Foot Eversion Injuries: Guide and Prevention

Written by Zita Sham, Fairuuz Saleh and Shiv Mohan Banka, Principal Physiotherapists at Phoenix Rehab.Clinically reviewed by Louise Yow, Principal Physiotherapist and Director, AHPC A1300363H.Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

An eversion injury is the less common way to hurt an ankle. The foot is forced to turn outward, and the damage is on the inner side, at the deltoid ligament. It deserves more caution than the usual rolled ankle because the force it takes often injures a second structure: the ligament that binds the two leg bones together just above the ankle (a high ankle sprain), or a bone, sometimes as far up as the fibula just below the knee. This guide covers what eversion is, how the injury happens, when it needs an x-ray, and what the rehab involves.

What Is Foot Eversion?

Foot eversion is the natural movement where the sole of your foot everts, or turns outwards, away from the body’s midline. This movement mainly happens at the subtalar joint, located just below the ankle joint. Eversion plays a key role in shock absorption and maintaining balance during walking and standing, particularly during the stance stage of gait.

Difference Between Eversion and Inversion

Eversion is the opposite movement of inversion. In inversion, the sole turns inwards, often leading to the typical ankle sprain. Eversion, on the other hand, shifts the heel bone outward. While inversion sprains affect the lateral ligaments (outside of the ankle), eversion sprains impact the medial ligaments (inner side), which are stronger and less prone to injury. When damaged, it’s usually more severe.

Understanding Eversion Injuries

An eversion ankle sprain happens when the ankle rolls inward too far. As a result, it stretches or tears the deltoid ligament complex, a strong group of ligaments on the inner side of the ankle joint. These sprains often occur due to high impact or unusual foot movement, such as landing on uneven ground or a misstep while carrying body weight.

Injury to the Deltoid Ligament Complex

The deltoid ligament provides strong support to the medial side of the ankle. When it tears, the inner ankle swells and hurts, and the joint can feel unstable. It commonly takes weeks to months of protected, graded loading to settle, rather than rest alone.

Eversion Fractures and Severe Cases

In more severe cases, eversion injuries involve fractures of the ankle or lower leg bones, and the tibia and fibula can be pushed apart. Doctors use the Ottawa ankle rules to decide who needs an x-ray: you could not take four steps on the foot straight after the injury or when you are first examined, or the back edge or tip of either ankle bone is tender to press. After an eversion injury, pain high on the outer leg just below the knee also needs an x-ray of the whole leg, not only the ankle, because the fibula can break up there.

How Eversion Injuries Differ from Common Ankle Sprains

Unlike lateral ankle sprains, which are often mild, eversion injuries are usually more serious and less frequent. Because the ankle muscles and ligaments on the inner side are stronger, it takes more force to cause injury. As a result, when an eversion injury does occur, it often signals a higher degree of trauma, sometimes involving multiple joints, tendons, or bones.

Causes and Risk Factors

Common causes of eversion foot injuries include:

Flat feet or collapsed arches, which some people link to overpronation

High-impact sports like football or basketball
Wearing shoes with poor arch or heel support
Running or walking on uneven ground
Weakness in ankle muscles or poor posture

Risk increases with activities that involve sudden changes in direction or long periods of weight-bearing.

Signs and Symptoms of an Eversion Injury

Typical signs include:

Inner ankle swelling and pain
Bruising and tenderness on the medial side of the ankle
Limited range of movement
Difficulty bearing body weight
Ongoing foot pain during walking or standing

Diagnosing an Eversion Injury

A clinician will conduct a physical exam and review your history of injury or discomfort. They may test foot function, gait, and balance, and will ask about how the injury occurred, focusing on the direction of force.

Specific tests like the eversion stress test (applying an outward force to the foot while stabilizing the ankle) can help identify ligament damage. Moreover, X-rays, ultrasound, or MRI may be used to detect fractures, ligament tears, or other soft tissue damage.

Treatment options for eversion injuries

Treatment depends on what was injured, which is why the x-ray question comes first.

Mild sprain of the deltoid ligament: protect it for the first few days with a brace or taping, control the swelling, and keep walking as much as it allows.
Moderate sprain: a walking boot for a period your doctor sets, then graded rehab.
A fracture, a high ankle sprain with the leg bones separating, or a complete ligament tear: these are a surgeon’s decision, and some need an operation.

Early on, the job is to settle the swelling and protect the inner ankle without letting the calf and balance fade from disuse.

What physiotherapy does after an eversion injury

Rehab works through protection, movement, strength and return to sport, and moves on when each is measured rather than when the pain is gone. That includes:

Ankle range, and calf and foot strength, measured against the other side
Balance training, standing on the injured leg, progressed to unstable surfaces and eyes closed
Hop and change-of-direction work before any return to court or field sport
A plan for bracing or taping during the first months back in sport

The ankle usually stops hurting well before balance and hop control are back to the level of the other side. That gap is where a second sprain comes from, so it is tested, not guessed.

Lowering the risk of another one

Most of the prevention research is on the common rolled-in ankle sprain, but the principles carry across:

Balance training. A few months of it after the first sprain is the best-supported way to lower the risk of another.
A brace or tape for the first season back in sport.
Calf and ankle strength, kept up after the rehab ends.
Shoes replaced when the heel has worn down or the back of the shoe has collapsed.

