A sprained ankle happens when the ligaments have been damaged by the joint being twisted. When you twist your foot or ankle, it usually twists inwards damaging the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Outward twists damaging the inside ligaments are rare.

The majority of cases are sports injuries but a sprained ankle can also happen in everyday life.

If you do not receive the appropriate physiotherapy/physio treatment and allow the injury time to recover you will be more likely to sprain the area again.

When receiving treatment, it's important to give the physiotherapy time to work. The patient must avoid damaging the ankle further by not allowing it to bear too much weight too early.

The physiotherapy is aimed at starting to move the foot after one or two days. After this, a lot of balance training is required, on the floor and using other apparatus such as a wobble board or seesaw board or a trampoline. This is important to restore the stability of the ligaments.

In addition, strength must also be restored to the joint by training. Later in the recovery period more complicated running patterns can be attempted such as running zigzags, figures of eight and so on.

If the ankle is not allowed to mend properly, sportspeople often complain of loose joints or ligaments. This is almost always avoidable by patience and rehabilitation. It is better for sportspeople to be able to concentrate 100 per cent on their sport rather than on their fear of another injury due to lack of careful rehabilitation training.

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