ANKLE SPRAINS

When the foot twists and rolls or turns beyond its normal motion it can cause an ankle sprain. It is easy to sprain an ankle if your foot is in on uneven ground or you accidentally step on someone's foot while playing a sport. When the ankle is sprained you may hear a popping noise, followed by swelling and pain.

Ankle sprains are very common. They occur when the forces imparted onto the patient are too great for the ligaments to hold their tensile strength. There are three grades to lateral ankle sprains, whereby either one, two or three of the ligaments of the ankle are torn. The most common ligament in the ankle to tear is the anterior talofibular ligament. This is where we "roll" our ankle. Conservative management is very important not just to decrease pain and inflammation but to restore function. An ankle brace alone with no other therapy may have an increased likelihood of repeatedly spraining the ankle.