Chronic Ankle Instability: Why Your Ankle Keeps Rolling

If you sprained your ankle months ago and you’re still experiencing ankle pain, you may have a condition known as chronic ankle instability (CAI). This condition happens when the outer side of the ankle is weakened and consistently gives way during everyday movements like walking, going up or down stairs, and running. It's more common than most people realize, with research finding that around 25% of physically active individuals have chronic ankle instability. Some groups of people, like athletes or those who spend a lot of time on their feet for work, have rates of CAI as high as 53%. 

Read on to learn exactly how an ankle sprain can turn into a chronic ankle problem, what can help strengthen and heal your ankle, and where to find the best podiatrist in Los Angeles for minimally invasive treatment of ankle instability. 

Persistent Ankle Sprains or Chronic Ankle Instability: How to Tell the Difference

An ankle sprain and chronic ankle instability are both frustrating ankle conditions, but they are not the same thing. When you sprain your ankle, the ligaments on the outer side stretch or tear. For most people, those ligaments heal with rest and time. But when the ankle keeps feeling sore or giving way weeks, months, or even years after the original injury, it is usually because of chronic ankle instability. 

The most common symptoms of chronic ankle instability are:

• A constant feeling that the outer side of the ankle is about to buckle
• Consistently sore or tender ankle joint 
• Soreness or tenderness that worsens with certain activities, like walking, running, playing sports, or jumping 

There are two reasons chronic ankle stability happens:

• Mechanical instability: This happens when the ankle physically moves beyond its normal range of motion, often because the ligaments are too loose or damaged to hold the joint in place. 
• Functional instability: This is the feeling that the ankle is unstable due to problems with proprioception and neuromuscular control, which is the body's ability to sense where the ankle is and react fast enough to protect it. 

What Causes Chronic Ankle Instability? 

The most common starting point for chronic ankle instability is a sprain that did not heal the way it needed to. Severe or repeated ankle sprains progressively weaken the ligaments around the ankle, creating looseness that makes the joint more likely to roll. People who rush their recovery and suffer a second ankle sprain while the first ligament is still healing are especially prone to developing the chronic condition. It’s not only athletes who are at risk, but those with foot conditions like high arches or flat feet are at higher risk because these conditions place extra stress on the ankle ligaments.

The Best Non-Surgical Treatments for Chronic Ankle Instability

Most people with chronic ankle instability respond well to conservative treatments from the best podiatrist in Los Angeles. This includes:

• Physical therapy that focuses on strengthening the muscles around the ankle, improving balance and range of motion, and retraining the tissues within the ankle that control stability
• Wearing a custom ankle brace or taping the ankle during higher-risk activities 
• Choosing personalized footwear or custom orthotics with solid ankle support 
• Getting regenerative therapies that can help accelerate healing, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

When is Surgery Necessary for Chronic Ankle Instability?

Surgery for chronic ankle instability is a last resort if conservative treatments aren’t enough. When surgery is necessary, the most common procedure is the Brostrom repair, which is aimed at repairing or reconstructing the anterior talofibular ligament to restore stability to the ankle. The procedure is typically done alongside an ankle arthroscopy, where a small camera is placed inside the joint to check for cartilage damage at the same time. 

How to Prevent Chronic Ankle Instability From Getting Worse or Coming Back

Allowing a sprained ankle to fully heal before returning to weight-bearing activity is the single most effective way to prevent chronic instability from developing. Once the ankle is ready to bear the full load of your activities again, balance and proprioception training become the foundation of long-term protection of the ankle joint. 

Finding the Best Ankle Surgeon in Los Angeles for Effective Chronic Ankle Instability Treatment

A chronically unstable ankle is not something you have to live with forever. With the right diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan, a full recovery is possible. 

At Foot & Ankle Specialty Group, Dr. Soomekh brings board-certified expertise and a clear commitment to conservative, minimally invasive care. We conveniently serve patients throughout Los Angeles, from Santa Monica to West Hollywood, at our state-of-the-art clinic in Beverly Hills, equipped with in-house imaging, including low-radiation digital X-rays, 3D CT scans, and diagnostic ultrasound. 

From targeted physical therapy and regenerative treatments like PRP to precise surgical repair when it is truly warranted, we build each treatment plan around what you really need, not a one-size-fits-all protocol. 

Ready to get lasting relief from chronic ankle instability with the best ankle surgeon in Los Angeles?