Why “Walking It Off” Doesn’t Work: The Athlete’s Guide to Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries, especially among athletes who play sports that demand quick cuts, jumping, and rapid direction changes. Basketball, soccer, volleyball, football, lacrosse, and trail running athletes are at especially high risk.

In fact, up to 40% of all sports injuries involve the ankle, and about 85% of those are lateral (inversion) sprains, caused when the foot rolls inward.

But here’s the bigger issue—ankle sprains don’t just happen once. Many athletes try to “walk it off,” finding themselves with repeat injuries that lead to chronic ankle instability. About 70% of athletes who suffer one ankle sprain will sprain it again if they don’t properly rehab and retrain balance, strength, and mobility.

Ankle sprains aren’t just common—they’re recurring. The good news: most of these repeat injuries are completely preventable.

Why “Walking It Off” Leads to Chronic Instability

With any sports injury—especially mild ones—athletes often hide or downplay injuries from coaches or parents and avoid seeking treatment in fear of losing playing time, jeopardizing roster spots, or missing recruiting opportunities. Even professional athletes sometimes conceal injuries that could threaten contracts.

Unfortunately, mismanagement or undertreatment often leads to longer recovery times, extends time away from sports, and a much higher risk of reinjury.

Common Mistakes We See

Overprescribing Rest
Emergency rooms, urgent care clinics, and even orthopedic offices often recommend too much rest. While rest has its place, it’s not always the best defense for athletic injuries. For grade 1–2 ankle sprains, early physical therapy is the best line of defense.

Only Using Tape and Ice
Taping and icing from athletic trainers are great first-line defenses, but they’re not enough for full recovery or safe return to sport.

Returning to Sport Too Soon
Many athletes feel better, do not complete the rehab process and jump back in before their body is ready. Even when pain is gone, rehab isn’t complete until full balance, power, and control are restored. After returning to sport, it is crucial to finish the rehab process. 

Returning Based on Time, Not Testing
Time alone doesn’t equal readiness. While many athletes are advised to return to sport based on a timeframe alone, objective testing is the best indicator for a safe return to play.

Relying on Tape and Braces Long-Term
Tape and braces can help in the short-term during rehab, but the long-term solution comes internally from strong muscles that create true stability not external support.

At Bay Laurel Athletics, we’ve seen too many athletes fall into these traps and waste valuable playing time sitting on the sidelines. Undertreatment most often leads to repeat injuries and prolonged recovery.

Grades of Ankle Sprains and When to Seek Treatment

For Grades 1–2, physical therapy is the gold standard. It helps athletes recover faster while the ligaments heal and ensures a complete return to sport.
Grade 3 sprains or sprains with fractures may require a short period of immobilization before beginning rehab.

Every day counts when you’re sidelined. At Bay Laurel Athletics, we see athletes immediately after injury—often the same or next day—to start the rehab process and speed up recovery.

What Quality Rehab Should Include

Good rehab does more than reduce pain—it restores performance. A complete ankle sprain recovery program should include:

• Deep friction massage to support ligament healing
  
  

• Mobility restoration and flexibility work
  
  

• Foot and ankle strengthening
  
  

• Balance and proprioceptive retraining
  
  

• Taping or bracing for safe early activity
  
  

• Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training, which accelerates strength gains and promotes faster healing by releasing natural human growth hormone (HGH)
  
  

BFR is especially effective for athletes who need to maintain strength early in recovery, even with limited training capacity.

Not All Physical Therapy Is the Same

Many physical therapy clinics promote the treatment of athletes—but few actually prepare them for the true demands of sport allowing them to compensate or not train athletically enough. Athletes need more than band walks and balance boards.

If rehab doesn’t include:

• Single-leg power development
  
  

• Change-of-direction mechanics
  
  

• Strength symmetry testing
  
  

• Sport-specific confidence training

…then the athlete remains at high risk of reinjury.

The right power and performance training can even prevent future sprains.
At Bay Laurel Athletics, we understand the full athletic ecosystem—what it takes to recover, return to sport, and stay there without reinjury. Our goal isn’t just to get athletes pain-free—it’s to help them return stronger than before.

When Is It Safe to Return to Sports?

Time is not a return-to-play plan. Unless athletic capacity is tested, return-to-sport readiness is just a guessing game.

At Bay Laurel Athletics, we use the Y-Balance Test (YBT) to measure recovery and return-to-sport readiness. This test is highly researched among athletes and helps us determine when an athlete is 100% recovered and at low risk for reinjury. 

Without quantitative data, it’s a shot in the dark. 

The Bottom Line

Ankle sprains are common—but repeat sprains don’t have to be.
With the right rehab, progressive training, and objective testing, athletes can return to sport strong, confident, and ready to perform at their best.

If your or your student athlete is dealing with an ankle sprain—or keeps rolling the same ankle—Bay Laurel Athletics can help.

Bay Laurel Athletics – Bay Area Sports Physical Therapy

Helping athletes recover faster, play with confidence, and stay in the game.

Serving athletes across the Bay Area—including San Carlos, Belmont, San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Atherton, and surrounding communities.

Written by:

Dr. Laurel Mines, PT, DPT, OCS

Physical Therapist, Mental Performance Coach, Owner of Bay Laurel Athletics and Stanford University Teaching Specialist