Could Old Ankle Sprains Hamper Fitness Efforts?
Have you been seeing an increase in lateral ankle pain among baby boomers who have recently resumed regular exercising or sports activities? Sports medicine experts say the pain may be the result of old ankle sprains that haven’t healed properly and recommend checking the ankles of these patients for chronic instability. An estimated 25 percent of sports injuries involve the foot or ankle, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), and a majority of these result from incomplete rehabilitation of earlier injuries. Robert Duggan, DPM, says rigorous physical activity for these patients may cause persistent pain and swelling, and increase the risk for further damage to improperly healed ligaments. When it comes to diagnosis, Mark Dollard, DPM, says it is easy to identify the major classic injuries of torn ligaments and bone fracture with stress testing. However, he cautions that initial diagnostic tests may miss the hidden tears in the peroneal tendons, osteochon
