Ligaments

Ligaments hold joints together. You’ll find them around every joint – knee, ankle, hip, elbow, even your jaw joint has ligaments.

On the whole they’re tough as old boots. However, it IS possible to damage them if you over-stretch them or twist them.

The most common ligament injuries are sprained ankles and knee sprains. Footballers and skiiers are notorious for damaging some of the knee ligaments. In my experience, ankle ligaments are more likely to be over-stretched by falling down a kerb. I know, stepping down a kerb isn’t normally regarded as an extreme sport, but do watch out!

Depending on the degree of damage, healing can take a long time when ligaments are sprained. The pain might go away fairly quickly, but it can be months before the area is strong enough to return safely to sport, or falling off kerbs.