Have you ever ‘rolled’ your ankle while playing a sport or even while just walking?Â
Why does this happen so often and how do I help it get better?Â
Introducing to you an ankle sprain, which is also commonly known as rolling your ankle.
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries seen, especially in sports. An ankle sprain usually involves a tear or injury of the ligaments of the ankle, the most common one injured being the ATFL (anterior talo-fibular ligament). Each sprain can be of different severity, and for each severity, there may be different rates for recovery.
How does it happen ?Â
An ankle sprain can occur when the ankle is suddenly ‘twisted’ in a sports activity, landing from jumping in an awkward position, or stepping on an uneven surface or off an elevated surface and the ankle landing in an awkward position.
How do we help with ankle sprains?
When an ankle sprain just happens, firstly, we would need to protect the area by using an ankle guard or brace to prevent it from getting more injured. We would also need to ice and raise the ankle on a pillow, to reduce the swelling and help with pain management.Â
Rehabilitation would aid in the strengthening of the ankle, reducing the pain and swelling of the ankle via exercises and/or electrotherapy. Besides that, chiropractic care can be also used to help with the maintaining and ensuring optimum function.
Ankle sprains can take anywhere from 2 days to possibly 6 months to heal. Usually, the healthcare practitioner would assess the condition of the ankle and may also advise for imaging such as X-rays, MRI, or ultrasound scans, which would help with diagnosis and determining the treatment plan which will impact speed of recovery.
Â
Ankle sprains should not be overlooked. It is a common but can cause long term damage and degeneration, and also cause chronic instability, which thus resulting in even more instances of ankle sprains.Â