FAQs about Lateral Ankle Injuries

FAQs about Lateral Ankle Injuries

Find out if a lateral ankle injury could be to blame for your constant ankle pain.

Q. What is a lateral ankle injury?ankle injury

A. A lateral ankle injury is a sprain or tear of the lateral ligaments, or the ligaments found on the outer portion of the ankle.

Q. What are the symptoms of a lateral ankle injury?

A. The most common symptoms are: chronic pain in the ankle, reduced mobility and function in the foot, swelling and inflammation, a weakened ankle, and poor range­of­motion. Some athletes with a lateral ankle injury may not be able to bear any weight on the foot, or they may feel as if the ankle is unstable and gives out when walking.

Q. What are the causes of a lateral ankle injury?

A. One of the primary causes is playing sports, especially spots that involve inversion movements or changing directions quickly, like basketball or tennis. Lateral ankle injuries occur when the athlete rolls the ankle inward, causing tears or strain on the lateral ligaments. Chronic lateral ankle pain can also be the result of an ankle sprain that never properly healed.

Q. How are lateral ankle injuries diagnosed?

A. We will discuss your medical history and then delve into the symptoms you are experiencing. We will ask if you’ve ever had any previous ankle injuries and what the treatment process was for your past injuries. Besides running a thorough physical examination to check for tender or swollen areas of the ankle, we may also run a series of X­rays to look at the health of your ankle joint.

Q. What kinds of treatments are available for lateral ankle injuries?

A. The initial treatment requires that patients stay off their injured foot and rest as much as possible to reduce pain and swelling. Icing the injury can also be helpful for the first couple days to reduce inflammation. It’s best to follow the RICE method when it comes to caring for your injury at home: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

You will also want to see your podiatrist for physical therapy, where we will perform a series of strengthening and stretching exercises that are meant to re­strengthen damaged ligaments and improve range­of­motion. Because those with lateral ankle injuries are also prone to future injuries, following routine strengthening exercises will help reduce your chances of reinjury. Expect to be in physical therapy for about six to 10 weeks.

There are some patients that don’t experience any relief from their symptoms even with these treatments. When this happens, your podiatrist may recommend surgery to repair the damaged ligaments and promote better healing.