|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
A turn for the worse Sprained ankles one of the most common athletic injuries
Posted: Wednesday May 03, 2000 05:30 PM
By Fred Tedeschi, special to CNNSI.com Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was sidelined for several days during the NBA regular season with an ankle sprain. In the NCAA tournament's championship game, Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves returned from a badly sprained ankle to lead the Spartans to a win. And Detroit Pistons star Grant Hill was hobbled with an ankle sprain during the early part of the NBA Playoffs. Ankle sprains continue to be one of the most common injuries in basketball today. An injury survey conducted by the NBA and the National Basketball Trainers Association showed that over the last 10 years, ankle sprains accounted for 11 percent of all injuries and an astounding 7,200 missed days. Additionally, ankle sprains accounted for 68 percent of all game-related injuries. If you've ever had one, you know how much a bad sprain can hurt. For a basketball player who must cut and jump, move laterally and make a quick step to get by a defender, it can be debilitating. An ankle sprain involves a stretching or tearing of ligaments (bone-to-bone stabilizers) of the ankle joint. The most common variety is an inversion mechanism where the ankle "rolls in." Most often in the NBA, this is caused by landing on another player's ankle or foot. Ligaments are stretched beyond capacity, causing tissue damage. Disability can range from several minutes to several weeks, depending on the amount of inflammation. Generally, sprains are separated into three categories. Grade 1 sprains are mild, without much tearing of tissue. Players who suffer a Grade 1 sprain can miss anywhere from one to three days. Players can miss anywhere from three days to a week or two with a Grade 2 sprain, which involves some moderate tearing of tissue. A Grade 3 sprain involves the complete disruption of the ankle and results in complete instability. Six to eight weeks, sometimes more, often are needed to heal a Grade 3 sprain. A more severe yet less common type of ankle sprain is a syndesmosis, or "high ankle," sprain. This injury involves a stretching or tearing of the ligaments that stabilize the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula). Often, this type of ankle sprain involves significant time loss and prolonged rehabilitation. The recovery from an ankle sprain usually involves initial treatment of rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE). NBTA athletic trainers agree that controlling the initial inflammation is critical for a speedy recovery and return to activity. So, if you see a player being carried off the court, there is usually an ice pack waiting for the player when he gets to the locker room. The goals of rehab are to restore full range of motion, strength, balance and function. A variety of exercises and modalities are available to athletic trainers to address each of the deficiencies. A gradual progression of functional exercises is the next necessary step to insure a safe return to full activity. The most important undertaking NBA teams take is to prevent injuries. A significant amount of a trainer's day is spent on ankle taping and exercises designed to strengthen the muscles and tendons around the ankle. Ankle braces are increasing in popularity among NBA players. Some players get both taped and wear ankle braces. Those ankle braces have become an accepted means of protection for weekend warriors, too, and may be the first step toward making sure amateur athletes don't miss any time because of a bum ankle. Fred Tedeschi is the head athletic trainer for the Chicago Bulls.
Note: A physical ailment cannot be properly evaluated without a full medical examination by a licensed physician. The above is not represented to be a substitute for such an examination. The NBTA
| ||||||||||||||||
and CNNSI.com recommend and encourage you to consult with a physician before beginning any course of treatment for any physical ailment.
