A sprained ankle is a common injury suffered by tennis players. In racquet sports like tennis, you are often positioned on the balls of your feet, you place your lower leg through a wide range of motion, and you are prone to sudden bursts of movement. These factors put a great deal of stress on the lower leg and the ligaments of the ankle.
Ligaments of Your Ankle
Your ankle ligaments hold your ankle bones and joints in position and protect you from unusual movements that cause your ankle to move beyond its normal motions. Such motions might be twisting, rolling or landing on an uneven surface. When this occurs, your body's center of gravity rolls over your ankle. Ligaments are elastic in nature, and a sprain occurs when a ligament is stretched beyond its normal range while in one of these unusual positions. Three-quarters of ankle injuries involve the lateral (meaning outside of your foot) ligaments. These are the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) and the posterior tibiofibular ligament (PTL).
Types of Ankle Sprains
If you suffer a grade I sprain while playing tennis, you will have mild swelling and tenderness and it will hurt to bear weight on your ankle. A grade I sprain means you have stretched your ATFL.
If you suffer a grade II sprain during your game, you will have pain, moderate swelling and bruising, and you will find it difficult to put weight on your ankle. Grade II sprains mean you have torn your ATFL and might also have a tear in your CFL.
A grade III sprain will be very painful, have diffuse swelling and bruising, and you will not be able to put any weight on your foot. This means you have torn both ATFL, CFL and may also have torn your PTFL.
Treatment for Your Ankle Sprain
The treatment for your ankle sprain is related to the severity of your sprain. Rest, ice, compression bandages and elevation are always appropriate. For a mild sprain, you may be on crutches for a few days until you can comfortably bear weight. For grade II and grade III sprains, it may take longer for your ligament to heal, but you will usually be healed within two and six weeks. Your health care professional may recommend further tests and treatments. Rehabilitation exercises may be appropriate.
Tennis Tips
Hard surface courts such as cement, asphalt and synthetic courts may increase your risk of a sprain since a harder surface places more stress on your lower leg. The type of shoe you wear should take into account your foot's characteristics such as pronation or low arches so that you can use the shoe that will give you the most support. Warm-up exercises that focus on flexibility, stretching and strengthening of the lower leg and ankle region may help prevent ankle sprains. If you are new to the sport of tennis, it is a good idea to start gradually and build up your strength and mobility.
Always seek the advice of a heath care professional or experienced trainer for any specific questions related to your fitness or health.
References
- "Australian Family Physician"; Sports and Ankle Injuries; Drew Slimmon and Peter Brukner; Jan/Feb 2010
- "Bulletin of the NYU Hospital for Joint Disease"; Acute and Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability in the Athlete; KW Chan, et al.; 2011
- "Sports Medicine"; Common Sports Injuries in Young Tennis Players; J Bylak and MR Hutchinson MR; August 1998
- "Neale's Disorders of the Foot"; Donald Lorimer, et al.; 2002
