Nagging ankle injury

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by stanger, Apr 16, 2012.

  1. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Anyone have any good ideas on how to heal a minor ankle sprain in the middle of the season?

    My daughter sprained her ankle after the first game of the year 3 weeks ago. She sat out a week's training, the games that weekend and another week's training. She played on Saturday with no issues but injured it again at the end of Sunday's game.

    We have done the IcyHot and lace-up brace for the games and the icing afterward, but is there reason to do the alternating hot-cold treatments? Will it help heal?

    She will be sitting out training this week but has a tournament this weekend.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Try to play too soon after the original injury it can happen again. I have a cronic weakness in my ankle from doing that. Tournament or no tournament if it does not feel right miss it.

    When an ankle is sprained, the ligaments that hold the ankle joint
    together are stretched, torn or completely severed. In most cases, the
    player rolls the ankle over and to the outside. It's called an inversion
    sprain.

    FIRST AID: Once it happens, the rest, ice, compression and elevation
    (RICE) protocol is still the basis for treatment for sprains. Stay off
    the leg at least 24-48 hours or until you or a sports medicine physician
    determines the severity of the injury. If the pain, swelling and
    disability are mild, you can treat it yourself. Apply ice, keep the
    ankle higher than your waist, and wrap it tightly enough to prevent
    further swelling without restricting ciculation. If the symptoms are
    more severe (tearing or popping sound, serious swelling, tenderness,
    bruising and continued loss of function), get to a doctor.

    PREVENTION: Most ankle sprains are unavoidable accidents, but there
    are some things you can do to protect yourself. Begin with a strength
    and stretching program for the structures that surround and support the
    ankle. The Achilles tendon is particularly vulnerable and should be as
    flexible as possible, accoarding to Lyle J. Micheli, author of "The
    Sports Medicine Bible" and a member of [this] Newsletter's Editorial
    Board. The Achilles stretch and exercises peformed with rubber bands or
    tubes for ankle inversion.
    =======
    I had cronic bad ankles you can get that elastic band to rehabilitate ftom any pharmacuital store. Stretch the ankle with it I use it every day.

    Wait to it heals before you run on it again or it can become cronic and skip rope

    Definitely don't overlook balance exercises. In addition to the fine motor control, it helps regenerate nerves damaged in the injury which are necessary for avoiding further injury.





    From a physio.

    The goal is to get rid of the swelling, in order to recover flexibility and muscle movement in the ankle area. So try movement even the day after the injury - within your pain limit.

    1) Compression - wear something tight around your sprained ankle area all day - like a extra sock, bandage or something similar. We want to increase blood flow and prevent stoppages and further swelling of the joints. Compression helps doing that. Just dont wear the compression during sleep.

    2) Ice. If you have been doing activity on the ankle days/weeks after your sprain, remember to put some ice on it during the evening. Or during the daytime if you feel very sore. Just like 10-20 minuttes of ice. This is done to reduce the swelling in the joints, as well as increase blood flow.

    3) Elevation

    If your ankle still is swollen weeks after the injury, try sleeping with your foot elevated (above heart)
     
  3. elessar78

    elessar78 Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 12, 2010
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nick,

    Blood flow to injured area=healing?
    Blood flow to injured area=swelling?
    Swelling=pain?

    Will compression limit or increase blood flow? I think it limits it.

    Ice reduces the size of blood vessels by causing them to constrict and therefore reduces swelling and indirectly reduces pain.
     
  4. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    Swelling is bad. More swelling creates more soft tissue damage and increases the recovery time. More swelling will cause more pressure due to the structure of the joint. More pressure means more pain and less blood flow.

    Watch the color of the toes. You are not supposed to have the compression bandage so tight that it cuts off circulation. Same with taping ankles. If its gets too tight. You redo it.

    Promoting blood flow promotes healing.

    That is why the switch from ice to heat therapy at 48 hours. That has found to be the best approach to promote recovery. First aid (RICE) is ice for the first 48 hours. Treatment and therapy depends on the type of sprain (class 1, 2, or 3), which is why Nick said to get to a doctor if symptoms suggest something might be torn.
     
  5. Bird1812

    Bird1812 New Member

    Nov 10, 2004
    How old is your daughter and why was she playing 2 games? How many minutes did she play in those games?
     
  6. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It was actually 3 games the first day. She had two ODP games at the Festival and then a regular league game that evening. It was the league game, at the end, where she had the sprain.

    She sat out a week and a half and stepped in a hole at practice, slightly re injuring it. She sat out two more days then played a game on a Saturday with no problem but hurt it again on a tackle late in the Sunday game.

    She sat out the Nike Cup last weekend and won't play again until Thursday of this week.

