Ankle Sprains – what’s talus got to do with it?
When it comes to ankles, well, you’ve probably had a minor issue or two with either one of yours (or both) in your time. Rolled it on a sports field, or running (maybe it was just walking?), or perhaps you’ve sprained one?
The most common of all ankle sprains is the ‘inversion sprain’, meaning that the sole of the foot has rolled inwards towards the midline of your body. In fact, it occurs 85% of the time in an athletic or an everyday environment, and is the third likeliest injury to cause time off in the work place.
When I assess a significant inversion sprain it is very that I first evaluate the talus <link the word talus to a Wikipedia page link about the talus bone, so people can click and read more>, as it is the ‘master bone’ of the ankle/foot complex, and is also the ‘keystone’ of the medial longitudinal arch (inner arch) of the foot.
In my experience of treating inversion sprains, finding out how the talus is positioned is the most important part of the treatment. I’ve found when I correct talus misalignment alone, overall healing of the injury increases significantly.
Once talus misalignment is addressed and proper mobility is re-established, then we can successfully attempt stability of the joint with various exercises. Though, without proper mobility of the joint, any chance of future stabilisation becomes severely compromised.
If you have an ankle sprain or injury, the basic pattern which I follow with all of my rehabilitation patients is:
- Mobility – let’s get you moving again
- Stability – let’s see you be able to stand on your injured ankle without pain
- Strength – let’s see the muscles and tendons around your ankle start to accept load and force again
- Functional Skills – let’s see you back walking, running, playing sport but not spraining an ankle!
In a follow up blog post, I will talk more about how I can assess talus misalignment. Until then, if you have a question or query about ankle sprain/injury care or symptoms you might have which you’re not sure of, please leave me a comment below.
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