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Is your ankle giving you grief on or off the field?

Do you suffer from acute or long-term ankle problems?
You aren’t alone!

Ankle injury has been reported as the most common injury in sport (25% of all time lost from sport) with 60-80 % of all those affected suffering a recurrent sprain and up to 40 % resulting in chronic ankle instability! Although ankles are a very common injury, they can greatly affect your performance in sport not to mention your quality of life in everyday situations.

What can I do?

Most recurrent problems are either preventable or treatable by a physiotherapist. Whether it is recurrent or recent, the earlier you get onto your injury the more likely you will make a full recovery. As you do not need to see a Doctor to be eligible for ProActive’s FREE ACC physiotherapy, it’s as easy as walking in the door or calling to make an appointment!

How much does it cost? FREE ACC recovery at ProActive!

ProActive is able to offer FREE ACC physiotherapy to anyone with an accident related injury.  And because you do not need to see a doctor to be eligible for ProActive’s FREE physiotherapy, you can quickly access injury treatment.   As an endorsed provider to ACC, we adopt best practice and excellence in service delivery, while offering the highest standards of customer care.

Acute treatment: what you can do?

The most important part of your rehabilitation begins when the injury occurs. Most people remember RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation), but another important aspect is to avoid HARM (Heat, Alcohol, Running, Massage) to further reduce inflammation. Although initial rest is important, you need to gradually increase weight bearing with standing and gentle walking.

Within the first few days it is important to see a physiotherapist, not only to educate you about controlling inflammation and regaining joint range of motion and strength, but to exclude the possibility of fracture and identify and treat any predisposing factors.

Why ankles can keep giving you grief over time?

The most common cause of recurrent ankle problems is thinking “she’ll be right” and not completing a sufficient rehabilitation program. To regain full function and performance your rehab must include a few important aspects.

These are all tied in together near the end of your treatment progression with functional retraining specific to your sport or work requirements so that you can return at your optimum performance level.

Returning to sport / work / gym based activity

First and foremost, clearance from your physiotherapist is essential. Early return may re aggravate your ankle injury and cause further damage. After acute physiotherapy, an exercise therapist can guide you further towards you specific work or sport tasks and provide you with the step that is often lacking in the rehabilitation setting. Other muscle imbalances often exist to prolong the injury experience. These are addressed more closely within the exercise therapy sessions.  The next step-return to your pre-activity levels! The physiotherapist and exercise therapist can work with you personal trainer or gym instructor to help you achieve your health and fitness goals! Remember: The longer you leave your ankle injury-the more problematic it will be both in the short and long term. Your physiotherapist and exercise therapist will provide a pathway to full recovery, and prevent any unnecessary injuries in the future.

Gareth (right) is an exercise therapist who specializes in end phase rehabilitation, returning clients back to sport, work and normal daily life. Gareth has worked with variety of clients ranging from international and national sports teams, to your average weekend warrior who just likes to have fun and keep active.