![]() ![]() Studies have shown that people return to their normal activities sooner when their treatment emphasizes restoring ankle function - often with the aid of splints, braces, taping, or elastic bandages - rather than immobilization (such as use of a plaster cast). To recover from an ankle sprain fully, you'll need to restore the normal range of motion to your ankle joint and strengthen its ligaments and supporting muscles. How to strengthen your ankle after a sprain A review of studies involving more than 15,000 patients concluded that the Ottawa rules identified patients with ankle fractures more than 95% of the time. To screen for fracture, clinicians use a set of rules - called the Ottawa ankle rules, after the Canadian team that developed them - to identify areas of the foot where pain, tenderness, and inability to bear weight suggest a fracture. Ligament problems are the source of most ankle pain, and ligaments don't show up on regular x-rays. X-rays aren't routinely used to evaluate ankle injuries. This examination may be delayed for a few days until swelling and pain improve in the meantime, continue with the RICE regimen. ![]() He or she will examine the ankle and foot and may manipulate them in various ways to determine the type of sprain and the extent of injury. He or she may want to see you immediately if your pain and swelling are severe, or if the ankle feels numb or won't bear weight. Unless your symptoms are mild or improving soon after the injury, contact your clinician. In the first 24 hours, avoid anything that might increase swelling, such as hot showers, hot packs, or heat rubs. When seated, elevate your ankle as high as you comfortably can - to the height of your hip, if possible. To reduce swelling, compress the ankle with an elasticized wrap, such as an ACE bandage or elastic ankle sleeve. During that time, immerse your foot and ankle in cold water, or apply an ice pack (be sure to cover the ankle with a towel to protect the skin) for 15–20 minutes three times a day, or until the swelling starts to subside. If you have severe pain and swelling, rest your ankle as much as possible for the first 24–48 hours. This usually means adopting the classic RICE regimen - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. The first goal is to decrease pain and swelling and protect the ligaments from further injury. Considerable instability, loss of function and range of motion. Severe pain, swelling, tenderness, and bruising. Some loss of range of motion and function. The more severe the sprain, the longer the recovery (see "Grades of ankle sprain severity"). The severity of an ankle sprain depends on how much damage it does and how unstable the joint becomes as a result. Syndesmotic sprains, which occur most often in contact sports, are especially likely to cause chronic ankle instability and subsequent sprains. Less common are sprains affecting the ligaments of the inner ankle (medial ankle sprains) and syndesmotic sprains, which injure the tibiofibular ligaments - the ligaments that join the two leg bones (the tibia and the fibula) just above the ankle. (Ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue that connect bone to bone see illustration.) Ankle ligaments The foot rolls inward, damaging the ligaments of the outer ankle - the anterior talofibular ligament, the calcaneofibular ligament, and the posterior talofibular ligament. The most common type of ankle sprain is an inversion injury, or lateral ankle sprain. Without proper treatment and rehabilitation, a severely injured ankle may not heal well and could lose its range of motion and stability, resulting in recurrent sprains and more downtime in the future. But if an ankle sprain causes more than slight pain and swelling, it's important to see a clinician. Many people try to tough out ankle injuries and don't seek medical attention. The injury occurs when one or more of the ligaments in the ankle are stretched or torn, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. An ankle sprain is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in people of all ages, athletes and couch potatoes alike. All it takes is a simple misstep, and suddenly you have a sprained ankle. ![]()
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