Sprained ankles are one of the commonest injuries in a sports person. A football player may sprain his ankle while running with the ball trying to juke his opponents and landing on the wrong foot. Such injuries are more common with basketball players.

A sprain may be caused in case the ligament or ankle joint twists more than necessary. These joints are complex in their structure and when someone sprains the ankle, one or more of the ligaments may become disrupted. Moreover, if your ankle joints are not strong, you are at a higher risk of suffering from a sprain. Therefore, it is important to perform targeted ankle exercises, which include toe raises, toe walking, step ups, and heel.

The step ups are a simple exercise that needs you to step up on a step in a controlled manner for approximately two hundred repetitions. Toe raises are similar to calf raises where you must stand on your heels, raising the ball of your foot and hold in that position for some seconds before returning to the normal position. While doing the heel and toe walk, you need to walk on your toes for thirty to sixty seconds. This must be followed by walking on your heels for the same time. However, you must ensure you do not overdo these exercises as this may lead to soreness.

Sprained ankles can be classified in three categories, which include grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3. Grade 1 is the least severe that causes mild pain and stiffness. When you suffer from grade 2 sprains, you may feel some loss of stability and swelling due to ligament tearing. The grade 3 is the severest sprain, which results in complete tearing of the ligaments. In case you are suffering from sprained ankle, you need to use an ankle brace that supports the ankle properly.