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Ankle sprains are common and potentially serious injuries. A grade 1 injury is a twist where the ligament was stretched but not torn, so recovery is fast.
A grade 2 or 3 injury means one or more ligaments were torn. The ankle swells, it hurts to walk, and the ankle feels unstable and stiff. Recovery can require 8 weeks, which is longer than it takes most simple fractures to heal. Most people take a fracture more seriously than a sprain, but a severe sprain creates more problems than a crack in a bone. Bone is the fastest healing tissue in the body, whereas ligaments heal slowly. A complete ligament tear does not reunite. Early treatment involves RICE, rest, ice, compression, and elevation. It is recommended to go to physiotherapy to have the ankle assessed. The physiotherapist will determine the grade of the sprain, and demonstrate appropriate exercises. It is important to avoid limping, because limping becomes a habit. Enough support must be provided, in the form of crutches or a splint, to ensure that weight bearing is not painful. The biggest risk of spraining the ankle is having had a previous sprain that was not correctly rehabilitated. Sensory nerve endings which are in the ligaments also tear, impairing balance. Balance exercises, which take about 5 minutes a day to complete, help to reduce the chances of another sprain. Muscles which aid good balance must be strengthened. The most common ligament sprained is the anterior talofibular ligament, a centimeter long ligament located on the lateral side of the ankle. The talus is the bone on which the leg bones sit. The anterior talofibular ligament connects the talus to the fibula, or leg bone. Sometimes the ligament pulls the talus forward at the time of injury. As a result, the ankle cannot dorsiflex fully. Because the ankle will not bend fully, the person walks with the foot turned sideways. The phsyiotherapist can correct the forward displacement of the talus by doing a quick hands on manipulation. Dorsiflexion is then full, and the person walks normally. Sometimes runners attend physiotherapy complaining of hip or knee pain. The physiotherapist notices that the person runs with the foot turned sideways. When asked, the runner remembers having sprained the ankle years ago, which was untreated. When the dorsiflexion is corrected by manipulating the talus, the hip or knee pain resolves. Years of running pain could have been avoided by having the sprained ankle assessed early. Sports injury rehabilitation, post-surgical rehabilitation, athletic taping, community gym visits, prenatal and postnatal care, post mastectomy care, whiplash disorders rehabilitation, home visits, weight loss exercise programs, repetitive strain injuries, balance programs for the elderly. You should consider visiting professional physiotherapist if you have any problems or discomfort in ankle.
For more information please visit Vancouver physiotherapists today!
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