Most of us will have sprained an ankle at some point, we hobble around for a bit and after a week or so, we’re back to ‘normal’. But are we really back to ‘normal’?
When you have an injury, like spraining your ankle, muscles around the point of injury will turn off to protect the injured area. Basically, your body wants you to not use the area so it can heal. In the case of a sprained ankle, your glute and leg muscles become inhibited.
If you read last week’s blog on glutes, you’ll remember how important they are.
So, your ankle feels better, but have your muscles returned to their normal function?
Not always. This is how we end up with dysfunctional movement.
Calf and foot muscles Image: Essential Anatomy 5
The calf muscles are hugely affected by an ankle sprain and may continue to be affected particularly if your ankle joint alignment has shifted.
Glutes are also a culprit for slow reactivation.
If these areas are not reviewed and addressed upon recovery, they can cause you to experience more injuries and sprains in the future.
One of my PT clients recently had a very bad ankle sprain. Her recovery was somewhat slow, even after the bruising faded, the swelling remained. She was able to walk on it, but her foot and ankle remained puffy, so soft tissue therapy was required before she resumed her normal PT sessions.
Ankle movement (inability to rotate and really poor eversion) was severely restricted which calls for a mobilisation of the joint along with a few releases on the calf muscles.
Ankle sprain - swelling and bruising
As you’ll see in the pics, this was the ankle a few days after the sprain – swollen around the ankle and top of foot, and very bruised. On the day I treated the ankle (I unfortunately didn’t take a before picture) it looked much like this without the bruising - very puffy.
The Treatment
The ankle mobilisation returned ankle movement and with it reduced the swelling. The realignment of the ankle means that fluid is able to pass with ease as the muscles return to their optimum positions, therefore being able to resume their role in pumping the fluid upwards.
Straight after the treatment - significant reduction in puffiness.
My client sent me a photo the following day - the ankle and foot continued to drain and you’ll see there’s a bit more definition to the top of the foot.
Ankle straight after treatment
Ankle the day following treatment
This is just one of the many ankles I’ve treated recently.
My partner’s sister also had an extremely swollen ankle following a sprain. Her sprain had been quite a while before I saw her, she was suffering from swollen ankle and foot and throbbing sensations. Using the same technique and mobilising the joint, the throbbing reduced as the swelling reduced and movement improved.
No sprain but knee or hip ache?
Last week alone, I worked on several ankles unrelated to ankle sprains. They complained of knee or hip pain or tingling in the foot, or they might say their foot gets very cold and they don’t feel it very well. Sometimes, just looking at the position of the foot/ankle whether they’re sitting, standing or lying down, I can see if it’s an area that needs investigation.
When the ankle isn’t able to move well, other joints along the chain have to make up the movement, so discomfort or pain can be felt elsewhere in your body.
If you read my blog on balance, you’ll remember that your foot had a big role to play in balance. If your ankle joint is misaligned, your foot and ankle can no longer create stability, so you better hope your glutes can pick up the slack and help with the stabilisation.
You have many calf muscles that help the ankle move. If these muscles (and others not labelled) become tight and restricted, your movement in your ankle, foot and toes reduces.
Image: Posture by Muscle & Motion
Is your ankle moving freely?
If you find any movements in the videos challenging, especially when you compare one ankle to the other, then you should work on freeing up the muscles in your feet and legs.
There are lots of different ways to stretch and what you need will be unique to you. Stretch more, move your toes, move your ankle. If you still aren’t getting the improvement you seek, book yourself in for a Soft Tissue Treatment.
You should also work on strengthening the muscles in your feet and legs to support your ankles.
Need help with ankle mobility or strengthening your legs to prevent reoccurring ankle turns?
I am Sabrina Qua - Soft Tissue Therapist, Movement Coach and Personal Trainer based in Worcester Park, Greater London, who helps people reduce their muscular aches and pains through an integrative approach, so they can live active, enjoyable lives.