A physiotherapy guide about
Returning to basketball following common ankle injuries
Follow these few steps below:
1. Stop and rest in a safe and comfortable environment.
2. Locate how the injury takes place and where the pain is coming from. Bone? Soft tissue? Tendon?
3. Undergo this quick test called Ottawa Ankle Rule shown below to rule out any bone fractures in the ankle and foot
4. Can you weight bear for at least 4 steps right now? If not, see step 5.
5. If any of these signs were positive, there is a very high chance of bone fracture and a X-ray scan would be needed to identify it.
6. If all signs were negative, there is a very low chance of bone fracture and a X-ray scan would unlikely be needed given the side effects of radiation from X-ray.
7. Commence PEACE & LOVE protocol as soon as possible for the best immediate care management of your injury.
P: PROTECTION Avoid activities and movement that increases pain during the first few days (~3-7 days) after the injury
E: ELEVATION Elevate the injured leg higher than the heart as often as possible including overnight in bed
A: AVOID ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES Avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications as they slow down tissue healing. Avoid icing. Only ice it if you still have to compete in a basketball game in less than 3 days and you want to avoid as much swelling as possible
C: COMPRESSION Use elastic bandage or taping to reduce swelling. Make sure the bandage isn't too tight which limit circulation if you're wearing it overnight.
E: EDUCATION Avoid unecessary passive treatments such as manual therapy, acupuncture or electrotherapy. Let your body heal while moving other parts of your body frequently and doing pain-free, gentle ankle movements on the injured side
L: LOAD Load your ankle progressively and let pain guide your gradual return to normal activities. Optimal loading without exacerbating pain promotes healing.
O: OPTIMISM Your beliefs and psychological wellbeing also contributes to your recovery. Think positive on what you can do instead of what you can't do!
V: VASCULARIZATION Maintain your cardiovascular fitness. Pain-free cardio exercises can increase blood circulation to the repairing tissue and promote healing. Some examples of non weight bearing aerobic exercises are exercise bike, rowing or ski-erg. If ankle is tolerable, can get back to distance walking, light jog on treadmill.
E: EXERCISE Restore mobility/range of motion, strength and proprioception (sense of positioning of your body in space) is most important in early stage of rehabilitation. At the same time, still monitoring pain symptoms and use it as a guide to gradually progress.
