Ankle Sprains: Balance or Strength?
By: SAYAKA TIESSEN, HONS. BKIN, MSCPT
Ankle sprains, AKA rolled ankles, have got to be one of the most common injuries out there. They can happen in the most innocuous situations, like stepping on an uneven surface, or during sports that require cutting and landing. The words “walk it off” are synonymous with ankle sprains. Get up. It’s nothing serious. Back to business.
I get the sense that most people that sustain an ankle sprain do not seek any guidance from a physiotherapist. It might swell up nicely for a day or two, but then you limp around and manage to get on with your life. What you might not appreciate though, is that ankle sprains have a high recurrence rate due to the residual effects of the initial injury. Things like ligament laxity and damage to the neural and musculotendinous tissue around the ankle can inhibit complete recovery. This can present as weakness, poor balance, and slower muscle response to load. You might not notice these deficits when you are walking around, but they do make you susceptible to re-injuring the area. This is why I always advocate for getting any old rolled ankle assessed by a physiotherapist.
Want to know what kind of exercises are appropriate for you? Or have you sprained your ankle before and feel things are not quite right? You can book an appointment with me here!