Is it “Just” a Sprain?

The ankle.  One of the most commonly sprained (and re-sprained) areas of the body.  28,000 people per day sprain an ankle, followed by the all to common- “It’s only a sprain, walk it off.”  If walking it off were the cure, we wouldn’t be living in a world plagued by reoccurring ankle sprains, leading to chronic ankle instability (over 50% of people who sprain their ankle will suffer another sprain).  We even send our athletes back into the game after an ankle sprain- its ludicrous and sets them up for developing a chronic problem such as post-traumatic arthritis and chronic ankle instability.

What exactly is an ankle sprain and why do I care? Excellent question, let’s take a closer look.

During an ankle sprain, the foot is turned in a way that the sole faces the opposite foot.  This can result in a minor stretch of the ligaments or partial to complete tear, depending on how bad the injury was.  Ankle sprains can occur for a whole host of reasons: you stepped off the curb too fast, landed wrong during a basketball game or maybe the dog pulled you the wrong direction.  However it may happen, its important to take this seriously and avoid a chronic problem.

Majority of ankle sprains will reoccur due to the instability that develops after the initial injury, making it very important to be seen by a qualified clinician for evaluation and treatment.  Treatment is targeted at reducing instability in the ankle joint by ensuring the muscles around the joint are firing properly and the ankle has the ability to respond to the unpredictable external environment (like that step in front of you that you may not have seen).  Once we have established this, we can move onto the prevention phase of treatment.

After the initial injury and earlier phases of treatment, it is important that you take steps to prevent future ankle sprains.  Some great prevention techniques include:

  • Improving balance on one leg is an excellent way to strengthen the ankle joint
  • Start balancing on one leg, then move to balancing on one leg with the eyes closed. After you have mastered these, try balancing on one leg on a pillow and eventually progress to a wobbleboard.
  • Avoid wearing high heal shoes. These wreak havoc on not only the ankle joint, but also the big toe, knee, hip, and low back.
  • When playing sports that require large amounts of jumping and landing, consider a brace to help support the ankle.

If you do happen to sprain your ankle, don’t be a hero.  Take it easy for the next few weeks and don’t return to the activity that caused the sprain without regaining full and pain free range of motion in the ankle joint.