Returning to play should happen when the athlete can balance on the injured ankle, jump and land on two feet without favoring the ankle, hop on the injured ankle, and cut from side to side while running.  If the athlete cannot do all of these it is not safe to return to play.  Most ankle sprains can be prevented with a good quality ankle brace.  This is an accessory that many coaches of team sports are requiring.  It may be the best investment you make besides good quality shoes for your young athlete.......read more go to jumpjasper.com and click on sports articles.

Besides minor cuts and abrasions my most commonly seen injury is a sprained ankle. This can be a debilitating injury for an athlete. My best advice for a newly sprained ankle is covered with a common acronym RICE. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation. If you have "rolled", "twisted", or "messed up" your ankle, you probably have a sprain. The sooner you can get ice on the ankle the better. The best way to ice it is to immerse the whole foot and ankle up to mid shin in a bucket or trash can full of ice water. This is painful for the first 5 minutes but then the toes go numb and it becomes tolerable. Visit any of the best athletic training facilities in the nation and you will see this in action. Do this for 20 minutes at a time. After icing wrap the ankle with an elastic bandage to control swelling and stay off of it for the next 24 hours or so. Make sure the wrap is not cutting off circulation (if the toes feet tingly or numb after ...........to read more go to jumpjasper.com and click on articles.

          Fall is synonymous with team sports, football, volleyball, soccer and cross country.  All of these have their unique sports medicine concerns.  When preparing for games I find it important to have the right accessories to take care of all of their needs.  For all sports I carry a sturdy weatherproof bag filled with tape, pre-wrap, a variety of bandages, padding, splints, elastic wraps and scissors.  It seems the bag gets heavier each year as I add some new gadgets and emergency equipment most of which goes unused.  Honestly my most common injuries can be taken care of with simple pre-wrap and tape.  I have come to find elastic tape that adheres to itself to be my newest favorite.  It comes in a variety of colors (used for years in the vet industry) and widths.  The great thing about this tape is that it doesn't stick to skin and it .......read more at jumpjasper.com click on articles.

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