You step off a curb, land wrong after shooting a basket, stumble on uneven ground, and ouch! Your ankle tells you something is wrong. That something may be an ankle sprain, which happens when you roll your ankle inward, excessively stretching the ligaments supporting the joint. An ankle sprain is the most common injury among athletes and weekend warriors, but it can happen to anyone who's active or simply takes a misstep.
While common, ankle sprains can lead to chronic issues, such as ankle instability and degenerative arthritis, if not treated properly. Also, tendon injuries, cartilage damage or even fractures may be missed if a severe sprain is ignored. Ice Therapy Machine With Compression
If there's little or no improvement after the first week, consider following up with a health care professional, such as your primary care provider, sports medicine specialist or physical therapist.
Once you've passed the initial recovery period, further treatment depends on the extent of the injury. For straightforward injuries that didn't require evaluation by a health care professional or involve any setbacks, you can expect symptoms to last 10 to 12 weeks. This is how long it can take for a ligament to repair.
Keep in mind that once a sprain has occurred, the ankle is more susceptible to repeat sprains in the future. Using an ankle sleeve or brace can provide added support and stability.
If your health care professional suspects the injury requires surgery, either due to the initial injury or lack of recovery, you will undergo X-rays and possibly an MRI to determine the extent of the damage. Then you'll consult with a surgical podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon.
While sprains are common, they do need to be properly addressed so that you can regain your best level of activity.
Knee Cold Compression Cuff Brandon Lee, D.P.M., practices podiatry and foot and ankle surgery in La Crosse and Sparta, Wisconsin.