Inversion Ankle Sprains An inversion ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries caused by sports and can be very frustrating for a coach and athlete. The ankle is the most common joint injured in athletics, particularly basketball, football and cross country running. You don't have to be an athlete or even a "weekend warrior" to twist your ankle and hurt it. Something as simple as walking on an uneven surface can cause a painful and unbearable sprain. An ankle sprain refers to damage to the soft tissues (mainly ligaments) around the ankle, usually caused by an inversion injury (where the ankle is rotated inward) or an eversion injury (where the ankle is rotated toward the outside). It is often said that it is better to fracture an ankle than to sprain an ankle. A fractured ankle will heal completely on its own with proper care and rehabilitation, and the athlete will be able to return to 100% playing capacity. Unfortunately, once an ankle has been sprained, the ligaments will never fully heal. With proper exercise and rehabilitation, ankle sprains can be treated effectively. A summary of the anatomy behind an ankle is that the ankle joint is made up of the malleoli of the tibia and fibula, which insert into the talus and function like a hinge joint. In weight bearing, the weight of the body is transmitted to the talus, tibia, and the peroneal malleolus forms the lateral aspect of the ankle joint but is not responsible for any loading. The foot is articulated within the ankle joint by contraction of the two heads of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles which cause plantar flexion and the anterior muscles which cause dorsiflexion. The upper surface of the talus is convex and the lower surface of the tibia is concave, allowing for rotational sliding. The astragalus is located in the center of the card. Exercises that help mobility are: Ankle pump: Point the toe and pull back towards the shin. Repeat 30 times. • Towel stretch: Wrap the towel around your foot and pull it back for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times. • Bent Knee Towel Stretch: Wrap the towel around your foot with your knee bent. Pull back for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times • ABC: pretend to trace the letters of the alphabet with your foot. Repeat the alphabet twice. Exercises to strengthen the ankle include: • Plantar flexion: Wrap a resistance band around the ball of your foot and hold the ends in your hand. Point your foot/toes as low as possible, as if you were pressing the accelerator pedal. Repeat 10-30 times. • Dorsiflexion: Wrap the resistance band over the top of the ball of your foot at the base of your toes. Pull your foot/toes up towards your lower leg, going as far as you can. Repeat 10-30 times. • Eversion: Wrap the resistance band just above the outside edge of the foot