Date: 11/04/2021
Ankle sprain
An ankle sprain or twisting of the foot, is a very common injury in sport and during other physical activity. In fact ankle sprain accounts for about one in five injuries in organized sports. A sprained ankle is particularly common in the big ball sports such as football, handball and basketball, but this injury is also common in individual sports. Also when you go for a walk in the terrain or lose your balance, you can quickly end up with a twist.
The most common mechanism for ankle sprain twisting is that you land badly and the foot twists inwards so that one or more of the ligaments on the outside are overstretched or rupture completely. The joint capsule can also be damaged. In the worst case, one can break one of the bones in the foot or leg.
The reaction is often pain, swelling and tenderness. The pain is most often on the outside of the ankle, and increases when you move your foot, such as when you step on it. In some cases, you also feel ankle sprain pain on the inside.
A sprained ankle can also occur when the foot turns outwards. Then you damage ligaments on the inside. However, this is stronger than on the outside, and it therefore takes more to cause this type of damage to occur.
As with most joints, the muscles around the joint can help create stability. If we manage to tighten up the muscles with enough force to overcome the external force, we avoid twisting. It is crucial that we are able to activate the muscles in time. Neuromuscular training will therefore be able to help prevent such injuries.
If you have or suspect you might have an ankle sprain and need more information, download the Trigo app, browse the guide for ankle sprain and see Trigo recommended routines. If you don’t have your own physio and wish to get a professional assessment, you can also request an appointment with a Trigo physio directly from the app.