Zeitschrift für Yoga-Praxis und -Therapie

There is no such thing as a simple ankle sprain

Faraz Sethi

Ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries globally that can cause instability and functional impairments leading to time lost from performance and of course work commitments. Conservative management has been found to be a gold standard treatment option that depends on the initial diagnosis and assessment of the injury. Are we sometimes misguided by imaging?  Is it time to stop wasting time and money on surgical intervention or focus more on the perceptual framework of disability? Physiotherapy plays an important role in relieving inflammatory signs, pain modulation, improving function, stability, proprioception and prevention of recurrences, but is that enough? Are there any unified return to play protocols for ankle sprains or do we generally follow a traditional time based protocol. Food for thought.