Hi Cougar,
First of all i would strongely recommend an ankle brace in training, this will add stability to your ankle, especially on deadlifts and squats.
Here is a site that you might want to read up on , it gives a lot of info on your injury and what can be done to help it along. It gives advice on stabalizing exercises and a progressive program.
More Info --
Risidual Ankle Instability :
Occasionally, when the ligaments heal, they are weaker or looser then prior to the injury. This results in an ankle that is more likely to be unstable and twist more easily. When this happens, PT often allows the adjacent muscles to strengthen and stabilize that joint. Sometimes, it is necessary to wear a brace when walking on uneven ground or during sports to support the ankle. Rarely, it is necessary to surgically reconstruct the ligaments. However, when it does become necessary to reconstruct the torn ligaments, the reconstruction may be done in several ways. One of the methods of reconstruction involves harvesting a portion of the peronus brevis tendon at the lateral aspect of the ankle, and then placing several drill holes around the bones of the ankle. The harvested tendon is then passed through the drill holes to reconstruct the damaged ligaments. Post operatively, a short leg cast is usually applied for approximately 6 weeks. Following this,
physical therapy is initiated to rehabilitate the ankle.
Key Rules To Treatment :
( RICE ) -- Rest , Ice , Compression , Elevation.
Grades :
Grade I Sprain
A Grade I (First Degree) sprain is the most common and requires the least amount of treatment and recovery. The ligaments connecting the ankle bones are often over-stretched, and damaged microscopically, but not actually torn. The ligament damage has occurred without any significant instability developing.
Grade II Sprain
A Grade II (Second Degree) injury is more severe and indicates that the ligament has been more significantly damaged, but there is no significant instability. The ligaments are often partially torn.
Grade III Sprain
A Grade III (Third Degree) sprain is the most severe. This indicates that the ligament has been significantly damaged, and that instability has resulted. A grade III injury means that the ligament has been torn.
The lateral ligaments are the most commonly injured. On the lateral side, the ligaments are typically damaged in a direction that goes from the front to the back, with the most severe injury being in the front (anterior) and the least severe being in the back (posterior). Therefore, the most commonly damaged ligament is the anterior talo-fibular ligament and the least commonly damaged is the posterior talofibular ligament.
The sprain occurs when the ankle is turned unexpectedly in any direction that is further than he ligaments are able to tolerate. Typically, the sprain occurs with running, jumping, sharp direction changes, or stepping on uneven ground. The risk factors for having an ankle sprain include, uneven ground, previous untreated ankle injuries, being overweight, or using poorly fitting or worn out shoes.
IMO : If your ankle rolls and twists easily like you say and is generally unstable, then I seriously advise you at least buy a brace.
An exercise that is commonly used to train the Gastrocnemius ( Inner And Outer Head ) which is where you flex your ankle to raise your body with these muscles, it can be done by standing for example on the edge of a step. This exercise although people do not realise can also over time slightly strengthen the ankle.
Hope this helps cougar, Good Luck.
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