Teen Athlete Case Study: Ankle Rehab and Shockwave Therapy for Safe Return to Sport
Living Well Center for Integrative Health – Essex Junction, VT
Practitioner: Hannah Munn, DPT
Dr. Hannah Munn - DPT
Hannah is a compassionate Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) committed to guiding you towards optimal health and functionality. With a profound belief in the body's innate ability to heal, she combines her expertise with a personalized approach to deliver exceptional care. She completed her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College. — LEARN MORE
Case Study: Teen Athlete’s Return to Sport After Ankle Injury
Clinician: Hannah Munn, DPT
Patient: 16-year-old student athlete from South Burlington
Primary concern: Sports-related ankle injury limiting practice and competition
Before Care at Living Well
This student athlete came to Living Well Center for Integrative Health frustrated and unsure about the upcoming season. Repeated cutting, jumping, and sprinting during practice brought on ankle pain and swelling, and they had started to avoid certain drills out of fear of reinjury. Even walking at school after a hard practice sometimes caused discomfort, making it difficult to stay fully engaged with both academics and athletics.
Evaluation and Goal Setting
Hannah began with a detailed evaluation of the ankle, including range of motion, strength, balance, and sport-specific movement patterns such as single-leg hopping, direction changes, and landing mechanics. She also reviewed the athlete’s training schedule and recent changes in workload to understand how the injury developed. Together, they set clear goals: return to full practice, compete pain-free, and feel confident making quick, powerful movements required in their sport.
Ankle sprains are among the most common injuries in youth sports.
Progressive Rehab and Shockwave Therapy
The treatment plan combined a progressive physical therapy program with shockwave therapy as part of an integrated approach. In the early phase, rehab focused on reducing pain and swelling, restoring ankle mobility, and reactivating key stabilizing muscles. As symptoms improved, Hannah incorporated:
Targeted strengthening for the ankle, foot, hips, and core
Balance and proprioception drills to improve control on single-leg tasks
Plyometric and agility work that mirrored the demands of their sport
Movement retraining to refine landing, cutting, and push-off mechanics
Shockwave therapy was used to help address lingering soft-tissue tenderness so the athlete could progress loading more comfortably as part of their active rehab plan.
Evidence supports Shockwave therapy for certain chronic tendon conditions.
Return to Sport Outcomes
Over time, the athlete noticed that everyday walking, stairs, and school activities no longer provoked pain. They progressed from modified drills to full practice participation, eventually completing high-intensity cutting and jumping work without symptoms. By the time the season began, the athlete had:
Restored ankle strength and mobility appropriate for their sport
Improved single-leg balance and control during rapid direction changes
Regained confidence in landing and pushing off on the injured side
They returned to competition pain-free, fully cleared for sport, and better equipped with strategies to warm up, strengthen, and recover to help reduce the risk of future injury. This case highlights how a structured, sport-specific rehab plan combined with targeted modalities like shockwave therapy can support safe, confident return to play for teen athletes at Living Well Center for Integrative Health.
Privacy Notice: All case studies are fully anonymized and represent common conditions treated at Living Well. Identifying details have been generalized to protect patient privacy while highlighting real-life improvements for patients in the greater Chittenden County area.