Ankle Stability: How to Prevent and Help Ankle Sprains

How to know if you have ankle pain related to decreased ankle stability and what to do to help.

Common Ankle Stability Problems

Ankle Sprain (severe acute ankle sprains may require surgical intervention, for more information on choosing between PT and surgery click here).
Shin splints (increased pain in shins–typically exacerbated by running)
Achilles tendonitis
Posterior tibialis tendonitis
Peroneal tendonitis
High Ankle Sprain AKA Syndesmosis injury

How are Ankle Stability Problems caused?

There ankle receives intense demand in many sports, particularly during running. The ankle experiences 13 times your body weight in vertical force during run₁, therefore it must be strengthened in order to endure such a load without injury. Many times, the gastrocnemius muscle (the big one you can see when you look at the back of the calf) is strong, but smaller, postural muscles that support and protect the ankle joint and the arch such as the soleus and posterior tibialis are not sufficiently strong, resulting in injuries of the foot and ankle.

What are Symptoms of Lacking Ankle Stability?

Ankle/foot pain that gets worse as you continue an activity
Ankle/foot pain that gets worse after you finish an activity
Ankle/foot pain that limits you from doing what you need to get done each day
Ankle/foot pain that is worse at the end of the day
Frequent and recurrent ankle sprains

How Can PT Help Treat Cases of Lacking Ankle Stability?

First off, I want to preface these tips by saying that if you have a severe ankle sprain, an Achilles tendon tear, or a stress fracture, these injuries require further medical attention. Physical Therapy may help in long term recovery of these injuries, but they should be evaluated by an Orthopedist first. For more information on choosing between PT or surgery click here.

However, if your symptoms line up with some of the concerns above, try adding these exercises to your weekly routine. Start with 3-5x/week and start with reach and lunge exercises before moving onto hopping. Adding repetitions will help in increasing intensity, but make sure to not sacrifice form.

Ankle Stability Exercises

Single leg reaches

Lunge with calf raises

Single leg hops, lateral

Single leg hops, rotating

Single leg hops, forward and backword

Citations

Foot Biomechanics During Walking and Running. CHAN, CARL W. et al. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 69, Issue 5, 448 – 461