Prevent An Ankle Sprain Before It Happens
Ankle sprains are a pain, and not just because they hurt. When your ankle is injured, you are forced to rest and must avoid many of your normal activities. If you twist, turn or roll your ankle in an awkward way, the ligaments that help hold your ankle bones together may become stretched or even torn. Most sprained ankles can be remedied with R.I.C.E. treatment: Rest, Ice the area, use Compression and Elevate the foot above your head. However, if you experience significant swelling, pain even when non-weight bearing, change in color, numbness or the inability to put any weight on your foot, it’s time to come in for a visit. You may have injured your ankle beyond a simple sprain. Recurrent ankle sprains, without complete healing in between, can lead to a troublesome problem called chronic ankle instability. With this syndrome, the ankle can give way at any time while walking or even just standing.
How to Avoid Ankle Sprains
Always choose athletic shoes to fit the sport. Basketball shoes must support the ankle. Invest in good quality running shoes to handle the stress on the ankle ligaments. Hiking shoes must have adequate ankle support to help your ankle adjust to each terrain.
Stretch before and after exercise.
Build ankle strength with squats, lunges, dips and rubber band strengthening workouts.
Strengthen leg, foot, hip and core muscles for better support and alignment.
Work on your balance so you can quickly respond to any changes. Tai Chi is a gentle exercise that can help improve your balance, as can yoga.
Ankle sprains, especially sever ones are serious injuries because they can cause long-term pain as well as chronic ankle instability. While we often think we can self-diagnose why take the chance? Let us help with your ankle sprain. Proper treatment and complete healing is essential to avoiding long-term issues. If you think you have sprained your ankle or suffered some other type of mechanical foot or ankle injury, please contact Sims & Associates Podiatry today. We be happy to assess your injury and discuss proper treatment options so that your foot or ankle injury heals properly so you can avoid other injuries and long-term issues.
