Ankle sprain
The symptoms
As with all sprains, there are three grades. Grades 1 and 2 involve varying degrees of over-stretching or partial tearing of one or more ligaments. A grade 3 sprain is a complete tear (or rupture) of one or more ligaments. There are two types of ankle sprain... Common ankle sprain: After rolling or twisting your ankle, mild sprains (grade 1) cause tolerable pain, some swelling and some difficulty walking. Severe sprains (grade 3) bring on incredible pain, possible ligament rupture, swelling, bruising and total joint instability – yep, in other words, nasty.
High ankle sprain: A high ankle sprain can also result in swelling and bruising on the top and outer side of the ankle, plus all the other symptoms you get with a common ankle sprain.
What’s going on?
Everyone twists an ankle at some point. The question is, how badly. The most common variety is a lateral (or inversion) sprain, where the foot rolls outwards, injuring the ligaments on the outer
side of the ankle.
The rarer medial ligament sprain is when the foot rolling inwards instead, injuring ligaments on the inner side of the ankle.
With your basic lateral sprain, the most commonly injured ligament is the talofibular, which connects the anklebone (talus) to the smaller calf bone (fibula). More severe sprains might also involve the calcaneofibular ligament, which connects the fibula to the heel (calcaneus).
A high ankle sprain is different from a common ankle sprain. It usually occurs when the foot inverts (points downwards) and twists, causing a stretch of the syndesmotic ligaments, which connect the tibia and fibula in the lower leg to the top of your foot. It’s called a high sprain because it happens above the ankle, in the lower leg.
Fix it
Apply first aid: For any sprain, ice and elevation for the swelling will help (don’t ice an ankle for more than 15 minutes at a time). For anything above a grade 1 sprain, crutches are a good idea. As it heals, compression with an elastic bandage can help with internal bleeding and swelling. Employ dynamic rest: Stay fit with upper-body work. Depending on the severity of your sprain, you could try swimming or running in a pool.
Try an NSAID: An antiinflammatory such as ibuprofen or aspirin can help with pain and inflammation.
Move it: For simple sprains, as the pain becomes tolerable, perform basic range-of-motion exercises. During the first week, do only the following: pull the foot upwards, then point it away. Any side-to-side or rotating movement could aggravate the injured ligaments. After a week, add in rotation. With your ankle elevated, do ankle circles in one direction, then the other. Go slow at first if the injury is still painful, but up the speed and reps as the injury heals. This will help you get back the full range of motion. Stay flexible: Do some simple calf stretches, because these muscles tend to tighten up to inhibit ankle movement after an injury. You don’t want to strain your calf as you get back to your normal activities.
Prevent it
No one can totally prevent an ankle sprain, but you can do certain stretches and exercises to improve ankle stability and overall balance – which lowers your chance of injury. This is especially important if you’ve sprained your ankle before. One of the best ways to do this is to improve strength and flexibility in your calves, as tight soleus and gastrocnemius muscles limit ankle motion. The stretches and exercises here all target your lower leg and can be added to any workout.
LUNGE (BODY-WEIGHT OR WITH DUMBBELLS)
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Brace your core and hold it that way for the entire exercise. Step forward with your right leg and slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent to at least 90 degrees and your rear knee nearly touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself to the starting position as fast as you can. Complete the prescribed number of reps, then do the same number with your left leg.
STRAIGHT-LEG CALF STRETCH
Stand about 2ft (60cm) in front of a wall in a staggered stance, left foot in front of your right. Place your hands on the wall and lean against it. Shift your weight to your back foot until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold for 30 seconds on each leg, then repeat twice for a total of three sets. Perform this routine daily, and up to three times a day if your muscles feel really tight.
CROSS-LEGGED CALF ROLL
Place a foam roller under your right ankle, with your right leg straight. Cross your left leg over your right. Put your hands on the floor for support and keep your back naturally arched. Roll your body forward until the roller reaches the back of your right knee. Then roll back and forth. Repeat with the roller under your left calf. (If this is too hard, perform the movement with both legs on the roller.)
ISO-EXPLOSIVE BODY-WEIGHT JUMP
Place your fingers on the back of your head and pull your elbows back so that they’re in line with your body. Perform a body weight squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then explosively jump as high as you can. When you land, immediately squat and jump again. Hold dumbbells at your side to make it more challenging.