ANKLE INJURIES – HOW TO DIAGNOSE ONE, HOW TO GET BETTER AND HOW TO PREVENT ONE

Ankle injuries can range in severity from full fracture to mild sprain. Unfortunately even a mildly sprained ankle can be extremely painful and this can make it difficult to determine how serious your injury is and how best to treat it.

However, most ankle injuries will heal well with the correct initial diagnosis and a decent course of treatment or rehab.

With most ankle injuries, it’s important to seek expert opinion early on to get an accurate assessment. If you don’t do this, you run the risk of making the injury worse and causing yourself more pain or doing lasting damage.

How do I know if I have a sprained ankle?

A sprain is a torn ligament but a strain is a torn muscle (otherwise known as a pulled muscle). A sprained ankle often results from landing awkwardly. Inversion sprains, where the ankle rolls outwards and the sole of the foot goes inwards, are the most common. Eversion sprains are far less common and occur when the ankle rolls inwards, stretching the ligaments on the inside of the ankle.

You might have a sprained ankle if:

You have weakness or tenderness in your ankle
You can’t put weight on it or use it properly
Your muscles are cramping
The area is swollen or bruised

How do I know if I have a fractured ankle?

A fracture can occur if too much force is put on the ankle joint, it’s over-extended or rolled too far from side to side.

You might have a fractured ankle if:

You have an immediate or throbbing pain in your ankle
Your ankle is swollen
Your ankle feels deformed
You feel faint or dizzy

What do I do if I have a sprained ankle?

The POLICE technique is a great way to manage a soft tissue injury. POLICE stands for protection, optimal loading, ice, compression and elevation.

Protection might mean using crutches or resting to protect the injury.

Optimal loading means adding some loading (gentle activity) to stimulate healing. Ice therapy (in the form of a cold pack) reduces tissue metabolism, causing blood vessel constriction and preventing further swelling. Compressing using an elasticated bandage will help reduce swelling and reduce bleeding at the location of the tissue damage. Elevating the ankle will increase blood flow back to the heart and, therefore, help to reduce swelling.

What should I do if I have a fractured ankle?

It’s important to seek specialist advice immediately if you think you have a broken ankle but follow the advice above until you’re able to be seen.

Ankle rehab

Just occasionally specialist surgery might be necessary to repair an ankle injury but in the majority of cases, treatment and rehab will be enough to get you back on your feet.

A sprained ankle can heal within a few weeks with good management but the rehab process should start within a few days of a sprain to ensure strengthening. Mobility is an important part of the rehabilitation process to deal with residual stiffness, particularly if the ankle has spent time in a protective boot.

How to prevent an ankle injury

It’s important to always warm up before playing any sport or doing any kind of physical activity.

It’s always a good idea to try and avoid uneven surfaces when you’re exercising to minimise the chance of tripping on tree stumps, roots or potholes. If you’re training for competitive sport, always try and train on the surface you will end up competing on. If you’re a fan of hill running, be sure to build up strength before you tackle difficult ones. Running downhill too fast can also lead to injury so take care, however thrilling it might be to career at speed down a mountain.

Always make sure you wear the appropriate footwear for your chosen activity, as well as for your foot proportions. If you have a stiff foot or high arches, opt for shoes with more cushion. If you have low arches ensure you go for shoes with a stable heel and back. Be sure to replace old or worn footwear as soon as the tread wears out or they feel uneven.

Most important of all, listen to your body. If you experience any pain in your ankle when you’re running or doing physical activity, either stop or modify the activity.

For help with an ankle injury, contact us now: info@lewinclinic.co.uk – 020 8070 7777

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