What Is an Ankle Sprain?
An ankle sprain happens when the ligaments that support the ankle are stretched or torn, often after the foot twists, rolls, or lands awkwardly. Sprains can range from mild irritation to severe ligament injury with swelling, bruising, instability, and difficulty bearing weight.
Ankle sprains are common in sports, exercise, walking on uneven ground, falls, and daily activity. At Foot & Ankle Specialists in West Jordan, Dr. Trevor R. Williams evaluates ankle sprains to determine the severity of the injury and help patients heal properly.
What Causes Ankle Sprains?
Most ankle sprains happen when the foot rolls inward and places stress on the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. They can also happen from sudden changes in direction, poor landing mechanics, weak ankles, unstable footwear, uneven surfaces, or returning to activity too soon after a previous sprain.
A sprain may seem minor at first, but repeated ankle rolling can lead to chronic instability, weakness, pain, and reduced confidence with movement.
How Dr. Williams Evaluates an Ankle Sprain
A proper evaluation includes checking the location of pain, swelling, bruising, range of motion, strength, stability, and ability to bear weight. Dr. Williams may also review how the injury happened and whether there have been previous ankle sprains.
Imaging may be recommended when there is concern for fracture, high ankle sprain, tendon injury, or a more serious ligament problem. This is important because not every painful ankle injury is a simple sprain.
Treatment for Ankle Sprains
Treatment depends on the severity of the sprain. Mild sprains may improve with protection, rest, compression, elevation, bracing, activity modification, and gradual return to movement. More significant sprains may require immobilization, physical therapy, advanced bracing, or further evaluation.
The goal is not just to reduce swelling. Proper treatment should restore ankle motion, strength, balance, stability, and confidence before full activity resumes.
Preventing Repeat Ankle Sprains
Patients who return to sports or daily activity too soon may be more likely to re-sprain the ankle. Balance exercises, strengthening, bracing, footwear changes, and custom orthotics may help reduce instability and improve ankle control.
Why Choose Foot & Ankle Specialists?
Dr. Williams helps patients recover from ankle sprains with a focus on accurate diagnosis, proper healing, and prevention of future instability. Foot & Ankle Specialists provides practical care for patients who want to return to walking, work, exercise, and sports safely.