We have all heard that when an athlete suffers an ankle sprain there is really nothing we can do for them but to rest, elevate the injured foot, and apply compression and ice to the ankle. We also know that the when an athlete suffers an ankle sprain we can expect them to be out for anywhere from 2 to 12 weeks.
Truthfully, however, it does not have to be that way. The Flexband Ankle Strengthening Traction Technique (F.A.S.T) gets people back from ankle sprains within hours or days. Knowing what the usual down time of a sprain is, it seems impossible but F.A.S.T has proven itself effective with thousands of athletes from the high school to the professional level. From a 120LBS, 15 year old, female basketball player to a 321 LBS, NFL offensive lineman; this stuff really works. Mastering F.A.S.T is an asset to any trainer, coach, or therapist.
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| Excerpts from "Don't Ice that Ankle Sprain" by Coach Dick Hartzell and Dr. Michael Shimmel. Orthopedists estimate that there are 27,000 inversion sprains in America every day. Unfortunately most of them will be treated with the R.I.C.E method which slows down the healing process and may cause an athlete to sit out for weeks (sometimes up to 12 weeks for a high ankle sprain). Allow us to introduce you to the Flexband Ankle Strengthening Traction Technique (F.A.S.T). Designed by coach Dick Hartzell and Dr. Michael Shimmel, this technique has produced proven results in reducing pain and swelling immediately and ultimately reducing down time to a minimum of hours or days instead of weeks as with the R.I.C.E method. The idea is that soft tissue that has been damaged as in the case of ankle sprains should not be treated like a broken bone and in most cases, immobilization is not an option. Restoration of joint alignment with the associative muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerve and blood vessels as quickly as possible is the way to go. Minimizing swelling can also be an objective to reduce pain without interfering with the inflammatory process. By quickly elevating the injured limb and applying gentle but progressive traction on the joint, normal alignment can be restored before pain sets in and muscle contraction and loss of mobility occur in response to pain. The majority of ankle sprains occurring with athletes are Grade 1 and grade 2 sprains that involve either stretching of the ligament with no tear or a partial tear of the ligament respectively. F.A.S.T will bring results for these types of sprains but cannot deal with grade 3 sprains that involve a complete tear of the ligament |
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