	AllExperts > Stretching & Flexibility
	Search

About Brad Walker (The Stretch Coach)
Expertise
I'm more than happy to answer any questions relating to stretching and flexibility. Including how to use stretching to improve your athletic performance, prevent sports injury and aid in the recovery of sports injury.

Experience
I'm an internationally recognized stretching and sports injury consultant with 20 years of practical experience in the health and fitness industry. And the founder of (The Stretching Institute).

Organizations
Sports Medicine Australia

Publications
I've written 5 books on stretching, flexibility and sports injury, including... The Stretching Handbook (ISBN: 978-0958109338), The Anatomy of Stretching (ISBN: 978-1556435966) and The Anatomy of Sports Injuries (ISBN: 978-1556436666). Plus, I've had numerous articles published at About.com, Athletes.com and BodyBuilding.com.

Education/Credentials
I'm a health science graduate of the University of New England, with post graduate accreditations in athletics, swimming and triathlon coaching. I've worked with elite level and world champion athletes and I lecture for Sports Medicine Australia on injury prevention.

Past/Present Clients
I've worked as assistant coach to Miles Stewart (World Champion Triathlete) and Mick Doohan (World 500cc Motorcycle Champion). Plus I've worked with countless other athletes from sports as diverse as roller-skating, squash, and cycling.

You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Exercise > Stretching & Flexibility > Ankle Sprain

Stretching & Flexibility - Ankle Sprain

Expert: Brad Walker (The Stretch Coach) - 6/12/2009

Question
Back in November i sprained my ankle severely whilst playing basketball. I
was on crutches for 7 weeks and once able to walk i did my best to come
back into competitive sport slowly. Once i did come back i wore a pretty
heavy duty ankle support.
The season is now over and i want to make sure everything is dandy before
the next season rolls around in Sep/Oct. I still have some swelling (or at least
odd puffy bits) in my ankle and my range of motion is somewhat limited.
Is there anything I can do to regain a full range of motion and will the final
bits of swelling ever completely disappear?

Thanks
Merlin

Answer
Hi Merlin

Thanks for your inquiry. It's a pleasure to help and I hope the following is beneficial.

You've done the right things so far, but it's time to move onto some more aggressive rehab techniques.

Start with heat, massage and very gentle stretching. The second half of this article...
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/scar-tissue.php

...plus all of this article will give you more details about how to conduct the rehab.
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/active-rehabilitation.php

There's also a specific 3 part article on ankle sprain here...
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/ankle-injuries-pt1.php

And if you are going to keep exercising, make sure you strap your ankle...
http://www.sportstek.net/ankle_taping.htm

...or there are plenty of videos on YouTube that will show you how to strap an ankle.

I hope the above has been helpful. For more information on how to stretch properly and the best stretching exercises for you, visit http://www.TheStretchingInstitute.com

Brad Walker
Founder & CEO
The Stretching Institute

Add to this Answer Ask a Question