Ankle instability is one of the most common issues that Dr. Silverman has helped treat over the years. Oftentimes he’s working with athletes or everyday folk who suffered a significant sprain or similar injury that damaged the supportive ligaments in their ankles. Without these strong ligaments, the ankle joint is less stable, potentially leading to uncomfortable symptoms and increasing a person’s risk of additional instability-related injuries.
Sprains and acute injuries are the most common way for instability to develop in an ankle, but they are not the only causes. Below, we look at some non-injury causes of ankle instability onset.
Little Known Ankle Instability Causes
Most people know that ankle instability develops following an acute injury, but there are other ways to lose stability in your ankle ligaments. Here’s some ways that it can set in:
Ill-Fitting Shoes – Wearing a pair of high heels to a wedding won’t cause ankle instability to develop overnight, but if you are regularly wearing unsupportive or poorly-fitting shoes, the health of your ankle ligaments can deteriorate over time. If your shoes aren’t designed to support your specific foot shape, they could be contributing to ankle ligament degeneration.
Obesity – If you’re overweight, your body has to handle more stress with every step you take. Over time, this can increase your risk of a number of different stress-related conditions, like a herniated disc in your spine, the need for knee replacement or a loss in strength of your supportive ankle ligaments, increasing your risk of ankle instability. Shedding a little weight can help to reduce your risk of all of these potential weight-related issues.
Aging – Aging takes a toll on our bodies in a number of different ways, and it can play a role in the onset of ankle instability. As we get older, our foot arch can naturally start to fall. Flat feet are inherently less stable than feet with a strong, healthy arch. If you’re noticing that the underside of your foot is flattening out a bit as you get older, know that you may also be facing a slightly higher risk of an ankle sprain due to decreased ankle stability.
Arthritis – Ankle arthritis can also cause problems for the supportive ankle ligaments. As cartilage deteriorates, the way stress is dispersed along your foot will change, and this can negatively impact your supportive ankle ligaments. Ankle arthritis can also cause people to become more sedentary, and movement is key to helping keep your ankle ligaments strong.
Dr. Silverman is confident that he can help you overcome your ankle instability issues, no matter the underlying cause. Let us pinpoint the cause of your instability and get you set up with an individualized treatment plan to ensure you regain strength and stability in the affected ligaments. For more information on how we can help you do this, or for assistance overcoming a different foot and ankle issue, connect with Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.