Ankle injury

I’ve managed to wreck my ankle three different times over the last four years, and every single time it happens during pickup games. It’s always the same deal—ligament sprains—and the swelling is honestly terrifying; my ankle gets so blown up it looks like I shoved a tennis ball under my skin. My doctors told me it takes about six weeks for the ligaments to heal, so I’ve been playing it safe and resting it every single time.
I’m really itching to get back out there this spring, but I can't do it if I'm constantly sidelined by this injury.
Does anyone know what kind of long-term damage these kinds of repeated injuries actually do to the joint? Also, are there specific exercises you'd recommend to strengthen those ligaments?

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

Honestly, it’s your classic sports injury right there.
Once you’ve tweaked that ankle, you're basically looking at a massive risk of stretching those ligaments all over again if you aren't careful or if you make any sudden, clumsy movements with that leg.
The only real way to handle this is to be way more mindful of how you land—you really need to watch your footing on impact—and, more importantly, you absolutely have to start wearing a high-quality ankle brace.
You can pick them up at any Dick's Sporting Goods, usually running somewhere around $35 to $133, give or take, though you might also find some decent options at a local medical supply shop if you want to browse... just don't go back out there without one. I mean, it hurts like hell as it is, not to mention how you end up being practically useless and stuck on the couch for a few days...

Back when I was just a teenager, I used to roll my ankles constantly. I’d say I did it at least eight times between the ages of 15 and 18... but once I hit my twenties, it was like I’d suddenly mastered the art of walking. Even when things got a little sketchy, it usually ended up being nothing more than a minor tweak that left absolutely no lasting damage on the joint.

Of course, I'm probably irrelevant to this specific statistical conversation since I completely trashed my knee, which effectively signaled the end of my basketball days. 😬

Anyway, I’ve always been a firm believer against total immobilization after an ankle sprain. My take is that you should keep moving the leg as much as possible, simply avoiding jumps or awkward landings based on your own judgment—and honestly, I think people are capable of making that call; they just let fear drown out what their bodies are actually telling them.
Immediately following an injury, you should ice the area and start some gentle range-of-motion exercises, staying within whatever pain threshold allows... in my experience, that's how you keep the swelling down and actually speed up the recovery process.

The only exception is if you’ve truly mangled the thing—like that first time I went down—where you can't even step over a pebble without feeling like your foot is going to give way again. But those kinds of catastrophic injuries are incredibly rare. To give you a visual of the severity, imagine instead of a tennis ball being stuck in your joint, it felt like someone had wedged half a sack of potatoes in there. 😁

That said, I will say that a solid compression wrap and a good pair of high-top sneakers aren't a bad idea, either.

maradona said:I've messed up my ankle three times in the last four years, always just playing pickup games.

I feel you! Honestly, I managed to wreck mine six times in just a year and a half—total disaster.😠
Luckily, I've been good for the last two years. A ton of full-body stretching (especially legs) really saved me. I also started doing some yoga and Pilates moves that focus on stretching and strengthening at the same time without all the jumping and high-impact stuff.
And seriously, get some decent shoes!

Man, I actually had the same thing happen to me during a pickup game the other day... just stepped on someone's sneaker mid-play... one little crunch, a quick little twist of my foot, and I thought I was fine to keep going. But once I got home and finally kicked my shoes off, it hit me—about thirty minutes later, I couldn't even stand up without it hurting like crazy. Luckily, it feels a bit better today, so I’m planning to get back on the court the day after tomorrow, though I'll definitely be rocking an Ace bandage for support. And of course, I'm making sure my Nikes are laced up super tight this time to keep everything stabilized...

electrictinker18 hit the nail on the head. Stretching might help those calf muscles, sure, but if your ligaments are already overstretched? Forget it. You need stability exercises for that disc instead. If
things start getting serious, you really ought to go see some licensed physiotherapists.

Anyway, if you're dealing with recurring ankle sprains, the real key is working on dynamic foot stabilization. It basically boils down to some straightforward exercises designed to build up muscle strength, improve balance, and get those proprioceptors in your foot firing properly again.

