How to Keep a Sprained Ankle From Becoming Chronic Instability

Americans are no strangers to ankle sprains—at least two million occur each year, though we believe that this number is probably very low because not everyone seeks medical help for ankle sprains.

This is mistake number one when it comes to ankle sprains, especially considering that up to 40% of ankle sprains become chronic ankle instability.

If you want to prevent an acute ankle sprain from turning into chronic ankle instability, Dr. Matthew W. Cerniglia and the team at the Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas have put together a few important rules of thumb.

The different degrees of ankle sprains

When we refer to a sprain, we’re talking about damage to ligaments, which are tissues that connect bone to bone. When it comes to ankle sprains, about 90% of them are due to inversion — your foot turns in, and your ankle rolls out — which damages the lateral ligaments on the outside of your ankle.

There are different degrees of ankle sprains, including:

• Grade I — stretching and microscopic tearing in the ligaments
• Grade II — partial tearing of the connective tissues
• Grade III — a complete tear in the ligament

As you might imagine, symptoms worsen and are more challenging to ignore at each grade level. With a grade I, you might have some minor swelling and soreness in your ankle, but it’s stable mainly. 

With a grade II, the swelling, tenderness, and bruising are more pronounced, and you might walk gingerly on that foot. Also, there’s some instability in your ankle as the ligaments are stretched and torn.

Moving up to a grade III, you can experience severe bruising and swelling, and weight bearing is all but impossible. The ankle also has little stability as the ligament has completely ruptured.

Preventing chronic ankle instability

The most crucial action to take immediately after an ankle sprain is to jump right into the RICE method:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

Once you get your ankle into this safe place, you can further evaluate the extent of the issue. If a few rounds of icing and some rest are enough to make the pain and swelling subside, then go easy on your ankle for a while and carry on.

If the swelling and discomfort persist after 12-24 hours of RICE, it’s a good idea to see us. Also, if you suspect that your ankle sprain is severe and you can’t bear any weight on your ankle, you must seek our help.

One of the most common drivers of chronic ankle instability is not getting the right diagnosis and treatment for the ankle sprain the first time around. Gritting your teeth through ankle pain will only invite future problems with pain and instability as you’re not allowing the ligaments to heal properly.

A much better strategy is to come see us so that we can evaluate the extent of the sprain and develop a treatment plan that will help your ankle heal strongly. This treatment plan will likely include some physical therapy and maybe some bracing, which are both important tools that can support and guide your recovery.

The bottom line is that chronic ankle instability results from not healing immediately after an ankle sprain. To avoid this outcome, contact us at our Fort Worth, Texas, office when you notice any signs of trouble in your ankle.