Does your ankle feel unstable after a sprain or an injury to the area? If so, you’re not alone. Each day, more than 25,000 Americans sprains their ankle, and for many, their ankle just doesn’t feel the same even after the pain is done. They may feel like they are more prone to another sprain, or it just feels unstable when they step on uneven surfaces.
Why Is My Ankle Unstable?
Simply put, your ankle joint becomes unstable if an injury to the area causes damage to the strong ligaments on either side of your ankle joint. These ligaments help to stabilize your ankle as you move, and if they become damaged, they can’t always provide this support and may be more prone to a subsequent sprain.
Once example we like to use is if you imagine a plastic straw like you might receive if you order a drink at McDonald’s. If you take the straw out of the package and place it standing up on the table, you can apply a fair amount of downward pressure on the top of the straw without it folding or bending in half. However, once there is a bend in the straw, it takes a lot less downward pressure in order for the straw to bend in half again.
Essentially, once there has been damage to the supportive ligaments, they cannot withstand the same amount of pressure without giving out or causing the ankle to roll. However, the good news is that unlike a straw, there are things you can do to restrengthen these ankle ligaments and regain stability in your ankle joint.
Treating Unstable Ankles
There are two courses of treatment for unstable ankles, and that’s with conservative treatment or a minimally invasive operation. We’ll look at both below.
Conservative Care – Most individuals can restrengthen their ankle ligaments without a corrective procedure so long as they pursue some active treatment options. The most effective non-operative treatment is physical therapy, which will use targeted exercises to safely strengthen the ligaments and improve other soft tissues that provide stability to the foot. Other conservative options include short-term rest, anti-inflammatory medications, controlled exercise and ice/heat to reduce swelling and speed up recovery time after a sprain.
Minimally Invasive Surgery – If conservative care fails, your ankle specialist may recommend a minimally invasive procedure to artificially strengthen these ligaments. Through a few incisions only a couple centimeters wide, your surgeon will tighten these ligaments and help provide that extra stability where it is needed most. Afterwards, you’ll progress through a rehab program that involves physical therapy, activity limitation and pain medication. Although it isn’t typically needed, the operation tends to produce fantastic results.
So if your ankle feels unstable after a sprain or injury, talk to an ankle specialist in your area about restrengthening those ligaments and regaining confidence in your ankle.