Ankle sprains are treated as minor injuries, and for the first two weeks they often are. The problem is what happens in month two.
The initial injury heals. Swelling settles, walking feels normal, and by three or four weeks most people consider it dealt with. This is where the second injury usually gets set up, because two things have quietly disappeared: confidence and balance.
Ankle proprioception — knowing where your foot is without looking — is the first thing to go and the slowest to return on its own. It does not come back from walking. It comes back from standing on one leg on an uneven surface, then adding movement, then adding speed.
Before returning to a cutting sport you should be able to hop in every direction without hesitation and land from a small height without bracing. Those are simple tests and they are usually the difference between playing and re-taping the same ankle next month.
If you are unsure where you stand, an assessment takes less than an hour and gives you a straight answer.
