All You Need to Know About Ankle Sprains A sprained ankle need not cause serious health issues. However, not taking proper care of it and repeated sprains could cause more damage Lack of ankle mobility is a common problem among both athletes and the general population. Lack of ankle mobility can affect knee function. For athletes, poor ankle mobility affects running, squatting, and overall performance and can have far-reaching implications for their career. Yet, people often disregard taking proper care of this very important joint in our body. Ankle sprains are some of the most common injuries. A sprain is basically a twist but one which results in swelling and pain. This could be indications of your ankle ligaments being torn. Ankle injuries could be minor, but not all are like that. Severe sprains or repeated sprain incidents could result in the person developing long-term weakness and pain in the joints. Ankle sprain must be treated immediately to prevent longer term ankle problems from developing.
How Ankles Get Sprained Ankle sprains generally occur with shifting movements of your whole leg while your foot is firmly planted. This typically happens in a football tackle or in soccer where the ankle gets rolled outward while the foot gets turned inward causing the ankle’s outside ligaments to stretch and even tear. In rarer instances the ankle could roll inward with the foot turning outward which causes damage to inside ligaments of the ankle.
Not All Ankle Sprains are caused by Sports Sports activities need not be the only cause of ankle sprains and injuries. Physical fitness activities or even stepping down at an unusual angle or on an unusual surface could cause sprains. The mildness or severity of an ankle sprain varies depending on the extent of damage to the ligament and also the number of ligaments injured. Ligaments are very important parts of a joint. As with other joints, the ankle ligaments keep the joint and bones in position, protecting the joint from unusual twisting, rolling and turning. But being elastic in structure, the ligaments could stretch beyond their range of flexibility which causes the sprain.
Levels of Sprains • A mild sprain, Grade 1 sprain, could be identified with a stiff, swollen and tender ankle. You can walk even if you have a mild sprain. It’s just that you’ll have a little pain. • More serious sprains, Grade 2 sprains, would involve tenderness and bruising in the ankle area and walking could get more painful. • A severe Grade 3 sprain tears the elastic fibers that make up the ligaments causing an unstable ankle that gives out or feels wobbly. This instability and pain could make walking nearly impossible. Standing on your feet would also be difficult since the ankle would not be able to bear any load placed on it.
Diagnosis
Ankle sprains are easy to diagnose, since the patient’s symptoms and description of the injury and circumstances leading to it are suggestive of the condition. An X-ray would be taken to rule out any fractures. In the case of mild sprains, the doctor may not prescribe an X-ray. Some extremely severe cases may require an MRI in addition to an X-ray to correctly determine if the cause of the pain and discomfort is ankle sprain or cartilage damage, or fractures in any of the other bones located near the ankle.
Non-surgical Treatment Most ankle sprains can be treated non-surgically. The more severe the sprain, the greater is the time it takes for recovery. With severe sprains you’d find it very difficult to apply weight on your feet, so you may need assistance even to stand. This would require immobilization to ensure complete healing, particularly for athletes since the stress of their game should not the cause the injury to return and weaken the ankle. Initial treatment for ankle sprain involves icing the ankle every two or three hours for around 20 minutes, using ACE wrap for compression, and raising the ankle above the nose level.
Physical Therapy and Immobilization Physical therapy is absolutely vital. It helps in strengthening the muscles surrounding the ankle and facilitates better and quicker recovery. Cartilage damage may demand surgery. Protecting the ankle is very important for its healing. Immobilization is suggested for even complete ligament tears to heal. This period of rest may also involve a certain amount of regulated ankle movement. This process of healing might take four to six weeks depending on the severity of the tear.
Even the severest of sprains, called the Grade 3 sprain, could be successfully treated in a non-surgical manner through the aforementioned measures as well as the use of a cast-brace or leg cast.
Rehabilitation The rehabilitation stage is an integral period in the ankle sprain treatment process since it determines how the injured ankle can be used again, and its range of motion. • This is where electrical stimulation and ultrasound are used to reduce the swelling and the pain. • Controlled movements are recommended at this stage and land-based or water-based strengthening exercises are also prescribed. • Gradually, endurance activities and lower extremity activities are added depending on how the ankle tolerates the load of activity. • Propioception training is important too. Lack of propioception results in unstable ankle joint and repeated spraining. • As the pain subsides, agility drills and other such exercises are also added.
Elements of the Recovery Process The ankle sprain recovery process consists of the following stages: • Protecting and resting the ankle in a week – the swelling should reduce by now • Restoring motion range, flexibility and strength of the ankle in one to two weeks
• Gradually performing activities not requiring twisting or turning of the ankle followed by activities (athletic activities) requiring sudden and sharp turns such as tennis, soccer or basketball. This final recovery stage could last for weeks or even months
Preventing Repeated Ankle Sprains Repeated ankle sprains could make it weak and prone to early arthritis and prolonged discomfort and disability. And this does not apply to athletes alone. • For women, walking around in heels more than 3 inches high increases the risk of sprained ankles • Jogging on less-than-ideal uneven surfaces and using improper shoes could also accentuate the chances of contracting sprain These are some of the factors that contribute to the nonathlete category of the around 28,000 ankle injuries each day in America. For athletes, trying to get back to the game before complete healing of an injured ankle is also a major factor in worsening the condition. By nature, ankle sprains are minor injuries but leaving them unattended or hastening the rehabilitation process could be dangerous. Consult an orthopedic specialist at an experienced multi-specialty healthcare and rehabilitation center to treat the condition effectively. Posted by HealthQuest http://www.hqbk.com/