It is an undeniable fact that many people at least once in their lives have felt pain on the outside of their ankle. Sprain or sprain can happen to anyone regardless of gender, age and physical condition. Many times it is caused by a misalignment during walking and causes the foot to twist. The injury can also be caused by overuse of the joint after intense fatigue. It is not absolute that it occurs mainly in people with intense sports activity. Clearly in dynamic sports that involve the use of jumps (basketball, volleyball, football, etc.) the chances of sprains are particularly high.
It often happens to people who do not play sports and at unsuspecting moments in their everyday life. Some other cases of sprains are during walking in heels as an injury can occur due to the biomechanical change they cause in the Achilles tendon. Also improper avoidance of physical obstacles such as an elevated manhole can also bring about the sprain.
Because of a sprain the person cannot run, walk well as well as climb up and down stairs. Depending on the stage of the injury as well as the degree which it carries, it is divided into the respective grades:
STAGES
The stages from the moment of injury are also divided in time into three categories:
Physical therapy will benefit you from the first stage of the acute phase as it will significantly reduce pain , inflammation and swelling of the joint. It will also remove any possible haematoma under the ankle or the arch of the foot much sooner. It will help to increase the mobility of the joint (swelling) of this joint. Many patients feel the pain constantly as well as feeling numbness, burning as well as having an electric current running through them.
With physical therapy you will return to your daily routine in a shorter period of time as well as the previous symptoms will disappear permanently.
Particular attention should be paid and the problem should be treated immediately by a specialist because scar tissue builds up around the ankle area, causing these fibers to not align properly and fall short in elasticity and strength compared to before the injury.
This tissue builds up from the very first week. As a result, the joint shows severe instability. If the person does not take the necessary steps to deal with the problem, it is very likely that they will suffer recurrent injuries to the ankle (cathodic sprain), resulting in the limb turning at the slightest obstacle encountered.
People who have diabetes mellitus should be given special attention as healing is slow. Even if the limb is affected with one or more sprains as well as a previous fracture of the joint or the limb in general. The muscle strengthening stage comes after the physiotherapy sessions have been completed and after there has been an improvement aesthetically and motorically in the joint.
A simple X-ray will help to see if there is any bone fragmentation of the outer hammer or ankle.
Useful tips for sprains
Resting the limb and placing it higher than the rest of the body.
Immobilization with a bandage or gypsum board depending on the stage of the injury.
Ice placement at regular intervals throughout the day.
Depending on the degree of the injury, unloading of the limb using an aid (crutches).
It is undeniable that physiotherapy is the first line of treatment in the rehabilitation of sprains.
Numerous studies abroad in the 1970s showed that surgery is not the solution, as conservative treatment and physiotherapy have the best results. The patient's recovery time is significantly reduced, as is the suffering caused by the injury. The techniques and methods of recovery are numerous and vary depending on the stage of the injury and the problem that has arisen.
There are special machines for the treatment of fractures and bone swellings as well as machines for the treatment of inflammation and swellings caused by ligamentous injuries of the ankle joint.
If you have a sprain that is bothering you or have recently suffered the specific injury mentioned above, see your physiotherapist as soon as possible to treat the problem permanently and relieve you of the symptoms that are hindering your daily life.
