Local podiatrist weighs in on Stephen Curry ankle injury

Golden State Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry has been dominating sports headlines this week – or rather, his right ankle has.

After helping his team set the record for regular-season wins, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player twisted his ankle in the first game of the playoffs – a win against the Houston Rockets. He was pulled from the second half of that game and – to the surprise of many – every contest since.

With Curry out, the Warriors won Game 2 before dropping Game 3 of the best-of-seven series. It’s unclear whether the athlete will be well enough to play Game 4 on Sunday, though he has told media outlets he feels a lot better.

Dr. Kevin Kirby, a Sacramento podiatrist who has been treating food and ankle injuries in athletes for more than 30 years, said this is “not an unusual situation.”

“We’d call it a tweak,” he said of Curry’s problem. He could have pinched the joint capsule or tore some scar tissue from the prior surgery. In those cases it’s not a major sprain, but it can take a week or two (to heal).”

Curry underwent an MRI Tuesday that did not show anything concerning, according to ESPN. Kirby said coaches are making the right decision by keeping the player out and giving the ankle time to heal.

In the meantime, sports therapists are likely taping Curry’s ankle for mobility, performing physical therapy daily and urging him to minimize non-necessary walking and running, Kirby said.

“It’s standard protocol for this, and he’s surrounded by people putting him under the microscope,” he said. “You don’t want to put someone out there worth millions of dollars and have him jeopardize his career.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Local podiatrist weighs in on Stephen Curry ankle injury."