A common question to physiotherapists is 'Mr X had the same injury, and he was back at sport the next week, why aren't I?' There are many reasons for this, including variations in the severity of injury, and access to constant treatment and medical advice.

Also, and probably most importantly, the steps taken in the hours immediately after injury vary greatly. Professional athletes tend to have access to immediate medical advice and treatment starts right away. This is paramount to injury recovery and usually involves simple steps that any of us can follow.

When Slater injured his ankle he was immediately taken from the field, the weight off the injured leg, and his ankle placed in a compression bandage. In any picture since, his injured ankle has had either a compression bandage or sports tape on it. These immediate steps, in particular Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, in most cases, are the most important factors in determining how quickly you return to sport. Compression in particular can take days off the time taken to return to sport as it restricts bleeding and swelling into the joint.

Follow these steps for the first few days after injury, see a physio, and get back to sport sooner!

Greg Condon
Physiotherapist
Author - Recovery Guides