If you have a history of sprained ankles and your ankle has ever suddenly rolled or given out, you may be dealing with more than a one-time problem.
Repeated ankle sprains can stretch the ligaments that support the joint. If those ligaments don’t heal properly, your ankle can remain unstable and make walking, hiking or gardening especially risky.
Your feet and ankles are the foundation of movement. So protecting them from injuries, especially as we age, is vital to maintaining overall foot strength and structure.
Chronic ankle instability can affect people of different ages and activity levels, said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Snow Daws of Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine - Kernersville, who specializes in foot and ankle conditions.
Here, Daws explains how to recognize chronic ankle instability, and how regular, consistent physical activity can keep your ankles strong as you age.
Keep moving with expert foot and ankle care.
How do I know if I have chronic ankle instability?
We often see it in athletes and former athletes. I'll see someone in their mid-40s or 50s and ask, “If you were walking on uneven ground, would you be worried about rolling your ankle?”
Chronic ankle instability affects a spectrum of patients who have frequent ankle rolls or sprains. It’s usually not a coordination problem, but a mechanical problem. This means the ligaments get stretched out with an ankle sprain and never heal properly. Because the joints aren’t properly supported and ligaments are lax, the person continues to sprain their ankle.
Because it’s easy for one sprain to lead to another, I send almost every patient with an ankle sprain to physical therapy, because it’s the best way to prevent it from happening again.
How can people of all ages prevent unstable ankles?
You have to work on keeping all the muscles around the hips, knees and ankles strong and supportive, especially when playing a high-risk sport like soccer, basketball or volleyball. You want to make sure you stay flexible. We see a lot of injuries caused by really tight calf muscles, which can predispose you to an ankle sprain. Staying limber and stretched out, and making sure you warm up appropriately and focus on generalized muscle strength is the most important thing.
What are the best ways to prevent unstable ankles?
I recommend an exercise routine that stretches calves, hamstrings, quads and shoulders. Other important mobility exercises should include hip rotations, leg swings, chest openers and torso twists.
Why does ankle strength matter?
Continuing to sprain your ankle can lead to tendon injuries, chronic ligament instability and cartilage problems within the ankle joint. Down the road these can become much bigger injuries that require intensive and invasive surgery.
How does ankle instability affect the rest of the body?
Everything from your back down to your feet is connected. The foot and ankle are the base. If there is ankle instability, or bone abnormalities in the foot or ankle, that can cause a progression of problems. So if you have problems with your foot and ankle, then you can have problems at the knee, such as abnormal wear patterns and arthritis.
