Slow-healing ankles, feet playing havoc at fantasy crunch time

A lot of people think that pro athletes have the best care and the best trainers. In some cases yes, but it's not always what you might think. In most cases, athletes are pressured into playing injured and their injuries just keep getting worse. In other cases, athletes are not given the right tools to heal completely before getting back out on the field.

The bottom line is that people (even pro athletes and trainers) still hold onto the old model of healing an ankle sprain. And that means rest, ice and wait. And that means very badly healing ankles that take a long time. It really does take active rehab to heal an ankle AND reduce the risk of injury. An ankle sprain is not a necessary injury, but it is the #1 sports related injury, because athletes do not take the time or care to heal properly. But, doing so can be a real life saver to a career and the team itself. And don't forget, strong, mobile ankles translates into faster, more agile athletes.

But, unfortunately, many people, even pros are still doing the wrong things regarding their ankles and they are paying the price. Just take a look below at what Bill Carroll, a Sports Illustrated commentator, says about ankle sprains...

We've gotten to the point where high ankle sprains are just "HAS" in the discussion. It's common enough now to have its own acronym, but there's still not a lot of understanding. While no high ankle sprain is good, like any sprain, there are degrees of sprain. A sprain is a tearing of a ligament, in this case the one between the tibia and fibula, and yes, mild tearing means a mild, low-grade sprain. Peterson's low-grade sprain leaves the medical staff some hope he can be back this week, even in a limited role. That said, he'll need to do more than just run. That's the easy part, so don't be fooled by "Peterson's running at practice!" reports. His ability (or inability) to accelerate and cut will be the tough part. The Vikings will give Peterson every chance to play, but Toby Gerhart is more likely to be back at RB1 this week.