Ankle injuries are high in frequency. You don’t have to be an athlete to injure your ankle. There is no person who at least 2-3 times a year does not step crooked and does not injure, albeit slightly his ankle.
Usually the mechanism of trauma is associated with the transfer of all the weight of the body on the outward or inward ankle. This leads to overstretching of the internal / external connections. A single stretching movement leads to sprains, but recurrent sprains can be a prerequisite for ankle instability and cause serious injury. Risky sports in this regard are: football, volleyball, basketball and athletics.
So here I want to share some tips to prevent ankle injuries:
1. The shoes
Choose your shoes carefully. They should be light and comfortable to protect against ankle injuries. Their length and width should match the size of your feet. Give an advance in terms of length if you are going to use the hiking shoe for example. And an advance in terms of width, especially if you use insoles. Another important factor is the sole of the shoe. It must be flexible enough for the foot to move normally.
2. Walking barefoot
This trains the adaptation capabilities of the ankle-foot complex to uneven surfaces. It has a positive effect on balance and equilibrium, as well as on deep proprioception. It guides us about the position of the parts of our body in space.
3. Fingers
Train your toes. They hardly move in the shoes, and this is important. I recently came across a study that showed a link between muscle activation of the thumb extensor and gluteal muscles, which is related to low back pain.
4. Strengthening exercises
With the help of elastic bands with elastic resistance, work for pelvic and ankle stability.
5. Arches
Support the arches of the foot with strengthening exercises. To do this, you can use small objects to grab and drop with your toes.
6. Mobility
Increase mobility. Squat! This will help maintain the volume of movement in the ankle joint and provide flexibility to the muscles.
7. Massage
Massage your feet. Use easily accessible balls with thorns. This will help your whole body to relax.
These tips will help you reduce the risk of injury and feel more secure. However, there is always a risk of injury and in the following lines I will try to introduce you to the types of injuries and the easiest way to recovery.
The clinical picture of the trauma depends on the affected anatomical structures and the severity of their damage. No less important is the mechanism of injury. Trauma is usually accompanied by pain and swelling. When a blood vessel is affected, a hematoma and bruising of the skin may form. When nerve structures are affected, there will be loss of sensation or tingling / tingling in the area and distally. Ligament lesions of one or more ligaments cause significant ankle instability and limit motor activity. You will probably not be able to burden the ankle-foot complex and the weight of your body, ie folding will be difficult and you will have a feeling of “yielding”, especially in severe sprains. The trauma can be:
- mild – sprain and microtrauma of the ligaments;
- medium – partial rupture of ties;
- severe – complete rupture of ligaments and intra-articular injuries (cartilage, synovial membrane, joint capsule and / or fracture)
Assessment of the condition is performed by an orthopedist, and examinations that may include examination are:
- taking anamnesis – about the type and mechanism of the trauma;
- physical examination of the foot: examination for deformities and unnatural movements and senses;
- radiography: in case of suspicion of fracture of bone structures;
- MRI: for the diagnosis of impaired soft tissue integrity;
- Doppler examination in case of occult bleeding;
- EMG: to study the conductivity of nerve structures.
After diagnosis, treatment can be surgical or conservative. In both cases there is a need for physiotherapy and kinesitherapy. If necessary, you can take advantage of fast and efficient recovery with us! Thank you for your attention! Physio Be Active
