Prevent Recurring Ankle Sprains with Simple Exercises

Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries out there.  And once you’ve sprained your ankle, the risk of re-injury is high, especially in the year following the sprain.  This can lead to chronic pain and in some cases, extended medical care.  But according to Medical News Today, a new study published recently by the British Medical Journal shows that simple balancing exercises could cut the risk of recurring ankle sprains by up to 35%.

The study, conducted in the Netherlands, followed 522 athletes with ankle sprains; 274 men and 248 women between the ages of 12 to 70 years.  The participants were chosen from a wide variety of sports.  They were divided into two groups: both groups received standard treatment, but half of the athletes also practiced a home-based training program of exercises to develop balance and motor coordination skills for 30 minutes per session, three times per week for 8 weeks.  After the 8 weeks were up, the athletes were encouraged to add the balancing exercises to their ordinary warm-up.

After one year, 145 of the 522 athletes had a recurring ankle sprain – 33% were in the control group and 22% were in the group that practiced the balancing exercises. That translates into a 35% reduction in ankle sprains compared to the control group.

Here are the exercises if you’d like to give them a try. Injury prevention is always the goal, but if you have recently injured or re-injured your ankle, KT Tape video instructions and answers from our knowledgeable staff will be able to aid you through recovery and get your ankle back into shape.

Filed under: Ankle Sprain | February 8, 2010
Tags :ankle sprains , KT Tape , prevention