Ankle Injury

The ankle joint, which connects the foot with the lower leg, is often injured.

Any unnatural twisting motion can happen when the foot is planted awkwardly, or when the ground is uneven, or when an unusual amount of force is applied to the joint.

Such injuries happen during athletic events, while running or walking, or even during everyday activities such as getting out of bed.

Ankle Sprain Causes
Ligaments are injured when a greater than normal stretching force is applied to them. This happens most commonly when the foot is turned inward or inverted. This kind of injury can happen in the following ways:

• Awkwardly planting the foot when running, stepping up or down, or during simple tasks such as getting out of bed
• Stepping on a surface that is irregular, such as stepping in a hole
• Athletic events when one player steps on another player (a common example is a basketball player who goes up for a rebound and comes down on top of another player's foot. This can cause the rebounder's foot to roll inward.)

Treatment

• Ice is the best treatment.
  
  • Applying ice to the injury will do more for most people than medications.
  • Ice counteracts the increased blood flow to the injured area.
  • It reduces the swelling, redness, and warmth.
  • Applied soon after the injury, ice prevents much of the inflammation from developing.
  • Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Use a towel between the ice and the injury, or use an ice bag. Apply ice for 20 minutes at a time, with at least 30 minutes between applications. This is to prevent frostbite, which can occur if you use ice too much or use it directly on your skin.
• Rest prevents further injury and avoids stress on already inflamed tissue.
  
  
  • Put the ankle joint at rest by wearing a brace or splint.
  • Compression wraps such as Ace bandages provide some support to prevent movement of the ankle. You should not, however, apply them too tightly.
• Elevation (keeping the injured area up as high as possible) will help the body absorb fluid that has leaked into the tissue.
  
  
  • Ideally, prop the ankle up so that it is above the level of the heart.
  • This can be done a reclining chair.
• Medication Anti-inflammatory pain medications will reduce the pain and combat the swelling. Several are available over-the-counter, such as ibuprofen.

For more information please call 020 8455 7809 or email us on info@igophysio.co.uk

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