Ankle feels so weak after got an ankle injury... The ligaments got damaged... So, how to strengthen the ankle after that...?
This is a common problem for all basketballers, Ankle injury.
What happens is that the ligaments get damaged, and as a result the nerves that tell your muscles exactly where you ankle is, do not work properly. This is called proprioception. The result of this impairment of proprioception is that if you step on an uneven surface, or your ankle is slightly tilted as you run or turn, this is not detected soon enough by the muscles, which do not support the ankle correctly, and so it just gives way.
Part of the rehabilitation after an ankle injury should be re-training of proprioception and strengthening of the muscle groups that support the ankle. This is usually done on a wobble board. This is a bit like one of those boards with a large rubber ball incorporated into the middle of it, that are used as a children's game. You stand on the board, which is unstable, and have to keep shifting your weight and the angle of your feet and ankles in order to maintain your balance. If this is done frequently enough, the ankle can be re-trained to perceive changes in position quickly enough for it not to turn over so easily. I think you should ask about going to your local physiotherapy department to be started on this training, as well as general muscle strengthening exercises.
While recovery is taking place, you may be able to compete to some extent if you have sufficient support for your ankle. Crepe bandages and elastic ankle supports are really no good. You need a rigid support, and if you re not already using one, try and get hold of one, usually sports shops sell them. They look like a U-shaped piece of plastic that fits under your foot and either side of your ankle, and is held in place by an elasticated sock-like device. They can be very helpful, but the long-term answer is to do those exercises.
In extreme circumstances, if the ligaments are too badly damaged to recover at all, then sometimes and operation can be done to repair it. For this you would need to see a specialist, and if you do not improve with the measures I have suggested, then I think you should ask your GP to refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon who has an interest in sports injuries.
This is a common problem for all basketballers, Ankle injury.
What happens is that the ligaments get damaged, and as a result the nerves that tell your muscles exactly where you ankle is, do not work properly. This is called proprioception. The result of this impairment of proprioception is that if you step on an uneven surface, or your ankle is slightly tilted as you run or turn, this is not detected soon enough by the muscles, which do not support the ankle correctly, and so it just gives way.
Part of the rehabilitation after an ankle injury should be re-training of proprioception and strengthening of the muscle groups that support the ankle. This is usually done on a wobble board. This is a bit like one of those boards with a large rubber ball incorporated into the middle of it, that are used as a children's game. You stand on the board, which is unstable, and have to keep shifting your weight and the angle of your feet and ankles in order to maintain your balance. If this is done frequently enough, the ankle can be re-trained to perceive changes in position quickly enough for it not to turn over so easily. I think you should ask about going to your local physiotherapy department to be started on this training, as well as general muscle strengthening exercises.
While recovery is taking place, you may be able to compete to some extent if you have sufficient support for your ankle. Crepe bandages and elastic ankle supports are really no good. You need a rigid support, and if you re not already using one, try and get hold of one, usually sports shops sell them. They look like a U-shaped piece of plastic that fits under your foot and either side of your ankle, and is held in place by an elasticated sock-like device. They can be very helpful, but the long-term answer is to do those exercises.
In extreme circumstances, if the ligaments are too badly damaged to recover at all, then sometimes and operation can be done to repair it. For this you would need to see a specialist, and if you do not improve with the measures I have suggested, then I think you should ask your GP to refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon who has an interest in sports injuries.
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