One of the most common injuries is a sprained ankle. We all know the feeling of rolling, twisting, or awkwardly landing and feeling the sharp pain shoot through the ankle. Sprains vary in severity, and symptoms include pain, swelling, bruising, restricted motion, instability, and a popping sensation or sound during the incident.
What Is an Ankle Sprain?
An ankle sprain is the overstretching or tearing of the ligaments that help stabilize the ankle. It happens when the ligaments are forced beyond their normal range of motion.
Who Is Most Susceptible?
Anyone can sprain their ankle, but athletes, people in poor physical health, and people with prior ankle injuries are more likely to. Athletes put a lot of force through their feet running, cutting, and jumping — a bad landing, poor-fitting shoes, or weak ankle stabilizers can all lead to a sprain. People in poor physical health are susceptible because of muscle weakness: extra weight on weak muscle can lead to the ankle giving out. People with prior ankle injuries are more susceptible because an old injury may not be fully healed and can still have instability that leads to a sprain.
How to Avoid a Sprain
Ankle sprains can be easily avoided with the right precautions. Wearing good-fitting shoes meant for the intended activity is a good start — don't play basketball in slides or tennis in slippers. Maintaining good strength and stability with balance exercises is key. These can be as easy as standing on one foot, and can scale up to balancing on one foot on a BOSU ball while swinging a weight side to side.
Related service: Orthopedic Physical Therapy