As with any sports injury, most sprained ankles require rest and time to heal. But if your ankle continues wobbling for a long time without any improvement, you could have developed a chronic instability that won’t go away by itself.
Chronic ankle instability is a frustrating injury that makes it harder to stay active and play sports. But with treatment, podiatrists Thomas Rambacher, DPM, FACFAS, FAPWCA, and Amber O’Connor, DPM, at Podiatry Hotline Foot & Ankle in Mission Viejo, California, can get your ankle strong and sturdy again. Understand the signs you need treatment for chronic ankle instability, and the options available.
Ankle instability is a term for an ankle that feels unstable and wobbly when you put weight on it. You can also feel like your ankle turns unexpectedly or feels painful, tender, or swollen.
The most common cause of ankle instability is a sprained ankle or another ankle injury. Most of the time, ankle instability resolves with conservative care for a sprained ankle.
Chronic ankle instability is instability that’s continued for months after your injury and doesn’t seem to be getting better. This occurs after about 20% of ankle sprains.
Signs you have a chronic ankle instability that needs treatment include:
You can get chronic ankle instability after only one sprain, but the more times you’ve sprained or otherwise injured your ankle, the higher your risk gets. Every time you sprain your ankle, the further your ligaments stretch and weaken, making them more vulnerable to permanent problems.
Ankle sprains can range from mild, where the ligaments and tendons are only stretched a bit, to severe injuries that tear ligaments or tendons. You’re more likely to get chronic ankle instability after a bad sprain.
Other chronic medical conditions can weaken your ankle, making it more susceptible to chronic ankle instability. If you sprain your ankle and also have ankle arthritis or an autoimmune condition, your odds of chronic instability are higher than those of someone without a diagnosis.
If you don’t let an ankle injury heal properly, ankle instability can become chronic. This could range from something as simple as not resting your ankle long enough before resuming sports to not getting reconstructive surgery after a severe sprain.
If you sprained your ankle quite some time ago and you don’t seem to be recovering and regaining stability as expected, it’s time to seek help for a chronic problem.
There are nonsurgical and surgical treatment options for chronic ankle instability. Options that don’t require surgery include wearing a brace to help support your ankle as it heals, cortisone injections to relieve swelling and pain, and physical therapy that helps your ankle regain strength, balance, and range of motion.
Surgery is a good option for badly torn ligaments or instability that doesn’t respond to other measures. Our team can reattach or tighten torn or severely weakened ligaments and tendons, or perform an ankle fusion or a full ankle replacement.
Getting the treatment you need for chronic ankle instability enables you to rehabilitate your ankle and regain your physical condition. To get treatment for ankle instability, contact us today.
