Ankle sprains

AN Educational THREAD

An ankle sprain is an injury due to over stretching or tearing of the lateral ligaments of the ankle . The lateral ligaments are the mostly prone to injury due to their their location in the ankle area ,found below the bone on the outside of your ankle .

The ligament on the inside of your ankle can also sprain but it most commonly happens on the outside ligaments.

There are 3 ligaments found in that area namely the anterior & posterior talofibular and calcaneofibula ligaments. Although the technicalities of the names do not matter it is important for your doctor to note which ligament are injured so that it can be treated accordingly.

There are 2 types of ankle sprains namely acute and chronic . An acute ankle sprain refers to the first time ligament injury that takes place, and depending on the severity of the injury will resolve without any medical treatment.

A chronic ankle sprain refers to having had a sprain in the past but due to not getting sufficient treatment , you experience sprains over and over again due to ankle instability.

Cause and risk factors
Ankle sprains are generally caused by :
1. Instability in the ankle
2. Contacts sports
3. Incorrect footwear
4. Obesity
5. A fall that causes your ankle to twist
6. Walking or excercises on an uneven surface

Symptoms
•Pain and tenderness when you bear weight on affected foot
•Swelling and bruising on the outside of your ankle
• Not being able to move your ankle the way you're used to moving it or restricted range in motion
•Popping sound or sensation at the time of the injury

Take home message

Not all ankle sprains are equal, some are more severe and need medical attention. The safe thing to do when you suspect an ankle sprain is to do a self evaluation. Look for swelling, bruising and excruciating pain . These will tell you about the severity .

If swelling is minimal , no sign of bruising and pain is tolerable then you are mostly dealing with a mild sprain and can treat this at home and should take up to 3 weeks to heal.

If you have done your evaluation and you still experience the above mentioned symptoms after 3 weeks then you should consult with your Podiatrist or Physiotherapist.

If there is severe pain , swelling and bruising you should immediately consult with your GP , Podiatrist or Physiotherapist to rule out fracture of the ankle joint and tearing of surrounding soft tissues such as tendons .

The risk of leaving a severe ankle sprain untreated is the development of ankle instability which can lead to re injury to the ankle ligaments . https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/recovering_from_an_ankle_sprain