Untreated Sprained Ankles Lead to Chronic Ankle Instability More Often Than You Might Think

To call ankle sprains common is a big understatement. Every day, thousands of Americans step off sidewalks poorly, land awkwardly, and twist their ankles, leading to ankle sprains that range from mild to severe.

More than 2 million Americans seek help for sprained ankles each year, which is the smart move as it sets them on an excellent rehabilitation path. However, many people don’t seek help for sprained ankles, which greatly increases their risk for ongoing problems in the form of chronic ankle instability.

Up to 70% of people who sprain an ankle may develop residual physical disability.

The skilled team of musculoskeletal experts at Austin Sports Medicine is all too familiar with ankle sprains and their potential to develop into chronic ankle problems. Here, we look at the importance of treating sprained ankles the right way the first time around to reduce your risks for chronic ankle instability.

The anatomy of an ankle sprain

When we talk about sprains, we’re talking about injuries to ligaments, which are connective tissues that attach bone to bone in your joints.

About 90% of ankle sprains occur when your foot turns inward, which affects the talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments on the outside of your ankle. The remaining ankle sprains occur when your foot turns outward, which can damage the deltoid ligament on the inside of your ankle.

There are different degrees of ankle sprains:

• Grade 1: slight stretching and microscopic tearing in the ligaments
• Grade 2: partial tearing of the ligament
• Grade 3: complete tearing of the ligament

Symptoms range from mild pain and swelling with a Grade 1 sprain to severe swelling, pain, bruising and tenderness with a Grade 3 sprain. As well, putting weight on the ankle becomes more challenging with Grade 2 and 3 sprains.

The road to chronic ankle instability

In most cases of chronic ankle instability, the problem usually occurs when the sprain doesn’t heal adequately or wasn’t rehabilitated completely — or both.

When this occurs, you can be left with a chronically unstable ankle that gives out often, leaving you far more vulnerable to additional sprains. Complicating matters further, with each sprain, the ligaments become increasingly stretched and damaged, often to the point where surgery is the only way to restore stability.

At Austin Sports Medicine, our goal is to prevent this chronic ankle instability from happening by intervening quickly to heal the ligaments and strengthen your ankle.

When to seek treatment for a sprained ankle

If you twist your ankle and it’s sore for a day or two, the odds are good that you don’t need our help as it was just a mild sprain.

If, however, you have swelling, pain, bruising, and tenderness that last for two days or more, and you’re having trouble putting weight on the foot and ankle, it’s important that you make an appointment with our team.

After evaluating your ankle and assessing the damage, we can put you on the right track for healing your ankle completely and restoring full support through physical therapy, which are the two best ways to avoid chronic ankle instability.

For skilled care of your sprained ankle, contact Austin Sports Medicine today. Call 512-450-1300 or click “Book online” through this website to see a specialist at one of our convenient locations: Bee Cave, Central Austin, South Austin, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville, Texas.