A sprained ankle need not cause serious health issues. However, not taking proper care of it and repeated sprains could cause more damage

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. • 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 non-
athlete 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/