Ankle injuries are frequently considered sports injuries. However, one doesn’t need to be a sportsperson to hurt themselves. Simply walking around on an uneven surface can cause a severe injury.
Causes of Ankle Injuries:
- Tripping or falling while walking or running.
- Landing awkwardly after a jump during sports or simply during playtime.
- Walking or running on uneven surfaces.
- An accident, for example, a sudden impact, a car crash or hitting the foot into something with a sudden burst of energy.
- Rolling the ankle without warming up and cramping the tendons.
- Wearing unfit and high heeled shoes.
Types of Ankle Injuries:
- Tendinitis
- Achilles Tendon Rupture
- Anterior Ankle Impingement
- Heel Spur
- Calf Muscle Tear
- High Ankle Sprain
- Overuse Injuries
- Muscle Strain
- Pinched Nerve
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Severs Disease
- Sprained Ankle
- Shin Splints
- Stress Fracture
Symptoms:
Signs and side effects of an injured ankle differ contingent upon the seriousness of the injury:
- Pain, especially when you bear weight on the affected foot.
- Tenderness when you touch the ankle.
- Swelling.
- Bruising.
- Restricted range of motion.
- Instability in the ankle to support the weight.
- Popping sensation or sound at the time of injury.
Risk factors:
- Ankle injuries are normal wounds, especially in sports requiring cutting action, jumping, twisting or rolling the foot, like tennis, trail running, football, basketball, and soccer.
- Ankle injury risk could be increased when the person is walking or running through uneven surfaces or unfortunate field conditions.
- A person is bound to injure it again whenever they’ve already sustained an injury to their ankle.
- When a person is physically unfit, they are at increased risk of an ankle injury while participating in sports or any physical activity.
- Shoes that don’t fit as expected or aren’t proper for the action make ankles more prone to injury.
Complications:
Neglecting to treat an injured ankle appropriately, and exercising too early in the wake of injury could prompt the accompanying difficulties for the person:
- Chronic ankle pain
- Chronic ankle joint instability
- Arthritis in the ankle joint
Prevention of Injury:
The accompanying tips can assist with forestalling an ankle injury:
- Warm up before exercising.
- Be cautious while dealing with an uneven surface.
- Utilise ankle brace on a recent injury that it endured.
- Wear shoes that fit and are made for action.
- Limit wearing high-heeled shoes.
- Try to engage in sports and exercises that allow the person to evolve.
- Keep up with maintaining a healthy physical body.
- Practice exercises that improve balance.
Diagnosis:
The PCP will inspect the lower leg, ankle, and foot during a physical. The specialist will feel the skin around the injury to check for points of delicacy and move the foot to get the scope of movement and get what positions cause uneasiness or strain. The physiotherapist might suggest at least one of the scans.
- X-ray
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- CT Scan
- Ultrasound
Treatment:
Treatment for the wounds differs depending upon the injury.
- Rest, ice, pressure, and rise (RICE) can treat most strains and injuries.
- Immobilisation utilising a splint or cast for support.
- Anti-inflammatory medications to lessen pain.
- Non-intrusive treatment for strength, balance, and action.
- Ankles brace offers help during exercises.
- Surgeries to fix the ligament and fix the foot’s structure designs.
Ligaments assist with balancing joints and forestalling inordinate development. An ankle injury happens when the ligaments are constrained past their ordinary scope of movement. It is crucial to look for clinical consideration at the earliest opportunity for an ankle injury; particularly assuming it makes an individual limp or has started to swell. Quick and suitable treatment and rehabilitation guarantee the ideal recovery.
References:
Academy, P. (n.d.). Ankle sprain. Ankle Sprain | Musculoskeletal conditions | Conditions | Physio Academy | Physiotherapy in Chelmsford and Southend, Essex. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.physioacademy.co.uk/conditions/musculoskeletal/ankle-sprain.php
Clinic, C. (n.d.). Sprained ankle: Symptoms, types, treatment & recovery. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22048-sprained-ankle
Clinic, M. (2021, April 27). Sprained ankle. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sprained-ankle/symptoms-causes/syc-20353225
Grillo, J. (2019, February 15). Five of the most common foot and ankle injuries. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://rothmanortho.com/stories/blog/Common-Foot-And-Ankle-Injuries
Health, U. C. S. F. (2021, September 22). Tips for preventing foot and ankle injuries. ucsfhealth.org. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/tips-for-preventing-foot-and-ankle-injuries
Info, O. (n.d.). Sprained ankle – orthoinfo – Aaos. OrthoInfo. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/sprained-ankle/
Managing your ankle pain. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.csp.org.uk/conditions/managing-pain-home/managing-your-ankle-pain
One, P. (2020, May 29). Types of ankle injuries. PhysicianOne Urgent Care. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://physicianoneurgentcare.com/blog/types-of-ankle-injuries/
Saling, J. (2021, October 24). Ankle injuries: Causes, treatments, and prevention. WebMD. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/ankle-injuries-causes-and-treatments
* Contact Reach Physiotherapy for a list of references used for this blog content.
