When is it not a Simple Ankle Sprain?

What is an Ankle Sprain?

An ankle sprain is a musculoskeletal injury that affects the ligaments that surround and connect the bones of the leg to the foot.The ligaments may overstretch or sometimes tear. Don’t confuse a sprain with a complete tear. A sprain typically implies the soft tissues have been elongated or inflamed whilst a rupture implies there is discontinuity in the structure of the tendon / ligament / muscle.

You may have an ankle sprain when you accidentally twist, move or rotate your ankle in an abnormal way. This may lead to tears or stretches in your ligaments which hold your ankle bones and joints together.

Causes of Ankle Sprain

Here are some of the causes of ankle sprains

• • When you land awkwardly on your foot after jumping – this action may injure your ligaments
  • When you wear shoes which lacks adequate heel support resulting in a twisting injury
  • When you are running on uneven grounds, for example, on pebble stoned pavements or pathways.
  • When you step your foot into a hole unknowingly and twist your foot in the process
  • During exercise, you may overdo some actions and tear your ligaments
  • During sporting activates like Soccer, Basketball or Volleyball, players often stop and start or make sudden cutting movements that could result in a sprain

When is it not a Simple Ankle Sprain?

Most people don’t take ankle sprains very seriously. Whilst it is true that with most ankle sprains, ligaments take the brunt of it, in high energy sprains, the ankle cartilage may also get damaged. This leads to cartilage defects in the ankle commonly referred to as osteochondral lesions. This condition is a precursor to ankle arthritis and if left untreated can quickly progress with pain, swelling and eventual deformity.

An ankle sprain that is still problematic after 2 weeks, should warrant a specialist consultation with a view to performing Xrays and maybe an MRI scan. This is the best way to diagnose cartilage or other associated damage to the ankle from the sprain.

Common Symptoms of High Ankle Sprain and Lateral Ankle Sprain

Here are the symptoms being reported by patients after an ankle sprain

• Significant bruising in the entire region of the ankle
• Severe pains and swelling
• Stiffness and tenderness to touch
• Difficulty in moving the ankle
• The ankle feels numb or weightless

Diagnosis

For the evaluation of your injury, the foot and ankle surgeon will request a detailed report of the symptoms and examine your foot. X-rays or MRI scans may be requested to determine the severity of your injury.

Treatments and Healing Process

Here are the treatment measures for ankle sprains.

• RICE – this acronym simply means Rest, ice, compression and elevation. This can subside the swelling and pain some days after the injury.
• Crutches: You can use crutches if the pains are too much to bear. With the crutches, you will be able to move while staying off your ankle.
• Physiotherapy: This helps with maintaining joint motion, strength and finally to improve ankle stability.
• Pain medications: This includes anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen and naproxen which reduces the pain and swelling of the affected parts.
• Surgery: For severe complications, surgery is needed to repair torn and damaged ligaments. Rehabilitation is very paramount after surgery has taken place.

Prevention

Some of the important prevention measures of ankle injuries are as follows:

• • Wearing proper shoes that give your ankle support and stability. High-heeled wears are strongly discouraged
  • Wear ankle braces or bandages when doing sports to protect your ankles, at least during the initial transition phase
  • You must be careful on surfaces you walk on
  • If you feel fatigued, slow down or stop activities you are engaged in.
  • Make sure you are fit before doing exercises.

If you feel you have sprained your ankle, call your doctor immediately to prevent further damage and ensure a quick recovery.