    I want to note that neither I nor her coach has pushed her to play. As a matter of fact, we had to hide her cleats this weekend.

    She will be wearing a lace-up brace the remainder of this season, goes through a stretching routine given to us by her trainer twice a day and does several sets of toe raises when she feels no pain.

    Any other ways to strengthen the ankle to prevent injury? She is a u-13.

    Out of the 70 minutes per game, she plays around 50.
     
  7. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    More training is not going to prevent overuse injuries.
     
  8. Bird1812

    Bird1812 New Member

    Nov 10, 2004
    Do I understand you correctly? She played 3 games the first day and a 4th game the second day, averaging 50 minutes per game or a total of 200 minutes over the weekend. And she's returning from an injury?

    See? This is exactly what is the matter with youth soccer in this country. Nobody takes into consideration the schedule they are asking these kids to play. It is likely that she's going to be dealing with a nagging injury for the rest of the season. If she's lucky it will only be this season. If not, it may be something she's going to have to always deal with as she moves forward. For what???

    Best Practices: http://www.nasoccer.com/index2.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=353&Itemid=369

    MAXIMUM COMPETITION PER DAY

    RECOMMENDATIONS:
    1. Players should not be asked to play more than the equivalent of one full-length game plus overtime per day.
    2. Where multiple games are a necessity:
    a. Schedule full-length games with a day of rest between games
    b. Play shortened halves for games played on back-to-back days
    c. U-14 players should not be asked to play more than 140 minutes of soccer in any 72-hour period.
     
  9. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    She wasn't returning from injury at that point, I think it contributed to it. She was hurt at the end of the 4th game of the weekend.

    After she had sat out for 10 days, she had 2 games on the weekend, one Saturday, one Sunday. She played around half of the Saturday game and then her regular 50 or so minutes on Sunday, when she was injured on another tackle.

    The first weekend part of the problem was the ODP district festival, something she needed to do to move on to the ODP state pool.
     
  10. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    It is exactly this self-centered horrible management preying on parent fears and oblivious to the welfare of children that needs to be eliminated from the 55 state organizations, whenever it occurs, which unfortunately is probably all too frequently the case. (I am assuming that some authority figure lead you to believe your child's playing "career" was over if she wasn't selected for ODP before age 14.)
     
  11. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Your assumption is wrong.

    ODP had tried in the last few years to NOT conflict with the club schedule, even holding the district trainings in the winter when most clubs aren't doing much. They have even gone as far as to say not making the State pool at this age is no big deal, kids develop at different rates, try again next year, and all that stuff.

    Your opinion couldn't be farther from the truth.
     
  12. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    So stanger did she play or did she rest it?
     
  13. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    She sat out the entire tournament last weekend. Started training again lightly on Tuesday.
     
  14. my daughter nursed an ankle for 2 weeks before telling me it hurt. she sat out for 2 weeks, worked lightly for 1 more and then was back to playing. i bought her a neoprene sock which she wore for a few weeks. she said it helped better than the lace-up. that was last august/sept. hasn't had any issues since. IMO they need the time. a teammate sprained her ankle in november, has not rested and is still struggling with it.

    now some might ask how did i not realize she was playing hurt? she broke her toe in the first few minutes of the 1st game in a tournament. she started not hustling in finals (4th game of the weekend) and after being yelled at she finally told the coach she thought her toe was broken. the kid has some tolerance for pain when she wants to play. :rolleyes:
     
  15. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I broke my toe recently never even knew it. I have diabetis in my feet. I go to the foot doctor for something else he asks me how did I break my toe? I answer back "I broke my toe?
     
  16. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Neoprene sock? I haven't seen anything like that.

    Where did you get it? A sporting goods store or a medical supply?
     
  17. LOL, well mine doesn't have diabetes. ;)

    i bought it at a local store. they carry alot of hockey n baseball stuff. she's out for the night. tomorrow i will get it and see if there is a manufacturer on it. it's either in her room or in her backpack. i am not venturing into either place. can't walk in the room and bag smells like stinky shinguards.


    it looks like this but goes higher up her calf and more to her toes. black/red neoprene

    http://www.docortho.com/images/D/C-307.jpg
     
  18. Bird1812

    Bird1812 New Member

    Nov 10, 2004
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but it appears that she was returning from injury. You said:

    So if I understand you correctly she had missed two weeks of practice and games, but then played on the following Saturday and Sunday. I'm a bit confused as to just how many games she played that weekend, but the point I'm making to you is that she probably shouldn't have played any games if she had missed 2 weeks because of injury. It probably would have been wiser to return to training first. This is something coaches ought to know, but most don't seem to.
     

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