What We Want You to Know About Sprained Ankles and Chronic Ankle Instability

Sprained ankles are not only one of the most common sports injuries, they’re one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries period. So, whether you sprained your ankle on the court or field or simply working around the house, this initial sprain can turn into an ongoing problem with ankle instability.

By the numbers, about two million acute ankle sprains are treated annually in the United States and, on average, about a quarter of these injuries will lead to chronic ankle instability.

At SOAR Spine and Orthopedics, our skilled team of musculoskeletal experts sees more than its fair share of foot and ankle issues, with sprained ankles topping the list. Along the way, we’ve learned quite a bit about the nature of sprained ankles, and we want to share some of that with you here.

The anatomy of an ankle sprain

Let’s first discuss what happens when you sprain an ankle, which will help you better understand how chronic ankle instability can set in. A sprain is an injury to your ligaments, which are connective tissues that attach bone to bone. 

In 90% of cases of sprained ankles, the damage occurs to lateral ligaments on the outside of your ankle when your foot twists inward. Less commonly, a sprained ankle can affect the ligament on the inside of your ankle.

No matter the location, there are three grades of ankle sprains, including:

• Grade 1 — mild tearing and stretching in the ligament
• Grade 2 — partial tearing of the ligament
• Grade 3 — full rupture of the ligament

As you might imagine, symptoms get steadily worse as the grade increases. So, while you might be able to walk around easily enough with a grade 1 ankle sprain, this is not the case with a grade 3 sprain, which can make any weight-bearing painful.

The road to chronic ankle instability

When you have chronic ankle instability, it usually means that the ligaments never truly healed or that they were stretched beyond their ability to tighten back up in a way that properly supports your ankle.

When you have chronic ankle instability, you can encounter:

• Frequent giving out in your ankle, especially on uneven ground
• A feeling of instability in your ankle
• Persistent pain and swelling in your ankle

Unfortunately, one of the most common byproducts of chronic ankle instability are repeat sprains caused by the instability. And these repeat sprains only serve to make the problem progressively worse as your ligaments become more damaged and less able to support your ankle.

Preventing and treating chronic ankle instability

All too often, people tend to ignore ankle sprains and they hobble around on their bad ankles for a few days or few weeks, which is a fast track to chronic issues.

If you have a sprained ankle, one of the best things you can do is to have one of our team members assess the sprain. This initial evaluation is incredibly important in setting up the appropriate treatment plan and can help prevent chronic ankle instability.

With expert and early intervention, you know what you’re up against and we can give your joint the time, space, and tools it needs to heal properly. 

If you suspect that you're already dealing with chronic ankle instability, we still want you to come in because we can still improve function in your joint. For example, we’ve found that physical therapy and bracing are great techniques that provide both short- and long-term results.

In severe cases of chronic ankle instability, we can explore whether a surgical solution, in which we tighten the ligaments in your ankle, might benefit you. 

So, whether you’re dealing with your first ankle sprain or a repeat sprain thanks to an already weakened ankle joint, there's much that we can do to get you moving with more stability and confidence.

For experienced and expert care of your sprained ankle, don’t hesitate to contact us today at one of our offices in Santa Clara or Redwood City, California, to schedule an appointment.