapy, focusing on restoring mobility with manual therapy, utilizing that new mobility with individualized exercise, and integrating full body movements, she made more progress than she had in the previous month.  

This athlete can’t get back the playing time she lost by following an outdated method of treatment, but she did come out of it armed with the skills to prevent future injuries, and the knowledge that she should use an active approach should she ever be injured again.

Interested in learning more about a modern approach to ankle sprain rehabilitation?  Check out our free Ankle Sprain Guide!