If flat feet make your ankles roll inward, an insole may make standing and walking more comfortable. The evidence that insoles prevent sprains is thin, so treat it as comfort rather than protection.

When to see a doctor

Call 995 or go to A&E now if:

the ankle or foot looks deformed or out of place
bone is showing, or the skin over the ankle is broken over a possible fracture
the foot is cold, pale or numb

See a doctor on the same day if:

you could not take four steps on it after the injury
the tip or back edge of either ankle bone is tender to press
you have pain high on the outer leg just below the knee

Make an appointment soon if:

the ankle still feels unstable or gives way after one to two weeks
swelling on the inner ankle has not started to settle after two weeks
this is your second or third sprain of the same ankle. Repeated sprains are the usual route to an ankle that keeps giving way

Conclusion

Eversion injuries are less common than rolled ankles and more often come with a second injury, so the first job is ruling out a fracture or a high ankle sprain. After that, rehab is measured: balance, hop and strength side to side before you go back to sport.

Where are you with this right now?

1. It is settling on its own

Foot and ankle problems are slow but usually very treatable. Months rather than weeks is normal, and improvement is judged over a month, not a day. If the first steps in the morning are easier than they were four weeks ago, you are on the right road. You do not need us for this, and we would rather say so.

2. It has stopped improving

The first ten steps out of bed are still the worst part of the day. You choose shoes by how long you will be standing. You still look at the ground when you walk.

Symptoms settle well before the tissue has rebuilt its capacity, which is why stopping the loading work early is the most common reason this drags on for years. That is the gap worth measuring, and it is not measured by how you feel on the day.

The Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same therapist, because what a joint does under load cannot be read in one visit. The first finds what is limiting it. The next two measure how it responds. $690, nett, no GST, which is three appointments at $230.

What our patients say

Google reviews from our clinics in Singapore.

       
 Excellent5.0545 reviews
 5.0
 Excellent545 reviews
  Write a review 
 
 
 
    
 
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Micah 
 34 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Amazing experience with Phoenix Rehab, was assisted by Mavis. She’s very kind and professional and did thorough check on my wrist. I feel very comfortable during the process.

I went in for thermoplastic splint, and everything went smoothly. She was able to address my needs on my left wrist sprain.

They were prompt with appointment process and inquiry. Also the clinic is very close to Tanjong Pagar MRT. I highly recommend!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Chiky Phan 
 38 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Fist time doing ultrasound for my tennis elbow!! Let’s hope it gets better the next few weeks!! Thank Mavis Tham!!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   XIN WANG 
 55 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Great treatment from my therapist. My painful wrist felt a lot of relief after the session. I’m glad I can slowly get back to doing my usual activities without constant pain.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Abby Lee 
 71 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Very helpful and friendly !
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   雪梅Cui 
 109 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
The masseur is very professional and provides excellent service ，yati is very good!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Tra Nguyen 
 200 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
I wasn’t able to close my fingers due to an injury. Nurul at Phoenix Rehab has helped me tremendously with my recovery process. I have been able to resume my daily activities and exercises after only a few sessions. Nurul has been very professional and positive throughout the entire process. Thank you so much for your help!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Juzer K 
 238 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Huge shoutout to Yuna Zhang from Phoenix Rehab for helping in my recovery from golfer’s elbow 🙌

I walked in with persistent elbow pain that was affecting workouts and everyday tasks, and Yuna immediately made me feel confident I was in the right hands. She took the time to properly assess my condition, explain the root cause, and tailor a treatment plan to my specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

What I really appreciated was how personalised every session felt. The exercises she gave me were practical, easy to follow, and actually worked. Within a short time, the pain reduced significantly and my strength and mobility improved much faster than I expected.

On top of that, the pricing is very reasonable and affordable, which made committing to recovery much easier.

Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring — highly recommend Yuna at Phoenix Rehab if you’re dealing with hand-related sports injuries 💪
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Fazal Hanafi Chaudhry 
 322 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
I enjoy coming to Phoenix rehab as they offer a wide variety of services. I had a finger accident and was working with a very experienced hand therapist. Place is clean and comfortable.  Staff were friendly and appointment was on time
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Stella Yam 
 463 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Very good
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Juliana 
 465 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Have both physio n Tcm visits here, highly recommend!
  
 
 
  
 
 
   Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more

3. You have had surgery, or you have a date

Recovery after an operation has a shape, and knowing which stage you are in tells you whether you are on it. See the recovery programs, or ankle physiotherapy if you are not sure which applies to you.

All of it runs on the same four stages. The Phoenix Recovery Protocol explains what each stage works on and what you have to meet to move up. No referral needed to start.

Next step

Find out which stage you are in

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. One Assessment and Treatment is a single 45-minute appointment at $230, nett, no GST. Your therapist finds what is actually limiting you, treats it in the same appointment, and you leave with your current stage and a written plan.

WhatsApp us

Prefer to phone? Each of our five clinics has its own number on the clinics page. No referral needed to book.