LATERAL ANKLE SPRAIN

Ankle sprains are a common injury that we see in a lot of athletes, especially those in sports like basketball, football, and soccer. Once an athlete sprains their ankle, they’re at a higher risk of reinjury. It’s important that they take all the possible precautions to recover ankle strength and stability after injury. MOTUS Specialists Physical Therapy has a long history of getting athletes back on their feet with confidence and strength post-ankle sprain.

An ankle sprains occurs when one or more of the ankle’s ligaments tear or over stretch. In around 85% of all ankle sprains, those ligaments are on the lateral side of the ankle. A lateral ankle sprain, also called an inversion ankle sprain, generally occurs from a sudden shift of body weight over a weight-bearing foot. This could be from an action like running, pivoting, or landing a jump. At the shift, the ankle will roll outwards, and cause the lateral ligament to tear. The ligament most commonly damaged in a lateral ankle sprain is the anterior talofibular ligament, which passes along the outer top of the ankle. Once a ligament has torn or overstretched, it rarely returns to its prior flexibility. Careful and thorough rehabilitation is important after an ankle sprain.

If an athlete does not heal completely before returning to their sport, they’ll be at a high risk of reinjury, and will suffer from suboptimal performance.