The Journal of Athletic Training, the scientific publication of the National Athletic Trainers' Association, published a thematic issue focusing on ankle sprains and instability.
Ankle sprains are the most common injury in athletes and people who engage in physical activity, according to research from Jay Hertel, PhD, and Thomas Kaminski, PhD, published in the Journal of Athletic Training in June.
Five findings from the thematic issue on ankle sprains and instability:
1. Roughly 2 million ankle sprains occur in the U.S. annually.
2. Up to 70 percent of people who experience acute ankle pain may develop residual physical disability.
3. Exercise-based prevention programs can decrease the risk of ankle sprains by 28 percent and all ankle injuries by 47 percent, according to research published in the journal by Dr. Kaminski in June.
4. People who didn't seek medical treatment after developing chronic ankle instability following an initial sprain recorded worse self-reported function than those who did seek treatment after their first sprain.
5. These individuals also reported more recurrent ankle sprains since the original injury than people who received medical attention initially.