Many of you have experienced an ankle sprain/multiple times before, of different severity levels, from just having a mild pain when walking to not being able to put any weight on the ankle at all. In fact, according to research, 50% of people in Australia have sustained this injury at least once in their lives.
It is also the second most common injury in sports, following knee injuries. This blog will provide an overview of what you can do to prevent it, if you have recently sustained this injury, what you can do to recover, and, finally, how physiotherapists can support you.
So, first things first, what is an ankle sprain?
An ankle sprain happens when your ankle rolls or twists in/ out in an awkward manner, consequently injuring ligaments- tough, fibrous bands that hold structures in place and provide stability to your ankle, muscle tendons, muscles, and bones in more severe cases. With this injury, you would experience symptoms including swelling and bruising, difficulty bearing weight on the affected foot, and tenderness/pain.
The sprain can either be lateral or medial. Lateral ankle sprains, which happen when you roll your ankle in, and medial ankle sprains occur when you twist your ankle outwards. While both sprains can happen to anyone, lateral ankle sprains are far more common due to the anatomy of the ankle and the mechanism of injury.
Common causes of ankle sprains
While anyone can have an ankle sprain, a few factors may increase your risk of sustaining an ankle sprain. The most common reason is from doing activities that involve jumping, turning, and changing directions, such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc. In particular, younger individuals, aged 15 to 19, who are more physically active and more engaged in sporting events, are more susceptible to an ankle sprain injury.
We can also sustain the injury on a daily basis, such as when going up/down the stairs, walking on uneven surfaces, and accidentally stepping on a weird angle, losing balance, and consequently rolling an ankle in/out. The last more common cause, which is the most modifiable and preventable one, is wearing unsuitable footwear. Wearing footwear with less support could change the biomechanics of the ankle, affecting our movement pattern and how we perform, and increasing the risk of injury.
What to expect on your first physio consultation
In the first physio consultation, the physio conducts a comprehensive assessment to get to know more about what happened in order to devise a personal treatment plan to support you to return to what you love. So, be prepared to answer questions in regard to the injury. For instance, the mechanism of the injury, the location of the pain, the date of injury, and so on. Just give a response to the best of your ability, and the physio will do the rest! It will also be beneficial for you to bring or wear shorts so that the physio can have a better look at the location of the injury and your movement patterns.
Rehabilitation Phases & Estimated Timeframe
The estimated timeframe of recovery ranges from 4-6 weeks, depending on the severity of the ankle sprain, which can be classified by your physio from Grade I (mild) to Grade II (moderate) to Grade III (severe). It can also differ depending on your activity level, comorbidities, mental health, etc. According to our Standard Model of Care, there are a few phases as you recover go through a few rehabilitation phases to get you to transition smoothly.
Why is physiotherapy important, and what happens if you leave it untreated?
You might be thinking, Can we just leave the injury and let nature do its work? It is likely that increasing the risk of developing Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) & leading to Osteoarthritis (OA) in the long term
- What is CAI
- Sense of ‘giving way’ and ankle joint instability
- Increase the occurrence of recurrent sprains
- What can we do?
- What is OA
- Usually post-traumatic, highly associated with recurrent ankle sprains/
Some prevention tips
- Wear suitable footwear
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Warm up before exercise or sports
- Strengthen ankle and leg muscles
- Listen to your body and never overdo it.
Conclusion
Ankle sprains are common, but by implementing prevention strategies and the right care, one can reduce the risk and speed up the recovery time frame. Under the guidance and care of a good physiotherapist, you can not only restore strength, regain mobility, and regain confidence, but they also teach you some useful prevention techniques to prevent any future injuries.
