An inversion ankle sprain (rolled inwards) is one of the most common injuries seen on the sporting field or court. Due to often a great deal of dynamic change of direction and a whole host of other feet to trip on, the ankle inversion sprain is often inevitable – but there is another reason why they are common!
The biggest predictor of future injury – including ankle inversion sprains – is past injury. Why is this so for the ankle?
- The ankle is not initially “un-injured” before back to sport occurs.
- Pain changes everything – especially in motor (muscle) recruitment in movement. Sometimes after an injury, muscles around the injury may be completely in spasm, and sometimes they can atrophy or waste. If pain is not removed entirlely before return to sport – we are unsure what we are going to get.
- After an ankle sprain, there is delayed activation of our “BUTTS”!
- Amazingly, there is a latency in motor (muscle) activation in our Glute Medius muscle after an ankle sprain. This muscle helps to support our hip and pelvis joints in an upright, and or ambulant positions. Without good activation, the ankle may not be in an ideal position to function.
- We loose MOBILITY in our ankle joints.
- The ankle is joint that is made to move especially in context to the knee above – which has multiple ranges of motion however most of it is in one range. Due to the injury and inflammation, range of motion is lost. If something that is supposed to move doesn’t, movement has to come from somewhere, namely the joints above and below – this increase the likelihood of injury in other joints, as well as the ankle due to decreased capacity to move!
So what are the 3 tips if you sprain your ankle?
- Get out of pain completely
- Improve the mobility at the ankle joint.
- Rehab starts at the BUTT!
