Ankle sprains are the most common injury in basketball and in sports in general. Ankle sprains can also occur in day to day activities. Knowing how to prevent and treat ankle sprains is commonly overlooked but is very important. Knowing how to prevent an ankle sprain reduces the risk of prolonged recovery, chronic instability, and further injuries. Proper treatment ensures faster healing and properly restores mobility and strength. By understanding how to properly prevent and heal ankle sprains, basketball players can get back on the court faster and perform more efficiently.
Understanding Eversion Ankle Sprains
Eversion ankle sprains mainly affect the deltoid ligament, found on the inner part of the ankle. Eversion ankle sprains add up to 10% of all the injuries in basketball making them one of the most common, This injury is mainly caused by sudden awkward landings on the ankle, trauma for direct impact, and a strong force pushing the ankle outward.
Prevention Tips
1. Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening exercises help prevent ankle sprains by targeting muscles like the tibialis posterior, peroneal, and calf muscles. When these muscles are strengthened the action of spraining an ankle will be less available and harder to do as it will be supported by strong muscles.
Heel Raises: Stand on the edge of a step, letting your heels hang off. Push up on your toes, balancing on the balls on your feet. Gradually lower your heels back to the ground. Perform this exercise in sets of 2-3 and 10-15 repetitions.
Resistance Band Exercises: Use a resistance band to improve the ankle muscle stability. Perform dorsiflexion and eversion exercises in sets of 2-3 of 15 repetitions each set.
By improving strength, you will not only protect your ligaments but also boost your overall balance.
2. Flexibility Training
Flexibility is very important for ankle injury prevention as it enhances joint range of motion and reduces muscle tightness which is helps maintain balance and stability.
Calf Stretches: While pressing your hands against a wall, extend one leg back, pushing the heel into the ground. Hold for 15-30 seconds on each side, repeating 2-3 times.
(runnersworld.com 2024) Achilles Stretch: Stand on a step with your heels hanging off. Gently lower your heels to stretch the Achilles tendon. Aim for 3 sets of 15-30 seconds.
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Regular tightness relief prepares muscles and ligaments for sudden movements and reduces sprain risk.
3. Ankle braces
Ankle braces help stabilize the ankle joint, preventing unnecessary movement.
4. Balance Training
Adding balance training into your routine can improve your proprioception- the body's ability to sense its position in space. Enhanced proprioception allows for quicker and better responses to sudden movement.
Single-leg Stands: Hold a single-legged stance while trying to maintain your balance. Do this for 30 seconds and rotate legs.
(buildbetterbones.org 2024) Balance Boards: Balance board exercise improve proprioception and strengthen the ankle ligaments, making it an amazing prevention technique.
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Improving your balance helps you respond to unstable surfaces or quick movements, significantly lowering the chance of an eversion ankle sprain.
Recovery Tips
Identify the severity of your ankle sprain
Ankle sprains are categorized into 3 categories, each with it's expected recovery time.
1. Grade I (Mild sprain): Grade I sprains involve slight stretching and microscopic tearing of ligament fibers. Symptoms of grade I ankle sprains include mild pain, swelling, and little to no instability. Grade I ankle sprains typically take 1 to 2 weeks to recover and don't usually require any medical attention.
2. Grade II(Moderate sprain): A moderate sprain consists of partial tearing of the ligament, which leads to visible swelling, bruising, and pain. It might also be difficult to bear weight due to the instability. Grade II sprains usually take 3 to 6 weeks requiring medical attention, ankle braces, and physical therapy.
3. Grade III(Severe sprain): Grade III sprains involve a complete tear of the ligament, causing severe pain, swelling and instability in the ankle joint. Bearing weight is very difficult. Recovery of a grade III sprain requires medical attention and takes 3 to 6 months with immobilization, physical therapy, and in severe cases, surgery.
2. PEACE and LOVE
The PEACE and LOVE method is applied during and after the acute stage of an injury, immediately after the injury occurs. The PEACE method is applied during the acute stage of an injury, while the LOVE method is applied after the acute stage of an injury.
3. Consult a Professional
If the pain persists or increases, consult a healthcare professional. A physical therapist will help you design an individualized rehabilitation program; this will ensure your safety during recovery and will target the root causes of your sprains.
Rehabilitation exercises
Ankle circles
1. Sit with your legs extended
2. Rotate the injured ankle clockwise for 10 reps
3. Rotate the injured ankle counterclockwise for 10 reps
4. Repeat 3-4 times daily
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Towel stretch
1. Sit with your legs extended
2. Put a towel around the ball of your injured ankle
3. Pull the towel until you feel a stretch in your calf
4. Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times
Embracing a Careful Approach to Ankle Health
Eversion ankle sprains might be an athlete's nightmare, but with proper prevention strategies and techniques of recovery and recovery techniques, one can get on the court faster than they ever thought possible. You will be able to decrease the occurrence of ankle sprains by integrating strengthening exercises, stretching, using ankle braces, and choosing the right footwear.
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