The Toronto Raptors are currently battling to keep their NBA Championship hopes alive as they are locked into a series with the Miami Heat. After the Miami Heat tied the series up with a win in Game 4, there are three remaining games left in the series. For the Raptors to have any hope of moving onto the Eastern Conference Finals, they will need to win two more games. In Game 3, Raptors’ starting center Jonas Valanciunas suffered a sprained Ankle and was unfortunately ruled out for the rest of the series. Today we examine the injury and explain the steps Valanciunas will have to take before he is ready to play again.

The Injury

Jonas Valanciunas suffered a Sprained Ankle which essentially means he tore ligaments in ankle. This was probably followed by a “popping” effect which means that injured blood vessels leaked into tissues. Partial tears allow for some movement around the ankle while complete tears means no stability around the ankle. The fact that he hasn’t been ruled out for the remainder of the NBA Playoffs leads us to believe that he suffered a partial tear of ligaments. It should be noted that he’s currently in a walking boot and as he waits for swelling to go down, limiting his stability.

The Severity

It’s very hard to gauge the severity of Valanciunas’ sprained ankle because team doctors have been particularly mum on the issue. After the injury, he did X-Rays which were negative which is good news because it showed that nothing was broken. He also underwent an MRI and while we do not know the results of this test, team doctors were not pleased by what they saw. The assumption here is that Valanciunas severely damaged ligaments in his ankle which is why he was ruled out for the remainder of the series. A mild sprain would have kept him out for a few games but this appears to be more severe.

The Treatment

It appears as though Valanciunas will not need surgery on his injured ankle which is good news. He has also indicated that the pain and swelling have gone down which is also a great sign. As of right now, the only way to treat the ankle is to apply ice to keep the swelling down, rest, and keep the ankle elevated. Elevation is done to Increase Blood Flow and circulation. Once the swelling goes down and stability increases, Valanciunas will undergo a series of stretching exercises to increase stability. He may receive massage therapy in an effort to increase blood flow. Lastly, he will undergo rehabilitation exercises with a physiotherapist to strengthen the ankle; bringing it back to function. In order for him to return to the court, he will also need to participate in basketball drills to confirm his health status.

The Prognosis

I’m sure you’re all looking for a definitive answer as to when Jonas Valanciunas may return to the court. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer. According to Valanciunas himself, this was a “bad” sprain” and the team’s doctors made the right decision to remove him for the rest of the series. He will now have to wait for the swelling to go down before he could start participating in light activities. Considering the severity of the injury, it will be at least another two-three weeks before he undergoes strength-based exercises and this all depends on how he feels. No sprain is the same which is why there has been no set timeline for his return. He may still experience swelling in two weeks and his mobility may be limited.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, once the swelling goes down and stability returns, he may be good to go at some point during the Eastern Conference Finals or the NBA Finals assuming the Raptors beat the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whatever the future may hold, for now all Valanciunas could do is ice the ankle, rest, keep it elevated, and hope for stability to return. Once the stability returns, the strength based exercises and on court activities will determine if he could return for the remainder of the NBA Playoffs.

If you recently suffered an injury and need treatment to rehabilitate the injury, please visit a HealthMax Physiotherapy Clinic near you or call (416) 431-4000. Our team of trained doctors, therapists and professionals will give you the treatment you need to restore the function and relieve pain.

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