Ankle Sprain
Ankle sprains are a common injury in sports that involve turning/twisting and jumping quickly. There are 3 main ligaments on the outside of the ankle (anterior talo-fibular ligament, posterior talo-fibular ligament, calcaneo-fibular ligament). Normally the outside ligaments of the ankle are sprained, however sometimes the injury is not solely to the ligaments with tendon damage also seen in the peroneus longus and/or brevis. Whilst not as common as spraining the outside of the ankle, the ligaments on the inside of the ankle (tibo-talar ligament, tibiocalcaneo, tibionavicualr ligaments) can be sprained too. Both types of ankle sprains normally have associated swelling and bruising which can take weeks to fully settle.
Some people can have a high ankle sprain (syndesmosis) at the inferior tibo-fibular joint and this normally occurs when the foot is rotated out and is twisted on. Sometimes with severe ankle sprains when it is difficult to weight bear, further investigations may be required to check the bone has not been injured. Decreased proprioception and lower limb motor control may put individuals more at risk of the injury occurring than others.
What you can do:
Following an ankle sprain; the use of Ice, elevation, analgesics and compression should be followed to optimise recovery after injury. After the resolution of the acute pain, exercise and proprioceptive exercise should be started.
How we can help:
It is important to rehabilitate the ankle as re-occurring ankle sprains are more likely after initial injury. This can lead to further time away from your usual activities including sport with more pain and swelling. Physiotherapy treatment consists of soft tissue massage techniques, joint mobilisation electrotherapy, taping techniques and exercise prescription.
Benefits of treatment:
-Reduce pain
-Reduce swelling
-Return to sporting activity quicker
-Reduce risk of injury re-occurrence with rehab
Call today if you have any questions about your injury or if you want to book in to see one of our physiotherapists.
To arrange an appointment or speak to a physiotherapist, call or email on:
Southend on Sea: 01702 521 042 or info@physioacademy.co.uk
Chelmsford: 01245 254 069 or chelmsford@physioacademy.co.uk
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