What Does It Mean to Roll Your Ankle?

If your foot has ever slipped off a curb at an awkward angle or you’ve lost your balance, the injury was likely described as “rolling your ankle”. In the aftermath, it felt sore or looked swollen.

In many cases, rolling your ankle is a casual expression to describe a sprain. Here’s what you should know about this relatively common condition.

How Do You Roll Your Ankle?

This often means you’ve improperly placed weight on your ankle. Rather than your foot hitting the ground, it moved or slid to the side, placing body weight on an ankle.

This can force the ligament out of its natural position and stretch it. In response, you may feel a sharp pain along the outside of your ankle.

This scenario can result in a number of conditions:

• Inverted or Lateral Ankle Sprain: Your foot rolls inward, placing additional strain on the ligament and causing pain on the outside of the ankle. The sprain may involve a partial or full tear, along with some swelling and bruising. Treatment might entail rest, physical therapy or surgery.
• Ankle Fracture: Suddenly placing all of your body weight on the ankle may contribute to a fracture.
• Muscle Strain: Rolling your ankle also places greater stress on the peroneal muscles, resulting in stretched or torn muscle fibers.
• Avulsion Fracture: Stress can cause the ligament to pull away from the bone. With enough force, this motion can result in an avulsion fracture.

Ligaments provide stability and support for your joints. In turn, a sprained or rolled ankle or any sudden injury is characterized by:

• Instability
• Inability to walk on that joint
• Swelling
• Bruising or redness
• A sensation of heat and tenderness that doesn’t go away

Causes of a Rolled Ankle

A rolled ankle is characterized by a fall that twists or pushes the ligament out of place. Common scenarios increasing the risk for this type of ankle injury include:

• Sports – particularly those involving jumping or rapid shifting in position – including basketball, tennis, gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer and running
• Moving across uneven surfaces
• Poor form in sports or other physical activities
• Failing to warm up or condition properly during the off-season
• Wearing older, unsupportive or improper shoes for an activity
• A weakened ankle resulting from a previous ankle injury

What to Do If You Think You’ve Rolled Your Ankle

Seek medical attention, especially if you notice swelling or feel a sharp pain around the ankle. Expect to undergo medical imaging. From there, treatment for a rolled ankle may include:

• RICE: Rest, ice, compression and elevation for a couple of weeks after rolling your ankle help reduce swelling and pain for minor to moderate sprains.
• Bracing: To keep your weight off the injured ankle, you can use crutches, a walking boot or another type of brace as the area recovers.
• Physical Therapy: Treatment helps strengthen the area and reduce swelling during recovery. Physical therapy can also improve your form and balance for long-term performance and stability.
• Surgery: Full tears and breaks may require surgery for a complete recovery and to prevent a chronic injury.

Ignoring a rolled ankle or short-changing your recovery can result in chronic injuries and pain, permanent joint instability and arthritis.

Reducing Risks for Rolling Your Ankle

Keep the following tips in mind, especially for athletics:

• Incorporate balance exercises into your training regimen
• Take walks to help build ankle strength
• Perform resistance exercises for your ankles
• As you warm up, be sure to focus on your lower legs and ankles
• Avoid training, running and practicing on uneven surfaces
• Rather than jumping right in, start new activities gradually
• If your ankle needs one, wear a brace for support
• Make sure your footwear is appropriate and provides the desired level of support

To recover from an ankle injury, include the Integrated Rehab team in your recovery. For more information, contact us today.