Ever since I was in high-school I dreamed of becoming an NBA player. The lifestyle, the fame, the money; who could resist right!?

I played a lot of basketball at school, and decided it was time to join a domestic team. I played two seasons without any injuries whatsoever. Then I decided to play a tournament with some friends. I had recently picked up some new shoes and hadn’t yet broken them in.

The Ankle Injury

I made it through the first game and secured a win, however the next team were the reigning champions. Halfway through the game I went for a block , got bumped mid-air and landed directly on the side of my ankle.

The Diagnosis

Luckily, I had a cousin who could strap my ankle until I got home. By the end of the day, it had swollen up so much I knew something wasn’t right. The next day I got some scans and turned out I had a grade 2 lateral ligament (more specifically anterior talo-fibular [ATFL] ligament) sprain. My dreams of making it to the NBA were fading away quickly… but luckily, I knew a few good Osteopaths. 

The Treatment Plan

For my treatment plan, I rested it until I could weight bear confidently and then proceeded to walk on it with the support of an ankle brace to prevent further damage. After the pain settled, I began immediately working on rehabilitation.

In the early stages I was focusing on mobility of the ankle doing things such as the pedal pump and ankle alphabets (see videos below) and then as it got better, I focused on strength exercises such as single leg calf raises (see video below for both double and single leg calf raises). After gaining sufficient strength I began building back up my athletic capacity with hops (see video below) and balance training.

 

 

If you ever find yourself in a similar position with an injury, it’s crucial to go see your Osteopath or health professional to appropriately diagnose and manage your condition. Not only will they help facilitate the healing process but also make sure you’re back on track to return to activity as soon as possible without any recurrence.

Kamal Pakenham Osteopathy

What I Learnt

One thing I learnt is that it’s very important to put in the work as a client. If not, it will delay your healing and you won’t be as injury proof in the future.

As your Osteopath we will be able to help assess and manage your condition. You can make an appointment at Pakenham Osteopathy. Click here to book online or call us on 5941-4157.

 You can email me directly at kamal@pakenhamosteopathy.com.au if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!

Skye
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