Why Your Ankle Sprain Keeps Coming Back (And What To Do About It)
Ankle sprains are one of the most commonly poorly treated and under-rehabbed injuries.
They’re often dismissed as minor.
Moonboot for 4–6 weeks…
Rest…
“Take it easy”…
Then back to normal life.
But what frequently happens next?
Another ankle sprain.
Or the same ankle that never quite feels stable.
Or sometimes something seemingly unrelated — knee pain, hip irritation, even back pain — that shows up months later.
That’s not coincidence.
And it’s usually not bad luck.
The Recurrence Problem
Research shows that 40–70% of people will re-sprain their ankle within 12 months.
Current level 1 evidence does not support putting every ankle sprain straight into a boot as the default approach. Boots absolutely have their place — but they’re not a blanket solution.
What tends to happen instead is:
- No structured rehab at all
or - Rehab that only focuses on the ankle joint itself
Both approaches miss the bigger picture.
“But My Scan Showed Ligament Damage…”
This is where a lot of people understandably become concerned.
You have a scan.
It shows ligament tearing.
It sounds serious.
But here’s what the research consistently shows:
Even when imaging confirms ligament damage, high-quality rehabilitation produces the best outcomes in the vast majority of cases.
Not prolonged immobilisation.
Not default surgery.
Surgery absolutely has a role in specific cases — but for most ankle sprains, structured, progressive rehabilitation leads to excellent results and lower recurrence rates.
And importantly — if I genuinely think you need surgery, I will tell you.
I’m not here to keep you in rehab if that’s not the right path. If surgical input is necessary, I’ll help connect you with the best surgeon who specialises specifically in your condition, so you’re not just referred randomly — you’re referred strategically.
A scan tells us what structure is injured.
It does not rebuild strength, coordination, balance, or force control.
That’s what rehab does.
And that’s what protects you long term.
Your Ankle Is Part of a System
Your ankle doesn’t work in isolation.
When you walk, run, jump or change direction, it works alongside your:
- Foot
- Calf
- Knee
- Hip
- Core
If we only reduce swelling and restore basic range of motion, we haven’t rebuilt how your body actually produces and controls force.
Here’s something most people don’t realise:
After an ankle sprain, many people become strongest when generating force through the outside of their foot — often the exact position that caused the injury in the first place.
So without knowing it, they:
- Preferentially load that outer border
- Reinforce the risky pattern
- Increase their chance of becoming part of that 40–70%
Or they shift load elsewhere — and the knee, hip or back starts absorbing forces it wasn’t designed to handle.
That’s when the “new” injury appears.
What Proper Ankle Rehab Should Include
At Elite Physiotherapy, ankle rehab isn’t just about settling pain.
It includes:
✔ Restoring full mobility
✔ Rebuilding strength through the entire lower limb
✔ Re-training balance and reaction speed
✔ Correcting force production patterns
✔ Gradually reloading you back into sport or activity
Because the goal isn’t just to calm this sprain down.
It’s to reduce the likelihood of the next one — or the secondary issue that follows.
Don’t Settle For “It’s Just An Ankle Sprain”
If you:
- Keep rolling the same ankle
- Feel unstable on uneven ground
- Notice new knee, hip or back discomfort since your sprain
- Or simply don’t have time for this injury to repeat itself
It’s worth addressing it properly.
You shouldn’t have to just “put up with it.”
Ready To Fix It Properly?
If you’d like a thorough assessment and a clear plan to get you back to full confidence on your ankle, you can book an appointment here:
If you’re unsure whether physiotherapy is the right next step, reach out — we’ll happily guide you in the right direction.
Your ankle sprain doesn’t have to turn into a recurring injury — or the start of something else.
Let’s fix it properly.
