Ankle sprains happen at any time, but knowing how to treat them is always a good idea. In this blog, we’ll be covering everything from getting started with treatment and exercises to what will happen during recovery and when you can resume your normal activities.
So let’s start with the basics. What is an ankle sprain? An ankle sprain is a partial or complete tear of the ligaments that support your ankle joint. This can happen when you twist or turn your foot in the wrong direction or because of an impact with something like a curb or wall—even if you haven’t fallen down (which is why it’s so important not to rush).
Causes
A twisting injury to the foot or ankle is a common memory for patients. Additionally, you can hear or feel a pop if the ligaments are severely torn. Sprains may occur without warning when engaging in a variety of activities, including:
- Walking or exercising on an uneven surface
- Falling down or tripping
- Participating in sports that require cutting or jumping actions, such as trail running, basketball, tennis, football, and soccer
How do you know if you have an ankle sprain?
The most common signs are pain and swelling on both sides of your lower leg, as well as tenderness just above that area. You may also feel tenderness where there was no pain before (i.e., “neuroma”), which can be caused by the overuse of muscles in that area.
How do you treat an ankle sprain?
If you’re concerned about your ankle and it’s hurting, the first thing you should do is RICE the area. This means rest, ice, compression, and elevation. The RICE treatment will help reduce swelling and inflammation in your ankle.
If that doesn’t work, then you can try some other methods of treating your sprain:
-Rest: Stop all activity until the pain subsides and the swelling has gone down.
– Ice: Applying ice to the area where you’ve injured yourself can help numb the injury temporarily until it heals over time (this can take up to several weeks).
– Compression: By reducing swelling in the affected area of your body, compression can help relieve pain. You can use a bandage or ace wrap for this purpose.
– Elevation: If your ankle is swollen or painful due to a sprain, then elevating it can be helpful. Make sure that you use pillows or blocks to elevate it enough so that it doesn’t cause further damage.
What’s next?
A consistent exercise routine, we believe, will be effective in preserving the strength and flexibility of ankle joints. Ankle stability exercises should be performed at least twice per day to strengthen ankle muscles. These include toe raises, seated heel raises, and hopped-on-one-legged toe raises. Exercises should be conducted frequently, in sets of twenty repetitions per day. It is important to maintain flexibility by wearing an athletic shoe with a flexible sole and by performing sit-and-reach stretching exercises. Tape and braces may provide additional support in the short term. The above exercises have shown promise in improving the full range of motion of the ankle and strengthening the muscles around the ankle joint, as well as decreasing pain caused by ankle sprain injuries and symptoms related to them over time.
But keep in mind that if you have any general questions about recovering from an ankle sprain or specific recovery tips, please contact us.
Here at Unique Physiotherapy and Fitness Center, we offer a unique approach to recovery and well-being. We provide the most effective physiotherapy in Abuja to assist you with your pain and injuries. Our therapists work with you to customise a relaxation programme to meet your specific needs. Book a schedule with us today.