A Blog from Mayo Clinic | Orthopedics
A sprained ankle is an injury that occurs when you roll, twist or turn your ankle in an awkward way, stretching or tearing the tough bands of tissue, or ligaments, that help hold your ankle bones together. A sprained ankle occurs when the ligaments are forced beyond their normal range of motion. Most sprained ankles involve injuries to the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle.
Treatment for a sprained ankle depends on the severity of the injury. Although self-care measures and over-the-counter pain medications may be all you need, a medical evaluation might be necessary to reveal how badly you’ve sprained your ankle and determine the appropriate treatment. “Ankle sprains are a very common injury in sports, particularly in ballet. The majority of ankle sprains occur as a result of an ankle inversion injury, when the foot rolls inwards. This causes the lateral ankle ligaments to be stretched and injured,” says Dr. Matthew Anastasi, a Mayo Clinic sports medicine physician.
“Most ankle sprains will resolve with rest, ice, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, and time. However, ankle sprains can be more severe and are sometimes associated with a fracture. If anyone has significant pain after an ankle injury or is unable to walk, we typically recommend that they are evaluated for further evaluation and possible x-rays”, says Dr. Anastasi.
Learn more about treatment for a sprained ankle, including self-care measures you can follow at home.
