Your body moves through the use of musculoskeletal tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage) bones and joints where many of these body parts meet. You have many different joints in your body and when they’re inflamed or damaged, it can affect mobility, stability, and overall proper function of that part of the body. When you start dealing with these problems in your ankles, it can affect your ability to stand, walk, and just about anything else you do upright.
If you start feeling unsteady on your feet due to ankle problems, it can result from different causes and have lasting effects if not managed the right way. To find out more and discover how to care for this problem, we need to look at some facts about ankle instability, its causes and risk factors, and how we can treat it.
Residents of the Tarzana or Inglewood, California area dealing with ankle problems that affect stability on your feet can find help from Drs. Ashkan Sloeymani, Michael Salih, Arash Jalil, Sama Tabari and their experienced team at Cedars Foot and Ankle Center.
Also referred to as ankle laxity or functional instability, this problem in the ankle joint is the feeling of the ankle giving out, looseness, or having too much motion when trying to take a step or do something else when standing up. It can stem from issues in the joint itself, the ligaments, tendons and muscles connected to it, or even the subtalar joint located below it in your foot. The problems with the ankle can present with the ankle giving way from the outer side and rolling in, and is typical of chronic issues with the problem.
There are a few different reasons you may be struggling with this instability, including:
Repeated sprains are the most common reason for instability, which is common in about 20% of people that participate in sports. The anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), calcaneofibular ligament (CFL), or the posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL) are frequently the musculoskeletal tissue damage due to sprains that lead to chronic issues.
Treating this condition depends on the level of damage in the joint. Mild cases include physical therapy, to strengthen and retrain muscles, using braces to support the ankle to prevent further injury, and pain relievers to reduce symptoms. More severe cases can be treated with surgery to reconstruct the damaged ligaments, either through a graft or tightening the existing tissue.
Ankle problems are common, but if you’re dealing with stability issues when walking, make an appointment with Drs. Soleymani, Salih, Jalil, Tabari, and Cedars Foot and Ankle Center today.