A physiotherapist is the best person to walk you through a specific plan for this.

Scott Allen10, just keep icing that ankle. A couple of minutes, a few times a day. Use an elastic wrap, keep your leg elevated, and please—don't go being a hero until this acute phase passes...

Casey Palmer5 said:Basically, if you're dealing with recurring ankle sprains, you really need to focus on dynamic foot stabilization. It’s just some straightforward exercises designed to build up muscle strength, improve your balance, and get those proprioceptors in your foot firing properly again.

A physiotherapist is the best person to walk you through that.

Scott Allen10, seriously, go ice your foot. Do it a few times a day for a couple of minutes at a time. Use an ACE bandage, keep the leg elevated, and please, don't mess around until this acute phase passes.

Exactly, spot on!!! 🙏
Five stars! 👍
Also, definitely stick to ice massage and rest while you're in that initial painful stage, keeping the limb elevated above heart level until the bruising and swelling start to clear up.

In plain English (since apparently I was being too technical for everyone 😈 ), that means icing it and keeping your foot up for two or three days.

After that, just use an elastic wrap when you're being active and follow all that advice Lark gave us. 😎

Man... I really thought we were going to handle this thing one step at a time, you know? But honestly, it’s hard to just sit back and relax when you've got the daily grind at the office, and then you get home only to have the kids running circles around you while my wife is stressing out because the fridge just died and needs a repairman from GE to come fix it... grrrrrr...

lahor said:Basically, if you're dealing with recurring ankle sprains, you really need to focus on dynamic foot stabilization. It’s just some straightforward exercises meant to strengthen the muscles, work on your balance, and get those proprioceptors in your foot firing again.

You should probably see a physical therapist for that.

Come on, don't be stingy with the info. Give us a specific exercise or two—some of us can't (or let's be real, are too lazy to 😁 ) make it to a PT clinic...

I've got an ankle that's basically written off, plus my knee. Honestly, my whole right leg is a total mess. The only saving grace is that it feels better than Jane's. Maybe those exercises would actually help me, since this ankle issue is messing with my knee, which then makes everything else worse... it's just a vicious cycle...

And about landing on someone else's foot—you know how basketball players say it: "He'll feel it for two minutes, but you'll feel it for two months..." 😬

Unfortunately, all three of the best exercises for this specific issue require a little bit of equipment.

The first one is walking barefoot on a thick rope (maybe about 10 feet long). You walk forward, then backward. The whole point is trying to maintain your balance so you don't have to step out to the side. You can also walk along the rope, stepping with just the forefoot first, and then just the heel. Try to improvise something that works like a rope...

The second and third involve specific physical therapy tools. You can pick these up at most decent medical supply stores—for instance, UnitedHealth Group near downtown Chicago.
The second exercise uses balance pads, which are basically like very flattened rubber balls, partially inflated, that you stand on to work on stability. An easier version is standing with one foot on a pad at a time, while a harder version is standing with both feet on a single pad. While doing this, you perform movements by pressing the forefoot into the pad, then the heel, then the left edge, and then the right. You can also do squats (which are aaa-mazing for the knees) and lift one foot slightly off the pad, then the other. It’s tough, but sooo good for your ankles.

The third exercise uses a balance board. This is a practical circular piece of wood or plastic with a ball underneath it, making it extremely unstable to stand on while maintaining balance. You perform all the same moves described for the pads, but the goal is to make sure the edges of the round board don't touch the floor.

Additionally, to strengthen the muscles in your feet (which is great for preventing bunions and flat feet), you can practice moving small pieces of sponge from point A to point B using your toes, or scrunching up a towel with your toes. Beyond those, you can do any kind of foot movement imaginable—walking on your toes, your heels, or the outer and inner edges of your feet.

Of course, the first three are the absolute best and most effective because they really target the proprioceptors in your feet (those little sensory receptors that send information about where your body parts are in space).