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Ankle Sprain
An ankle sprain is damage to the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, from rolling the foot inwards. It is the most common sporting injury there is, and the most commonly undertreated: a large proportion of people who sprain an ankle go on to have ongoing instability, largely because rehabilitation stopped when the swelling did. Balance retraining is the part that prevents the next one.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Pain and swelling on the outside of the ankle
- Bruising developing over the following days
- Difficulty weight-bearing initially
- A sense of the ankle giving way on uneven ground
- Inability to take four steps, or bony tenderness — which need a fracture ruled out
Why it happens
- Rolling the ankle inwards on landing or on uneven ground
- Court and field sports with rapid direction changes
- A previous sprain, which markedly increases the risk of another
- Weak or poorly coordinated ankle muscles
- Fatigue and uneven surfaces
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Assessment for fracture, using established criteria
- Early protected weight-bearing rather than complete rest
- Restoring ankle range, particularly bending the knee over the toes
- Progressive strengthening of the muscles around the ankle
- Balance and proprioception retraining, the part that prevents recurrence
- A graded return to running, cutting and jumping
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
Most ankle sprains are undertreated
Swelling settling is not recovery. Without balance retraining the ankle stays vulnerable, which is why so many people sprain the same one repeatedly. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other foot conditions we treat
Related reading: achilles pain, the equivalent injury at the wrist and calf injuries.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Ankle Sprain on Physiopedia.
