Prevent Ankle Sprains

Prevent Recurring Ankle Sprains with Simple Exercises

Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries out there.  And once you’ve sprained your ankle, the risk of re-injury is high, especially in the year following the sprain.  This can lead to chronic pain and in some cases, extended medical care.  But according to Medical News Today, a new study published recently by the British Medical Journal shows that simple balancing exercises could cut the risk of recurring ankle sprains by up to 35%.

The study, conducted in the Netherlands, followed 522 athletes with ankle sprains; 274 men and 248 women between the ages of 12 to 70 years.  The participants were chosen from a wide variety of sports.  They were divided into two groups: both groups received standard treatment, but half of the athletes also practiced a home-based training program of exercises to develop balance and motor coordination skills for 30 minutes per session, three times per week for 8 weeks.  After the 8 weeks were up, the athletes were encouraged to add the balancing exercises to their ordinary warm-up.

After one year, 145 of the 522 athletes had a recurring ankle sprain – 33% were in the control group and 22% were in the group that practiced the balancing exercises. That translates into a 35% reduction in ankle sprains compared to the control group.

Here are the exercises if you’d like to give them a try. Injury prevention is always the goal, but if you have recently injured or re-injured your ankle, KT Tape video instructions and answers from our knowledgeable staff will be able to aid you through recovery and get your ankle back into shape.