What is an ankle sprain?

This refers to a partial tear of one of the three ligaments on the outer side of the ankle. There are ligaments on the inner side of the ankle as well, but they have a very strong structure, so most ankle sprains occur on the outer side. Sprains occur easily in everyday situations such as going up and down stairs, and they have become more frequent as sports activity has increased.

Causes

After twisting the ankle

Wearing high-heeled shoes

When frequent exercise strains the ankle

Symptoms

• 1
• The most common symptom of an ankle sprain is ankle pain.
• 2
• Pain occurs around the ankle bone.
• 3
• Pain occurs intermittently or continuously.
• 4
• In a severe ankle sprain, bruising may appear around the ankle.

Diagnosis

You should not simply dismiss it as a twisted ankle and leave it untreated with compresses or pain patches. If the ankle has not returned to normal several weeks after being twisted, a ligament may be torn or the cartilage damaged, so an accurate diagnosis is essential. An ankle sprain can be confirmed with an X-ray, while a ligament tear or cartilage damage can be confirmed with ultrasound and MRI.