At the time of injury
If a child injures an ankle during practice or competition:
- He or she should stop playing immediately. Have her sit down in the middle of the field or the court if she has to.
- Once off the field or court, examine the ankle closely. If it looks different from the child's other ankle, of if the child hears crunching noises when she tries to move it, the ankle might be broken, which requires immediate medical attention and a trip to the hospital emergency room for an examination and x-rays (A list of emergency phone numbers should be kept in the first-aid kit.
- If the child experiences any severe pain, he might have a second — or third-degree sprain, with a partially or completely torn ligament. These injuries need to be treated by a doctor. Because most sprains can wait to be treated your child's primary care physician, her office can give you advice over the phone, if necessary, on how to help your child over night until he can be seen during the doctor's regular office hours.
- Stay calm and calm the injured player. Keep others away from her as much as possible.
Return to sports
It is important in all but mild cases for a medical doctor to evaluate the injury and establish a treatment and rehabilitation plan.
You and your child should treat any ankle sprain, but especially the first one, seriously. An athlete who fails to allow an ankle sprain to properly heal is at risk for developing chronic ankle instability. Sports medicine experts, like Dr. Lyle J. Micheli of Children's Hospital in Boston, recommend that the rehabilitation process be supervised by a qualified physical therapist, and that a child not be allowed to return to sports until:
- Full range of pain-free motion in the ankle is regained
- He can run and walk without limping
- He has more than 90 percent strength in the injured ankle compared to the uninjured ankle; and
- He can reach maximum speed while running and changing direction.
When your child is ready to return to sports:
- Make sure he does some running and skill drills on his own to make sure the ankle is okay; going into a game "cold turkey" is a good way for your child to re-injure the ankle;
- Have a trainer tape up the previously injured ankle;
- If no athletic trainer is available, have him wrap the ankle himself or wear a removable brace, such as an Aircast. In fact, some experts, like Dr. Micheli, believe that modern braces are more convenient and effective than traditional taping. Note: taping and fancy bracing do not do anything more to prevent ankle injuries than properly fitted shoes.
- If pain or swelling returns, have your child stop playing, tell the coach, and contact your child's doctor to arrange for a re-evaluation.
- Remember that taping or braces should be used along with, not instead of, rehabilitation.
Updated March 29, 2011
