Could your ankle weakness be due to ankle instability? If so, find out how to address this problem.

Have you experienced ankle injuries in the past? Were you someone who just ignored your pain and discomfort and carried on playing the game when you probably should have been out for the rest of the season? It’s amazing how many people sustain ankle injuries and don’t seek treatment or even properly care for their injuries. If this sounds like you, then it’s time to visit one of our McKinney and Prosper, TX, podiatrists such as Dr. Garrett Nelson to find out if you could be suffering from ankle instability.

What are the symptoms of ankle instability?

If you feel like the outside of your ankle often gives out, then chances are you have ankle instability. You may often feel these symptoms most when running or walking, but you may even notice it when you are just standing.

Does your ankle feel wobbly or weak? Are your symptoms more severe when wearing high heels or walking on uneven surfaces? Do you notice pain or discomfort while walking or running? If you said, "yes," to some or all of these questions your ankle problems could be the result of instability.

What causes it?

As we briefly mentioned earlier, ankle instability typically stems from a past ankle sprain or injury that hasn’t healed properly. When you sprain an ankle, you end up tearing or stretching out the ligaments. Of course, if you don’t allow your ankle time to heal or you don’t get proper treatment for it, the stretched ligaments end up becoming weaker.

Those whose physical activities greatly involve the ankles, such as gymnasts, basketball players and dancers, are more at risk for ankle instability.

How is it treated?

There are a wide range of treatment modalities that all depend on patient-specific symptoms and injury. This pathology ranges from mild to severe and can often times due to ligament tear or tendon damage. Once a specialist has performed a complete clinical workup and often times advanced imaging including radiographs and potential MRI, a proper treatment algorithm is outlined. With very mild sprains with absence of any soft tissue damage, many patients can manage their symptoms with simple at-home measures. If you’ve ever heard of the RICE method, this is a great way to reduce pain and discomfort in your ankle. RICE stands for: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. You can also take anti-inflammatory medications, like ibuprofen, to temporarily relieve any ankle pain and/or swelling. 

If there is determined to be ligament or tendon damage, often times surgery is required. If there is a ligament tear to your ankle, this can pre-dispose you to ongoing sprains, further pain, and eventually post-traumatic arthritis. If left untreated this can result in severe damage to the ankle joint itself including osteochondral lesions, further soft tissue damage, and ankle arthritis. These conditions require much more extensive treatment and can be quite difficult to deal with. This means it is crucial to schedule an appointment to see one of our specialists to get a proper workup and treatment protocol. 

Ankle instability can be managed if you seek proper care. Turn to the ankle specialists at Advanced Foot & Ankle Center in McKinney and Prosper, TX, for the quality treatments you deserve.