Most People Are Likely To Experience an Ankle Sprain At Some Point In Their Lives

Human ankles have an amazing range of motion and flexibility. Yet, it is entirely possible for a person to accidentally move their ankle so far beyond its normal range that it destabilizes and suffers injury. Ligaments in ankles, stretchable bands made of elastic-like tissue, stabilize ankles by keeping bones from separating and preventing extreme movements. A sprain describes the overstretching or tearing of one or more of these ligaments. When a sprain occurs, a person usually knows almost immediately or within a few hours. Beyond sharp pain, they can feel or hear a pop in the joint. The ankle swells with inflammation, feels tender to the touch and bruises. In every instance, range of motion in the ankle decreases making it almost impossible for it to handle some level of weight or pressure.

Common Causes of Ankle Sprains

People often believe that ankle sprains only happen from accidents involving uneven walking surfaces or sports. The fact is that ankle sprains often begin with ankle health. Many people have weak or inflexible ankles because of physical defects, lack of activity, weight gain or a poor exercise regimen. Other common causes of sprains beyond physical ankle problems include:

• People wearing the wrong shoes for their feet, ankles, weight or activities. An improper shoe fit can exert pressure on areas below the ankle or fail to provide enough support. Incorrect shoes based on certain activities can increase the risk of accidents.
• Any type of previous injury to the foot, ankle, leg or knees can lead to a new injury because of instability in an area that hasn't completely healed or pre existing weakness that was never appropriately treated by a professional.
• Beyond accidental twists and turns when walking or running on uneven surfaces and sports-related incidents, accidents also occur when someone simply stands up, walks, dances or moves in some other fashion and falls on an ankle or twists it.
• A foot impact from a heavy item that drops on the foot or someone stepping on it can also cause an ankle sprain.

How Much Damage is Done to the Ankle?

The amount of damage depends on the extent of the sprain. A slight overextension of the ligament is a mild sprain that usually involves only slight microtears. Any type of ligament tear obviously involves more damage. The only way for someone to know the exact extent of their sprain is by seeking emergency evaluation at the office of their primary care physician, a walk-in clinic or urgent care facility. The physician that performs the initial examination typically presses the ankle area gently to determine the exact ligament or ligaments involved in the sprain. They also move the foot and ankle to determine current range of motion. If they have any concerns about potential damage, especially if they believe the ankle contains a broken bone, they usually order X-ray, MRI or ultrasound scans of the ankle and other tests. They might also send the patient to the emergency room or an orthopaedic specialist for additional evaluation.

Likely Recovery Times

The amount of time it takes for a sprain to heal depends on a wide range of factors. A mild sprain can normally heal within a few days if the person takes care to follow their doctor's recommendations, which typically include resting the ankle by taking weight off of it and elevating it above heart level, icing it for 20 minutes four times a day to reduce swelling, taking over-the-counter or prescription pain and anti-inflammatory medication and supporting the ligaments with compression bandages. Any type of moderate-to-severe ligament tear can take weeks or even months to heal. Severe tears can even take months. Some people might need ankle surgery from a professional orthopaedic surgeon to repair or replace the ligament and extensive rehabilitation.

The biggest obstacle to recovery is impatience. Many people become impatient while recuperating and use their sprained ankles too soon, which causes more inflammation and often additional injury and damage. They also stop physical therapy or home-based exercises designed to strengthen and stabilize their ankles and improve balance and mobility too soon. In these scenarios, some patients never fully recover and eventually deal with ankle joint arthritis and chronic pain and joint instability.