Why Do I Keep Spraining My Ankle?

It’s a beautiful fall morning and you are walking your dog along a path near your house.  The birds are singing and the trees are beginning to turn.  As you place your right foot down on the trail, your ankle gives way and it feels like you stepped into a hole.  You lurch to your right off the trail and narrowly recover your balance to prevent a fall.  You immediately notice a familiar sharp pain along the outside of your ankle.  As you examine the trail behind you, you notice a very small pebble on the flat trail where your ankle gave way.  Why do these tiny pebbles continue to cause your ankle to roll every 3-6 months?

Up to 70% of people who sustain an acute ankle sprain may develop chronic ankle instability with the likelihood of additional ankle sprains.  When you sprain your ankle, the connective tissues (ligaments) are stretched or torn.  Each subsequent sprain leads to further weakening (or stretching) of the ligaments, resulting in greater instability and the likelihood of developing additional problems in the ankle.  

These additional problems could include:

• Ankle stiffness due to chronic swelling

• Reduced balance with the ankle feeling wobbly or unstable

• Chronic ankle pain

• Arthritis

• Compensation patterns with walking

• Adjacent joint pain in the mid-foot or knee due to changes in motion at the ankle

The great news is that a physical therapist (PT) is specifically trained to provide a comprehensive evaluation and treatment plan to reduce these problems following an ankle sprain.  Your PT will likely start to restore full motion in your ankle, which may be limited by swelling or joint stiffness.  Focused strengthening exercises will be incorporated into your treatment plan to ensure that your ankle has the dynamic stability it needs for your activities.  Treatment will also include proprioception (balance) training to enhance your ankle’s ability to provide accurate signals to your brain as it reacts to changes in joint position.  Lastly, higher level agility movements will help you to become more confident with reactive balance, changing directions, and greater speed.

Don’t let that pebble continue to derail your activities and slow you down!  The cascading problems associated with recurrent ankle sprains can significantly impact your mobility, balance, and long-term ankle health.  It may be time for you to get started working with a PT to prevent your next ankle sprain!

AUTHOR:

Mark Bouma   DPT, OCS, COMT, CSCS, FAAOMPT, CFI

CONTRIBUTORS:

Dr. Dayne Mickelson, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Christopher Boone, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Jonathan Hall
Orthopedic Surgeon, MD
Ben Wobker, PT, MSPT, CSCS, CFSC, SFMA