Untreated or poorly rehabilitated ankle sprains can develop into chronic ankle instability (CAI), osteoarthritis, or other lower limb injuries (Bestwick-Stevenson et al. 2021; Delco et al., 2017; Herzog et al., 2019; van Ochten et al., 2017).

In this podcast Zoe Russell discusses ankle sprain assessment and treatment, and how to return your patients to sport. You’ll discover how to help your ankle sprain patients fully recover as quickly as possible, and avoid long term ankle issues.

Zoe is a Specialist Sports Physiotherapist (FACP), APA Titled Musculoskeletal and Sports Physio, as well as a Clinical Edge Senior Educator and Presenter, and in this Physio Edge podcast hosted by David Pope, we discuss the latest evidence and practical treatment strategies for ankle sprains, including:

Assessment

Common issues therapists face when rehabilitating ankle sprain patients.
Questions you need to ask your ankle sprain patients.
How a previous history of ankle sprains impacts your assessment & treatment.
Why patients with inversion injuries may have medial ankle pain.
How to avoid stirring up patients pain during your assessment.

Diagnosis

Common mechanisms of injury, and how this guides your diagnosis.
Structures that are likely to be injured with different ankle injuries.

Treatment

10 key elements to include in your assessment & treatment.
How to help reduce swelling quickly after an ankle sprain, and why this is important.
Immediate sideline management for ankle sprains at sporting events.
Whether manual therapy has a role in acute ankle injuries or persistent ankle pain and swelling.
How to explain ankle sprains, recovery & rehab to your patient.
What you’re looking to achieve with your early rehab.
How to set rehab targets or goals with your patients.
The role of taping in ankle rehab.
Taping compared to bracing.
Whether long term taping or bracing is a useful long term injury prevention strategy.
The latest surgical procedures for patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

Links

Zoe Russell
David Pope on Twitter
Improve your musculoskeletal and sports injury assessment & treatment results with a free trial Clinical Edge membership
Explain acute and persistent pain to your patients, without giving them the message “It’s all in your head” with the Making sense of pain training module
Comprehensive low back pain assessment & treatment training module
David Pope at Clinical Edge

References

Chapters:

03:47 - Untreated ankle sprains
05:27 - Latest evidence
07:04 - Subjective questions
09:45 - Common mechanisms of injury
11:47 - Plantarflexion/inversion injury with medial ankle pain
15:22 - Dorsiflexion eversion injuries
15:54 - Swelling
21:11 - Objective tests
26:32 - Irritability
26:47 - Figure of 8 taping technique
28:56 - Inferior and superior tib-fib joint assessment
32:14 - Treatment
42:41 - Change of direction
43:17 - Tape or brace?
50:06 - Mobilise or immobilise?

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