The ankles are one of the most used joints in the body. Every time you walk, stand, sit, bend, or do anything where you’re standing, your ankles are involved. This can make ankle instability an incredibly debilitating condition to recover from. Most people cannot simply refrain from standing or putting pressure on their ankles. This makes ankle instability prevention one of the best ways to protect yourself from this difficult situation. Let’s go over some common causes of ankle instability, so you can better prevent it.
What Is Ankle Instability?
Ankle instability is when the ankle is not able to bear the full weight of the body without giving way or buckling. This can be chronic or short-term, and the amount of weight someone can put on an unstable ankle is different for each person. Common symptoms include difficulty on uneven surfaces, repeated turning of the ankle, continuous discomfort or swelling, pain, tenderness, and a general feeling of unstableness or feeling wobbly.
Ankle Instability Causes
Ankle Sprains
Repeated ankle sprains are a common cause of ankle instability. Your ligaments tear slightly when you have a sprained ankle. Your ligaments need time to heal and redevelop their strength. However, as mentioned before, it can be difficult to take pressure off your ankles. This is because we use them every day. This leads to the ligament not healing correctly and potentially spraining again. This cycle can continue repeatedly and cause ankle instability.
Medical Conditions
Certain rare medical conditions can cause ankle instability. This entirely depends on how the condition affects the ligaments in the foot. Connective tissue deficiency syndrome is a condition that affects the strength and amount of connective tissue you have. This can make your ankles more prone to spraining and injury. It also makes it difficult to heal correctly and become stable again.
Seeking Treatment
Ankle instability can be a frustrating and debilitating condition. Thankfully, at Sports, Occupational & Knee Surgery, our team can help treat ankle instability and make sure your road to recovery is as streamlined as possible. Our staff has decades of experience that they bring to every treatment and procedure. If you’re concerned you may have ankle instability, then contact Sports, Occupational & Knee Surgery at 210-696-9000 today.
