Ankle sprains often occur while participating in sports, walking on uneven surfaces, or just awkwardly planting the foot.
The most frequent type of sprain is called an inversion sprain, which is when the outer ligaments stretch or tear as the foot is rolled outward, with the sole facing in.
Less common is a medial sprain, which is when the foot rolls inward and overstretches the inside ankle ligaments.
Dr. Bob Baravaria DPM, FACFAS is a Board-Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Specialist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and serves as Director of University Foot and Ankle Institute.
Dr. Baravarian has been involved in athletics his entire life and played competitive tennis in high school and college. He has an interest in sports medicine, arthritis therapy, and trauma/reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. He is also fluent in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Farsi, and Hebrew),