This is the major mistake made after ankle injuries
Every year, Norwegian emergency clinics and hospitals report between 150,000 and 200,000 ankle sprains, but the real number is likely much higher. Most people who sprain their ankle do not seek professional help, and many may struggle with long-term wear-and-tear issues for the rest of their lives.
The biggest challenge with ankle sprains is the risk of spraining the ankle again. The ankle must withstand a lot and support you throughout your life, yet the majority skip rehabilitation and training. This can have serious consequences, says Per Morten Fredriksen, professor and physiotherapist.
Fredriksen holds a PhD from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and is one of the experts behind a new method for active ankle rehabilitation, the Wear’n’Go – Ankle Trainer, used to rebuild strength and stability after an ankle sprain.
He believes people are generally familiar with what to do in the acute phase right after the injury, but lack understanding of long-term rehabilitation.
Compression of the injured area, elevation, and ice when the injury first occurs is the standard recipe. The ankle is designed to tolerate a lot of downward weight. When we sprain it, the ability to keep the ankle in the correct position is damaged, which can lead to long-term wear and tear. That’s why rehabilitation after the acute phase is important, says Fredriksen.
Most people avoid boring rehabilitation exercises
Fredriksen has played and coached handball for many years and points to a simple explanation for why people skip rehab exercises after a sprain — they are boring.
Today, the most common approach after a sprain is to think that “it will sort itself out.” Even though we have rehab exercises with proven effect, they need to be done. That rarely happens, because people don’t make time for rehabilitation in a busy everyday life and forget the professional advice once the pain is gone, says Fredriksen.
Stabilize the ankle and train the ligaments with active rehabilitation
A sprain can make it difficult to put weight on the foot, reduce balance, and cause significant pain. That’s why prevention and rehabilitation are essential.
Sprains can lead to long-term injuries, and many end up living with an unstable ankle for the rest of their lives. This can cause major problems. Ankle rehabilitation takes much longer than most people think, and very few regain the same stability they had before the injury. Good rehabilitation is therefore crucial to reduce the risk of a new sprain, Fredriksen emphasizes.
Actiweight Labs developed the Wear’n’Go – Ankle Trainer to allow patients with ankle sprains to train independently, without needing to set aside extra time — and to ensure they get enough training volume without thinking about it.
With the Ankle Trainer, the ankle is rehabilitated actively because the muscle activity around the ankle and in the ligaments is stimulated. Users are still encouraged to perform exercises and follow a rehabilitation program, but the Wear’n’Go – Ankle Trainer provides continuous stability training as a supplement to the rehab exercises.
