Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Sprained ankles are serious joint injuries
Sprained ankles are very common injuries to the joint, but many people don’t take them seriously. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIM/NIH):
The most common sports injuries are:
- Sprains and strains
- Knee injuries
- Swollen muscles
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Pain along the shin bone
- Fractures
- Dislocations
The New York Times reports that many people don’t take sprained ankles seriously, but this can actually hurt the joint and cause it to be weak and unstable and prone to additional sprains.
According to the article, there are usually 25,000 ankle sprains every day in the US, but ankle sprains are often mistreated or not treated at all, and therefore reoccur often and result in chronic symptoms.
Athlete ankle injuries
The National Athletic Trainer’s Association held their annual meeting in San Antonio recently where experts who work with college athletes looked at new research for methods on how to prevent ankle sprains from reoccurring, including:
- 30-40% of people with ankle sprains end up with chronic long-term problems.
- ankles should be immobilized to protect the joint.
- the injured ligaments need time to heal—one week for simple sprains, 10-14 days for moderate sprains, and 4-6 weeks for severe sprains.
- lack of pain is not the best indicator of injury and doesn’t mean the injured ligaments have healed.
Ankle joints are vulnerable
Ankles join the lower leg bones to the foot and are held together by ligaments. Sprains result when the ligaments are stretched too far, or tear partly or completely.
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institute of Medicine, National institute of Health (NIM/NIH):
Causes of ankle sprains:
- turning the foot to an uncomfortable degree relative to the ankle
- stepping up or down on an uneven surface
- wearing shoes with platform soles or high heels
- stepping off curbs or steps
- stepping into a hole
- stepping on an object
- coming down wrong after jumping
- making quick directional changes
Immediate treatment of ankle sprains—RICE
- Rest —stay off the injured ankle
- Ice —use cloth-wrapped ice pack applied for 20 minutes once every hour
- Compression -wrap it in an Ace bandage
- Elevation -raise the ankle higher than the heart
Follow this treatment with:
- visit to doctor, physical therapist, or professional trainer
- stay off the ankle
- do some rehabilitation exercises
- anti-inflammatory drugs can help with the pain
- crutches
- use a brace to provide ligaments with rest and reduce the risk of re-injury
- in a week start to exercise gently
Rehabilitation should include:
- range-of-motion exercises
- stretching exercises
- strength training
- balance training
Prevention includes wearing proper shoes that are comfortable and supportive and for the appropriate sport or activity.
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