Professional Ankle Sprain Treatment

What is an Ankle Sprain?

An ankle sprain is defined by the overstretching or tearing of one or more of the ligaments that support the ankle joint. Ankle sprains can be minor and cause just a day or two away from sport, but more severe ankle sprains may require surgery and several months away from sport.

Types of Ankle Sprains

Inversion (lateral) ankle sprains are the most common type of ankle sprain. It is important to rule out a fracture when dealing with an ankle sprain; your healthcare provider will assess your ability to walk and palpate certain bones in your leg and foot to decide if an X-ray is warranted.

Eversion Ankle Sprain

Also called a medial ankle sprain. Eversion ankle sprains occur when the foot rolls or twists outward relative to the leg, most commonly causing injury to the deltoid ligament. Pain, bruising, and swelling may occur on the inside of the foot/ankle. This ankle injury is commonly accompanied by fibular fractures. 

Inversion Ankle Sprain

Also called a lateral ankle sprain, inversion ankle sprains are the most common type of ankle sprain. This injury occurs when the foot rolls inward relative to the leg, often from stepping or landing on someone’s foot. The most commonly injured structures are the Anterior Talofibular Ligament (ATFL) and the Calcaneofibular Ligament (CFL). Pain, bruising, and swelling may occur on the outside of the foot/ankle. 

High Ankle Sprains

Also called a syndesmosis injury. High ankle sprains typically occur when the foot is planted and the toes are forced upward and rotated outward relative to the leg bone, such as when getting tackled with contact being made to the outside of the leg. 
The most commonly injured structures from a high ankle sprain are the Anterior Inferior Tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), the Posterior Inferior Tibiofibular Ligament (PITFL), and the interosseous ligament, all ligaments that support the support the distal tibiofibular joint. This is caused when the talus (a foot bone) forces the fibula (leg bone) to pull away from the tibia (shin bone) injuring one of the three ligaments. People who experience these injuries may need to wear a boot cast or brace as part of the recovery process.

Sports Where Sprained Ankles Commonly Occur 

Ankle sprains are incredibly common among all athletes that are involved in a sport or activity with a high volume of running, including:

• Football
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Volleyball
• Lacrosse 

Ankle Sprain Treatment

At Herlong Sports Physical Therapy, we have seen hundreds of patients suffering from ankle sprains and have guided them to complete recovery and return to play.

The treatment plan for your ankle sprain will depend on the type and severity of the sprain. Every case is a little bit different.

When you sprain your ankle for the first time, it significantly increases the risk of having a subsequent ankle sprain. In fact, roughly 40% of individuals with a first-time ankle sprain will develop chronic ankle instability, a condition where they recurrently sprain their ankle. 

Receiving proper physical rehabilitation for an ankle sprain is crucial for reducing the risk of recurrent instability in the injured ankle and for facilitating return to sport as safely and efficiently as possible. It is recommended to take the first 1-3 days off of activity to rest and allow the ligaments to heal. After the initial resting phase, physical therapy is recommended. 

Our goals in physical therapy will be to reduce pain and swelling, improve the ankle’s range of motion and strength, and to normalize walking. The early phase of physical therapy will consist of light strengthening, balance, and neuromuscular control exercises. Once your symptoms calm down, we will start introducing more impact activity, such as returning to running, jumping, cutting, and contact.