Did you know at least 40% of individuals experience recurrent ankle sprains? I will break down the secrets to not only get you back on the pitch but provide strategies to prevent another one.
What is a lateral ankle sprain?
A lateral ankle sprain is usually the result of a rolled ankle, affecting the outer ligaments along your ankle.
Your anterior talofibular (ATFL) is the most commonly injured ligament. The other ligaments are your calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) and posterior talofibular ligament.
You may find if you’ve injured your ATFL, you might not have significant limitations playing your sport. Meanwhile, your CFL, crossing the ankle joint, may affect your stability and motion.
Besides ligaments, what other structures contribute to my ankle’s stability?
Along with your ligaments, your ankle gets its stability from bones, muscles, ligaments, and even the joint capsule (fluid – filled sac that surrounds the ankle).
Besides addressing the ligament, you should be strengthening the muscles that cross the ankle joint like your fibularis longus and brevis, contributing to your dynamic stability. And you can’t forget to address your hip and core muscles, as your glutes are commonly affected after an ankle sprain.
How long will it take for my ankle to heal?
In addition to your health history, the healing time frame is dependent on the severity of the ankle injury. Other components to consider are the amount of pressure you can put on the leg, swelling, ankle motion, and strength.
Below is a general time frame, based on the severity of your ankle injury, but keep in mind may be more or less based on your progression.
Grade
• 1: 6-8 days
• 2: 13- 17 days
• 3a: 27- 33 days
• 3b: (affects ligaments higher up along leg): 51-60days
If I just injured my ankle, what should I do?
You can certainly put pressure along the ankle if it’s not too painful. To control the pain and swelling, you can apply an ace bandaged and ice throughout the day. But most importantly, find a physical therapist in your area to instruct and guide your rehab.
When is it safe for me to return to the pitch?
Your physical therapist will determine your readiness by assessing things such as pain, walking pattern, swelling, ankle motion and stability, lower leg strength, and balance.
Many soccer players return to the pitch too early, which results in a subsequent ankle sprain. So, be sure to rehab your first ankle sprain completely.
Now that I can play, what can I do to decrease my chances of another ankle sprain?
Let’s first break down the risk factors of experiencing an ankle sprain which are: a history of an ankle sprain, not using a brace, not warming up, ankle motion restrictions, and not completing a balance training program.
Things you should do:
• Brace use (consider during initial stages with dynamic movements)
• Good warm-up and cool down
• Stretch, especially your gastroc/soleus
• Continue balance training
• Keep your legs strong
If you’ve just injured your ankle and made it this far, you’re on the right track to prevent another injury.
Next post, I’ll share advice for those experiencing multiple ankle sprains, with videos of athletes who provide tips to get through an ankle injury.
Did you find that helpful? Tell me how your recovery is going.