'It's just a rolled ankle'

We, as physiotherapists, hear this all the time; ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries amongst the sporting and general populations.

Because of the common presentation and often quick resolution of symptoms, many people think of ankle sprains as a relatively minor injury.

However, ankle sprains can leave people with increased laxity of the ankle ligaments, pain, and instability of the joint.

In fact, up to 70% of people who sprain their ankles will do it again.

The good news is that rehabilitation programs have been shown to significantly reduce the recurrence of ankle sprains.

The term “ankle sprain” means that a ligament (or ligaments) in the ankle has been injured.

Ligaments are dense fibrous tissue that connects bone-to-bone providing strength and stability to the joint.

When the ligaments are injured, the stability and strength of the joint are compromised leaving the surrounding muscles to provide stability.

This is where physiotherapy and rehabilitation comes in.

After a detailed assessment, your physio will provide you with advice for the management of your acute ankle injury, as well as a rehabilitation program aimed at restoring the stability of your ankle joint through strength, coordination, and proprioception training.

With the winter sport season well underway and ankle sprains being such a common injury on the sporting field, don’t leave this type of injury unattended.

To book an appointment, call (08) 9335 7733

Written by: Keri Meyers, Physiotherapist

References

• Gribble PA, Bleakley CM, Caufield BM, Docherty CL, et al. 2016 consensus statement of the International Ankle Consortium: prevalence, impact and long-term consequences of lateral ankle sprains. Br J Sports Med 2016;50:1493–1495.
• Brukner, P., Clarsen, B., Cook, J., Cools, A., Crossley, K., & Hutchinson, M. et al. Brukner & Khan’s clinical sports medicine (1st ed.).