Ankle injuries are very common

0.2-0.7% of Amercians go to an emergency department with an ankle sprain every year. Which equates to a lifetime likelihood that any of us will have a bad ankle sprain at about 1/3. Anecdotally, I would say about 30% of the new clients I treat tell me they have strained an ankle before.

Ankles really do matter

It is a pet peeve of mine when a client tells me they went to A+E with a bad ankle and after they have an X-Ray which does not show any fracture. They get told….
“You’re good to go, walk it off it is not broken”
Technically the bone may not be broken and the chance of an infection developing is virtually zero. But REHAB STILL SHOULD HAPPEN as the ligament probably is broken. Ankles that are either unstable or defensively tight impact how your knees, hips and low back function.

If a chronic limp develops overtime, it might lead to low back or knee pain in years to come. “Up to 70% of individuals who sustain an acute ankle sprain may develop residual physical disability”. Yes an ankle joint (that often ignored part of our anatomy) can physically disable us, if it has been damaged in the past.

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Rehabbing Old injuries is a thing

In the ideal world rehab will start soon after the injury (the acute-phase). As an Osteopath I have successfully mobilised then stabilised ankles which have been problematic for 20 years. Optimising joint function can make a real difference, regardless of if it is an old injury or not.

Rehab is pre-hab

Rehab stands for rehabilitate, which is another way of staying restoration of past normality. Pre-hab is more forward-thinking, pre stands prevent and in the context of old ankle injuries, pre-hab helps to prevent another ankle injury. The phrase my Achilles heel, applies to ankle ligaments that have been strained as well. The reality is that an ankle injury that has not been stabilised, is a vulnerable ankle, and much more likely to be injured again.

How I help ankles to move

-> mobilise the joints in the foot and ankle.
-> Prescribe rehab exercises that stability weak tissue.
-> advise on appropriate footwear/orthotics if applicable.
REFERENCES:
– Epidemiology of Ankle Sprains and chronic Ankle Instability, Herzog, 2019
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