ANKLE SPRAIN
Welcome to my ankle sprain condition page! Here, we provide comprehensive information about ankle sprains, a common injury that affects millions of people worldwide. This injury can happen to anyone, from athletes participating in sports activities to individuals simply walking or running on uneven surfaces. Most ankle sprains will settle with time however some people can develop problems with persistent pain and instability. Effective early management and a progressive ankle strengthening and balance re-training programme can help you return you to your aims and goals successfully.
How do you sprain your ankle?
An ankle sprain occurs when the ligaments surrounding the ankle joint are stretched or torn, typically as a result of a sudden twisting or rolling motion of the foot. Most commonly you over stretch your lateral ligament complex (ATFL and CFL), when your foot and ankle is forcibly turned inwards, this movement is called inversion. You can also injure the ligaments on the inside of your ankle (deltoid ligament) and very occasionally above your ankle joint in between your tibia and fibula (syndesmosis). Which ligament is affected usually depends on which direction your foot is forced into during the initial injury.
Anyone at any age can have an ankle sprain. It can happen in various ways, such as; participating in sport, walking on uneven surfaces or wearing inappropriate footwear. Unfortunately when you sprain your ankle once, it can increase the chances of this happening again. This is why it’s important to improve the strength of the muscles around the ankle and work on balance exercises.
How severe is my ankle sprain?
An ankle sprain can cause the soft tissues that surround the ankle joint to overstretch. The soft tissues that can be stretched are called ligaments, these are tough bands of tissue which connect the bones of the leg to the foot and alongside muscles can help provide some stability and support to the ankle joint. Ligaments have specific boundaries which they can stretch to and when you go beyond this, this can result in a tear. When ankle sprains cause an injury to the ankle ligaments we often classify them into different grades of tear.
Grade 1 - tear to the ligament but no laxity
Grade 2 - tear to the ligament with laxity
Grade 3 - complete rupture of the ligament
Surgery is actually very rare regardless of the grade of the tear so recovery is dependent on building up the muscles around your ankle and improving your balance.
Physiotherapy for acute ankle pain.
The initial aim of physiotherapy is to control pain, reduce swelling and to start early movement of the ankle joint to prevent stiffness and muscle weakness. The acronym ‘MICE’ can help you with this:
Movement: as soon as you feel able, you can start gradually increasing how far you can walk and start some gentle exercises. Moving your foot up and down, then in circular motions is a good start.
Ice: can be effective for pain relief and is useful to apply for up to 2 days after the injury.
Compression: may be effective for pain relief and swelling. A compression device can be used. It should feel tight but not so much that you feel numbness or an increase in pain.
Elevation: can help reduce pain and swelling. Raise your foot above the level of your heart if possible and when you are in bed, rest your ankle on a pillow.
For optimal swelling management a balance between regular movement, effective compression and elevation must be found.
How Greenwood Physio can help
Some ankle sprains can cause persistent pain and instability making a return to sport or day to day life really difficult. A thorough assessment of your ankle can determine what grade of ligament tear you have sustained. I will also look carefully at the range of movement, strength and control your ankle has after your injury.
We will plan a progressive ankle strengthening and balance re-training programme to help you achieve your aims and goals. If this is to return to your sport we will need to get the ankle used to the individual demands of your chosen sport. This may involve high level jumping and hopping drills called plyometrics which will building strength and power in your legs. When appropriate I will use a well researched functional testing procedure to ensure a timely and safe return to sport.
Written by Tim Barker (Lower Limb Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist)
‘Have been struggling to get back to playing football after a bad ankle sprain. Had an assessment with Tim to see when I can start playing again. He was really professional and very clear with what I needed to work on. Would definitely recommend’.
James Busby 5 star review on google