After the summer break, you’re ready to get back into exercise. You put on your shoes, pop on your headphones and head out the door on your first run of the new year.

But as you step out onto the footpath, disaster strikes. You trip and land awkwardly.

A sharp pain shoots along the outside of your ankle. Before you know it, your ankle has swollen like a balloon. Did you sprain it or twist it? Is there’s even a difference?

People often use the terms “sprained” and “twisted” ankle interchangeably. But in practice, there is a small difference.

The ankle is a complex joint. It’s made up of three bones, the:

Several strong bands of tissue, known as ligaments, hold these three bones together to keep the joint stable. Several muscles and tendons that surround the ankle also help you maintain balance and allow you to move your ankle.

While the ankle needs to be stable enough to support your weight, it also needs to be mobile enough to allow you to walk, run and jump. This means it can move in a lot of different, and sometimes unexpected, ways.

This also makes it more vulnerable to injury. For example, when you land with your foot turned inwards, a lot of force is placed through a small area on the........

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