Expert Interview - Preventing Ankle Sprains

Prevention of Ankle Sprains

• It is estimated that 30 to 40% of all ankle inversion sprains end in re-injury. To avoid being one of the 30 to 40% it is important not to stop the rehabilitation process but continue with it until full fitness is regained and beyond.
• It is a common complaint that once an athlete goes over on the ankle they become prone to doing the same thing again. If the original sprain is a bad one and joint laxity has resulted then it may be for certain sports where fast changes of direction are required that strapping of the ankle or wearing a brace is necessary to prevent re-injury.

If the sprain does not result in joint laxity then a recurrence may be avoided by the following:

• Re-establish proprioception. This involves lots of balancing exercises on one leg. Essential to avoid re-injury. If you start to turn the ankle over then you will find you automatically right it without even thinking about it. If the proprioception is damaged then you lose this ability.
• Strengthening the ankle. This will provide a far more stable joint. Also, if the ankle does start to turn and the proprioceptors work properly, the ankle starts to right itself, the muscles need to be strong enough to pull the ankle back in a split second.