Q. I sprained my ankle three months ago and although the swelling has gone down and I am walking better, I still can’t play basketball because of pain on the outer side of my ankle, and my ankle also feels that it might “rollover” again.

A. It sounds as though have not fully rehabilitated your ankle sprain. Ankle sprains range in severity from mild to severe. We also grade them 1, 2 and 3 based on whether it is a slight ligament stretch (Grade 1), a mild to moderate ligament stretch (Grade 2), or a complete ligament tear (Grade 3).

If you can prevent swelling and stiffness in the early phases after a sprain, the overall recovery is much quicker. Once a ligament is stretched it almost never tightens up but the ankle can again feel stable especially with proper rehabilitation. Rehab involves regaining full motion and strength, especially of the small peroneal muscle group on the outer side of the ankle. Balance or proprioception training is also important to regain confidence in your ankle.

If after adequate rehabilitation you continue to sprain your ankle then the ligaments can be tightened up surgically but this is usually not needed in most cases.