Ankle sprain
Ankle sprain, what is it really?
Ankle distortion is the medical term for this injury. The foot has a fantastic mobility and function that enables us to move quickly on different surfaces. A sprain often occurs on uneven surfaces and during activities where rapid changes of direction occur. Spraining the foot is a common injury that can affect untrained as well as elite trained. Over 90% of all ligament injuries occur on the outside of the ankle and most occur during ankle sprains. This is because the ligaments that run between the lower leg and foot on the outside of the foot are not as strong as on the inside.
What happens in the most common form of ankle sprain is that the foot bends inwards (supine) and the ligaments that go from the outer ankle and down to the foot, are subjected to tensile force and fractures to varying degrees. A bleeding and swelling occurs on the outside / front ankle and foot. The most common ligament that is injured is the FTA (talofibular ligament). With a proper sprain, the structures on the inside of the foot are also compressed, whereby pain can also occur here.
Other injuries that occur during ankle sprains are peroneus injury, dislocation of an metatarsal bone (os cubiodeum) and syndesmos fracture.
Symptoms of ankle sprain
Pain, especially on the outside of the ankle in connection with and after the sprain. The foot often swells up and you can get a bruise on the foot and along the outside of the foot edge after the bleeding that occurs in the damaged or ruptured ligaments. The load pain makes it difficult to walk without lameness.
Treatment of ankle distortion
Urgently, it is important to get a pressure in the form of a strong elastic bandage as soon as possible. Feel free to place a small wrap or similar directly on the damaged area and wrap on top of it. Wrap the foot from the toe and up a bit on the calf. The pressure should be so hard that after a few minutes the foot starts to ache from the pressure. Place the foot in a high position (the foot should be higher than heart height). Try to stand for 20 minutes and then relieve the pressure slightly, but keep your foot in the high position for a while longer. Avoid straining the foot and keep the dressing on with a light pressure until the next day. After about a day, you can try to load the foot calmly. Ice / cold can be used as it relieves pain a little, but it has no effect on the healing process. Swelling is best prevented with pressure. By successfully holding down the swelling, the healing process is accelerated.
When a few days have passed, it is good to see a physiotherapist for an examination and investigate which structures are damaged. Often after ankle sprain, you get scar tissue in the area that needs to be treated. We physiotherapists at Alta Vita physiotherapy know ankle sprains well and can help you start rehabilitation training at the right level and then increase the training so that you are restored and minimize the risk of new sprains.
Forecast
Most are restored after a sprain. The prognosis is slightly different depending on how extensive the injuries are after the sprain. It is very important to take the time to train the stability and load tolerance in the foot after such an injury. It is otherwise very easy for you to sprain your foot again and again and again.
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If there is no improvement despite rehabilitation training and treatment, can ultrasound diagnostics carried out to see the extent of the damage. In rare cases, the patient is referred to an orthopedist for a decision on possible surgery.
