Ankle Strain

Summary

The most common type of ankle sprain is when the foot ‘rolls’ under the leg with the sole of the foot facing inwards. This causes the ligaments on the outside of the foot to stretch past their limit. Ankle sprains are most common in sports with quick changing of direction, where the athlete may be moving on uneven or unstable surfaces, or in sports where an athlete is at risk of being tackled, football falls into all three categories. If you feel you have sprained your ankle you will notice some swelling, stiffness around the outside of your foot and may not be able to bear weight on this foot. In some cases, you may notice some bruising around the area which may extend towards the toes and up the outside of your lower leg. In most cases mild ankle sprains can be diagnosed using physical assessments but MRI imaging may also be required to determine the severity (grade) of the sprain or to confirm the diagnosis. In most cases a mild ankle sprain will heal in a few weeks but in more severe cases it may take between 3-6 months for a full rehabilitation and surgery may be required to repair the ligament damage.

Rehabilitation

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