Client Profile:

• Name: Gina Mula

• Injury: Full ATFL tear with avulsion fracture, severe bone marrow oedema, osteochondral lesion of talus, syndesmosis sprain

• Sport: Tennis

Background:

Gina suffered a complex ankle injury while playing tennis. She initially visited A&E as she was unable to walk on it. Here they x-rayed her and told she had a small fracture to her outside ankle bone, but was sent home on crutches and told it would resolve in a few weeks. Gina saw no improvement at all, the pain and swelling was increasing and she still couldn’t weight bear 4 weeks later. We spoke on the phone and from her symptoms, it was clear she had been severely mismanaged at the hospital. We got her booked in for an MRI straight away and also into a boot to allow the fracture to heal. She was fortunate to get this booked in quickly and saw a specialist at The Spire who explained the severe damage to her ankle and that she would likely need surgery, but wanted to scan her again once her ankle had settled down, due to the large amount of swelling on the first MRI. She was keen to avoid surgery, so we got started on some rehabilitation as soon as possible and after visiting the surgeon again for a secondary MRI, it revealed the rehab we had done so far with her ankle meant she no longer required surgery!

We had to spend a longer period of time in the protection phase and regaining a normal gait pattern, but once Gina started lifting and strengthening the lower limb she saw quick improvements. O|nce those strength markers had been achieved, she underwent an extensive plyometric protocol, ensuring the ankle was capable of landing, jumping, hopping and changing direction at speed. We spent 9 months in total rehabilitating the ankle due to the complexity of the injury, finding a love for strength training and Jim Club classes along the way. Gina also set herself a goal of completing a Race the Sun event in the Brecon Beacons, where she had to hike, canoe and cycle for charity. We spent the last few months of her rehab focusing on building muscular endurance in a full body capacity to prepare her for this event, as well as lots of tennis specific agility, speed and change of direction drills.

Here is what Gina had to say…

You have been AMAZING and there is no way I’d be back cycling, running and lifting without your expertise, help and support. Your initial advice was essential in me getting the right treatment moving forwards. I feel strong and confident in my ability to keep doing more and thats all down to you and Craig (our head coach @ Jim Club!).

The Rehab Journey: Our 4-Step Approach

1. Protection Phase:
Goals: Reduce swelling, restore full range of motion (ROM) in the ankle and regain a normal gait pattern off crutches.
In this phase, we focused on reducing the inflammation and bruising in the ankle, restoring range of movement and slowly reducing the support needed from the crutches. We wanted to get the ankle functioning normally, able to walk without a limp and build her confidence back up without her crutches.

2. Load Introduction Phase:
Goals: Build muscular endurance and capacity while reintroducing controlled load.
As the ROM and confidence improved, Gina began loading the ankle with banded exercises and stability work and slowly reintroduced our main movement patterns such squatting, lunging, hinging and balancing. We put in some conditioning sessions on the bike to get the heart and lungs working at a higher intensity again and Gina committed to a weekly rehab session in the gym, where we were able to lift heavier and challenge the lower limb more than she could at home, whilst continuing with her home sessions as well to ensure progress.

3. Strength Accumulation Phase:
Goals: Develop maximum strength, refine running mechanics, and integrate plyometric drills.
During this phase, Gina focused on building significant lower-body strength and we started our plyometrics making sure we can land properly, before learning to hop and jump again. Gina started running again which included linear running, agility exercises, and change-of-direction drills, designed to simulate tennis specific accel and decels and cutting motions.

4. Activity Reintegration Phase:
Goals: Return to tennis and Race The Sun charity event.
During the rehab process, Gina learnt to love her strength training sessions and she soon got the Jim Club bug. She also completed a canoe, hike and cycling endurance event raising money for charity to sign off her rehab. She now trains 3-4 days a week doing a mixture of strength and conditioning classes, she is back playing tennis and padel with full confidence in her ankle and has even competed in a few fitness competitions since completing her rehab!

Why Choose Us?

At the Rehab Coach, we tailor our rehab programs to your unique goals, using a blend of cutting-edge tools like TrueCoach, in-person coaching, VALD testing equipment and sport-specific drills. Whether you’re aiming to return to sport or pursue new challenges, we’ll help you come back stronger than ever. With all of our clients we always want to ensure they leave us better educated on how to manage their weaknesses or previous injury sites. Educating clients on their injury rehab is crucial because it empowers them to take an active role in their recovery, improves adherence to treatment plans, reduces re-injury risk, and enhances long term outcomes by promoting proper movement patterns and lifestyle adjustments.

Ready to start your journey?
Contact us today to achieve your recovery and performance goals!