Your child suffered an ankle sprain. You started treating the ankle sprain. You’ve been rehabbing the ankle. But now, you want to know when it it safe for them to go back to playing their sport.

Read on for more information on returning to sport after an ankle sprain.

A functional progression is sport specific and should stress the demands of the sport on the injured body part, and is the last step in returning to sports after suffering an injury.

Functional progression for return to sports after lateral ankle sprains

The number one goal of returning to sport safely; the athlete should not be at greater risk of sustaining the initial injury. What does that mean? That an athlete should not have any deficits that puts them at a higher risk to suffer an injury than they were prior to the injury to begin with. Those deficits could include range of motion, strength, power, speed, etc.

Functional progressions can reduce the anxiety and apprehension of returning to sport after an injury. It can help build confidence in the athlete’s skill level and reassure them that they can perform again after an injury.

Functional progressions can start when the athlete is able to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes without increased pain.

Sport Specific

Functional progressions for sport should be sport specific and entail all the necessary movements and demands on the injured body part, done in a controlled setting.

Take the activities involved in their sport and break them down into individual components.

The athlete should perform all the necessary sport skills initially away from the team, then in a highly controlled small group practice, eventually to a full team non-contact practice, and then a full practice. All activities should go from simple to complex.

This is a good place to get a coach involved to help with ideas of activities that can be done. Remember these are not practice drills, but movements and speeds that mimic activities done in drills.

After passing a functional progression, an athlete should gradually progress to playing full time. That means that they should start with a a non-contact practice or drills, followed by regular practice drills, then scrimmaging, and then finally they are able to play in a game.

Functional progressions will address any limitations or restrictions, as well as identify any apprehension about returning to sports after an injury so it can be addressed before stepping back on the court or field and avoid any possible additional injury.

What questions do you have about functional progressions or returning to play after an ankle sprain?

Disclaimer: This post is for informational and educational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and does not establish any patient relationship with me. I’m not liable or responsible for any damages related to your use of this information. Information given is a generality of athletic injuries and treatments and is not meant to replace traditional medical advice. Please consult a physician for proper care.