Ankle injuries are quite common nowadays. At the time of an injury, one may hear a popping or cracking sound and notice swelling, bruising, and ankle pain. Lateral or medial ligament sprains are normally highly tender over the injured ligament. One may experience trouble walking or standing on one’s feet, depending on the severity of one’s ankle sprain.

Ankle Injuries

Ankle injuries are common occurrences. One form of ankle injuries are ankle sprains. However, ankle pain can be caused in many ways.

Some forms of ankle pain result from traumatic injury. However, a simple walk along an uneven path may cause a rolled ankle, causing ankle pain. This form of ankle pain occurs at any time and at any age. For example, a few hundreds of people across the world may have sprained their ankles as you were reading this article.

The most common ankle injuries involve ligaments and bones in the ankle. This type of injuries is called sprains. However, you can also experience ankle pain through injuring your foot and ankle numerous times. The pain can also appear as a result of fracturing a bone, over-stressing a tendon, or tearing a muscle or ligament.

More than 90%of ankle sprains result from injuries to the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL). This is because, when an ankle is twisted inwards, it causes an inversion injury. The outside of the ankle has three major ligaments; the ATFL, the calcaneofibular ligament, and the posterior talofibular ligament. When more injury occurs, more ligaments are damaged.

The tern sprain is used to describe the injury of a ligament (a ligament connects two bones). When the ankle twists outwards, it causes injury on the ligament inside the ankle. This guide will cover lateral ligament sprains. However, the same general rules apply.

What should you do about an ankle injury?

Position the ankle neutrally and maintain this position. Then, apply ice and compression on it as soon as you get injured. This will help you to recover quickly.

Ensure there are no serious damages on the ankle by getting it assessed. An accurate diagnosis helps you to decide well on which path to follow early enough.

Start practising weight bearing as soon as you can. You can even start with partial weight bearing using crutches. In case there is pain or instability at your ankle, use tape or brace to alleviate these effects.

Keep the ankle under normal movement to encourage good healing and hasten the process of getting back to normal activity.

Carry on the process of rehabilitation to completion to avoid persistent problems. As long as you do the right thing, you don’t have to put up with more ankle issues.Contact us on 03 9077 5915 for further assessment and treatment.