Sports Therapy and Ankle Sprains:
Treatment and rehabilitation of ankle sprains.
19/07/2023 Sami Ikhlaq Bsc
(Approx 1-2 minute read)
Ankle sprains
Ligament damage to the ankle. There are three grades, all of which benefit from soft tissue release and rehabilitation.
What is an ankle sprain?
An ankle sprain refers to the damaged ligaments within the ankles. These ligaments provide structural support during loaded activities, allowing for a strong and stable base to generate force when walking, running or jumping. Ligament damage occurs when excessive load is placed on the ankle in a particular motion. This load goes beyond the physical capabilities of the ligament resulting in tears.
A common mechanism involves individuals rolling their ankles during sports such as football, rugby and basketball, however this injury can also occur when the ankle lands poorly on a pavement or step, leading to excessive load.
The most commonly injured ligaments include the 3 lateral ligaments and 4 deltoid ligaments.
Types of ankle sprain:
Ligament sprains are listed into 3 grades, each grade relates to the size of the tear and severity of the injury. Almost all ankle sprains show some level of swelling and pain however, severe cases show greater joint instability, inability to fully weight bear on the affected ankle and reduced range of motion.
The three types of ankle sprains based on how much ligament damage occurred:
Grade 1 (Mild). The ligament fibers stretched slightly or there is a very small tear. Your ankle will have minor swelling and tenderness to the touch.
Grade 2 (Moderate). The ligament is torn, but it isn’t a complete tear. Your ankle has swelling over the injury and it hurts to move.
Grade 3 (Severe). The ligament is torn completely. Your ankle has significant swelling, the injury is painful and walking is difficult.
If you are unable to put any weight on the ankle after an injury, we highly recommend that you go to the hospital to check for any fractures.
What will a Sports Therapist do for ankle sprains?
The aim for a Sports Therapist is to improve recovery time, ensure a complete recovery and reduce the risk of future injury. To achieve this, Therapists will apply a multi-modal approach using hands-on treatments alongside exercise prescription and home advice.
Within the initial session, you will go through a thorough assessment, aimed at testing the different ligaments and structures. This will allow the Therapist to ascertain the severity of the injury and give you an accurate diagnosis and prognosis going forward. Following this, the Therapist will apply sports massage, IASTM and/or cupping therapy to aid healing within the area. Once pain and swelling have been reduced, the therapist will develop a rehabilitation program consisting of appropriate exercises to help re-establish functional activity through restoration of joint mobility, muscle strength and further healing.
Finally, exercises will be progressed to redevelop power, strength, endurance and proprioceptive levels with a focus on helping you back into daily activities or sports.
How many sessions will I need, and will it happen again?
Recovery length depends on the severity of the injury and effectiveness of the rehabilitation program. The majority of individuals will see positive changes within 4-6 sessions. Severe sprains will require several months to return to 100%, whereas mild sprains can be resolved within weeks. Sports Therapy can reduce the recovery time, helping you get back into your activities sooner compared with no intervention.
The effectiveness of the rehabilitation program depends on many factors, crucially clients who undertake frequent sessions within the early stages can expect better results than those who space out sessions early on. This is because, more frequent sessions allow the Sports Therapist to assess and progress the injury rehabilitation earlier regarding exercises, additionally hands-on treatments are more effective when sessions are closer together.
To reduce the risk of future injury, it is vital to allow the ankle to heal completely and follow the advice of your Therapist, this will ensure the ligament structure is strong enough to handle daily loads. In addition, you will need to strengthen the muscles around the ankle providing additional protection to the ligaments and allowing peak performance within sports.
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