Great win for the San Diego Chargers today over the Bengals. Ryan Mathews  ran the ball 13 times for 52 yards. You may be wondering what that has to do with us at the advanced Foot And Ankle Center Of San Diego. Ryan has an ankle injury and was in a boot over the past week, how was he able to play.  a recent paper by the national athletic trainers association  showed high clinical levels of evidence that a thorough physical exam by your doctor to evaluate the ligament integrity 

many times what you thing is a ligament sprain can be a tear. There are multiple ligaments in the ankle that can be injured. As well you need to see your doctor to make sure you did not tear a tendon or even worse fracture your ankle.

The old school thinking of going into a cast does not have good evidence. The current recommendations are to go into a boot with physical therapy and cold therapy . You need to get the ankle moving within a few days , you don’t want a stiff ankle. something to keep in mind weekend warriors respond differently to professional athletes. So when you see your favorite sports star come back in 2 weeks after an ankle sprain it because they are in top shape and get round the clock care by trainers and therapists. The message to take home is if you sprain your ankle over the weekend while doing your favorite sport you need to take it seriously. Have it examined by a doctor to make sure it is nothing worse. and lets get you back to full functionality right away. You are worth more when you are out and running than if your stuck on the couch.

Look forward to our next post on chronic ankle sprains and ankle instability. what can be done about it?