Have you sprained your ankle more times than you can count? You are likely suffering from what is called chronic ankle instability, aka CAI.
Why does this happen? Once you injure your ankle once, unless rehabbed well, the function of the ankle itself is forever altered. Every part of your body has little internal GPS sensors called proprioceptors. The function of these proprioceptors decreases following ankle injuries. With this decline in function, your ankle has a hard time knowing where it is at in space and therefore has a hard time righting itself when walking on uneven surfaces or running. This leads to an increased risk of spraining your ankle again. When you sprain it again, the function declines even more. This is the vicious cycle that leads to CAI.
What can you do to help this? Go to PT! As movement specialists, we are best equipped to retrain the proprioceptive sensors in your ankle and strengthen up all the muscles of the leg to increase your stability and kick CAI to the curb for good.
Want to schedule an evaluation?
Call us today at (703) 450-4300 and find out if physical therapy could benefit you!