What are they?
How do they happen?
Why do they happen so often?
How do I protect myself?

What are they?
Approximately 25,000 people experience a sprained ankle each day. It is a myth that a sprained ankle only happens to athletes. An ankle sprain is extremely common with ordinary activities and non-athletes too. It certainly can and often does happen in most physical activities, but can also happen by walking on uneven ground, mis-stepping, tripping or stepping on an object and so on... They happen to people of all ages: children, teenagers, adults and the elderly.

Specifically, the ligaments of the ankle hold the ankle bones and joint in the correct position. They are like the glue that holds all the bones of the joint together. They protect the ankle joint from abnormal movements- especially twisting, turning, and rolling of the foot. A ligament is an elastic structure, similar to a rubber band- they can stretch a certain length and then return to their normal position. But, when the ligaments of the ankle are forced to stretch beyond their capacity, a ankle sprain occurs. This is usually caused by speed and force placed on the ligaments as is the case in an accident. A severe sprain causes actual tearing of the elastic fibers.

How do they happen?
Specifically, ankle sprains occur when the foot twists, rolls or turns beyond its natural range of motion. Remember, your foot is taking the entire load of your body weight plus the force of your landing speed and that can easily lead to an injury if the ligaments in your ankle are weak and inflexible. Anytime the ligaments stretch beyond their normal range in an abnormal position, a sprain can occur.

When a sprain occurs, the foot moves and the ankle does not. In other words, the foot quickly turns in or out and the ligaments of the ankle cannot far enough safely. If the force is too strong, the ligaments can tear. You will lose your balance when the foot is placed unevenly on the ground and twists unnaturally. You will most likely fall which may cause a knee, hip, back, neck or shoulder injury. In some cases, when excessive force is applied to the ankle's soft tissue structures, you may hear a "pop". Very quickly, the ankle becomes swollen and bruised. Typically, a great deal of stiffness and pain follow right afterward. You may be to put a some pressure on the foot or you may not be able to put any pressure on it at all and need the use of crutches.

Why do they happen so often?
In our modern culture, we normally wear stiff shoes (even most athletic shoes are stiff) that do not allow our feet or ankles to move around very much. We also walk and run on even surfaces most of the time: cement, wood, carpet, etc... That means that the stabilizer muscles in the ankle joint weaken and become less flexible over time. If you do not use a muscle group, it weakens or atrophies over time. Well, if you land unevenly on the ground for any reason, those muscles are so weak and inflexible that it will not take much force to cause a sprain. In other words, those ligaments (rubber bands) have lost a great deal of their elasticity.

How can I protect myself?
I am sure you have heard of R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and that is always what people say to do when you get an ankle injury. Even though they are trying to help, they are actually giving you terrible advice. It's not their fault, of course, they don't know any better. But, the fact is that R.I.C.E. is like a 911 call that never gets answered. Why? If you have a sprained ankle, there are all kinds of damage that need repair and R.I.C.E. does not respond to ANY of it. Basically, it just says rest and ice. But, ice is only effective for the first 36-48 hours and only helps contain swelling. Then, all that is really left is rest, which will NOT get rid of scar tissue, nor will it strengthen ligaments or stabilizer muscles, heal neuromuscular damage or improve overall mobility or functionality. And time is of the essence, because the longer you wait, the more scar tissue and adhesions will develop around your ankle joint inhibiting a full recovery.

Obviously, it is important to strengthen the ankles so that they can withstand increased rolling and twisting forces without over-stretching or tearing and causing an injury. You need to increase the strength of the ligaments and stabilizer muscles in the ankle joint as well as remove the swelling and scar tissue. Then, you have to heal the neuromuscular damage and improve the overall mobility and functionality of the ankle. That is why H.E.M. is so unique and powerful. It teaches you how to recover from a sprain in record time by using the body's most adaptive healing strategies and then protects you from future sprains with a full prehab program. That is what H.E.M. does in a very simple and easy to follow way.