Sprained Ankle: Symptoms, Treatment, and Resources
Ankle sprains are the most common type of sporting injury. An ankle is a small part of your body, however, it contains a crucial group of bones and muscles and it is a support base for the weight of almost your entire body. Your ankle is needed when running, jumping or quickly changing directions as is necessary in basketball or soccer, but your ankle is just as utilized in regular daily activities such as standing and walking.
Because the ankle is so important and needed for so many types of activity, it is more prone to injuries, specifically sport injuries. Even when walking, if you miss a step, or don’t notice an inconsistency in the ground surface over which you are walking, you can lose your footing and twist your ankle, causing the supporting ligaments to overstretch and sometimes tear. Most people have sustained a sprained ankle at one point or another in their lives.
What is the Difference Between a Strain and a Sprain?
Sprains are different from strains: A strain occurs when a muscle is pulled, usually as a result of its overuse in a specific, repetitive motion. Examples include tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome. An ankle is sprained when the ligaments are torn or overstretched. Ligaments are tissue that connect one bone to another. They stabilize joints and prevent too much movement. A sprain is different than a strain. A strained ankle occurs when you pull a muscle. This commonly can occur when a muscle is overused in one specific repetitive motion. Some examples of this are tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Ankle sprains often occur as a result of activities that involve running, jumping and changes of direction, as well as from slipping on a wet surface. For example, sprained ankles can occur when basketball players come down from a jump and land on another player’s foot. Both strains and sprains can be avoided by proper warming up and stretching, as well as regular exercising of the muscle groups and joints, exposing them to a wide range of activity. Still, nobody can be totally immune to injuries.
What are the Symptoms of an Ankle Sprain?
Symptoms of ankle sprain include bruising, swelling and pain when trying to move or bear weight on the ankle. Treatments include ice packing the ankle, elevating the ankle, rest and tension wrapping of the ankle. Because the ankle ligaments have been stretched, there is too much movement occurring in the ankle joint and it needs to be stabilized. Wrapping the ankle adds stability to the stressed joint. The sprain will immediately feel less vulnerable and will hurt less with minor movements. Nevertheless, weight bearing should be limited to encourage minimal strain and maximum healing. Some doctors encourage muscle relaxant medication for a few days, in order to decrease the inflammation of the area. This also encourages the healing process. An anti-inflammatory will also decrease the pain which is a mixed blessing, because the pain alerts the patient to refrain from further stressing the ankle. For this reason, anti-inflammatory medication should be used with this awareness and precaution in mind.
Inversion and Eversion Sprains
Ankle sprains can either be “inversion” or “eversion.” Inversion is the most common type of sprain, occurring when the foot is inverted, falling inward, causing the outer (or lateral) ligaments to be stretched too far. The pain will occur on the outside of the ankle. Eversion ankle sprains occur when the foot is twisted outwards, causing stretching of the inner (deltoid) ligament. The pain will occur on the inner side of the ankle.
What are the Degrees of Ankle Sprain?
There are three degrees of ankle sprain. Grade I sprains involve a stretching of the ligament, causing some pain or swelling. The swelling will often occur in minutes or during a space of a few hours. Grade 2 sprains entail the partial tearing of the ligament, and there is usually significant swelling and bruising caused by bleeding under the skin. The most severe ankle sprains are Grade 3 where the ligament is completely torn, causing significant pain and making walking very difficult.
Immediate Treatment For An Ankle Sprain
Immediate treatment for ankle sprain follows the “R.I.C.E.” method. What is the R.I.C.E. method? R.I.C.E. stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. During the first 24 to 48 hours, one should avoid placing any weight on the ankle, as well as avoiding any exercise, heat, alcohol or massage. For the first 48 hours, ice packs should be applied to the affected area every two, three or four hours for periods of 15 minutes to 20 minutes. The ankles should be compressed by bandaging the joint firmly, wrapping the ankle from the calf to the foot as this provides stability and reduces swelling. However, the ankle should not be wrapped too tightly as this may decrease the blood flow to the area. The ankle should be elevated higher than the level of one’s heart as much as possible for the first 48 hours.
If one follows the “R.I.C.E.” treatment at the outset, but significant swelling remains beyond a few days, medical attention should be sought. Additionally, medical treatment should be sought if, at the time of the sprain, one is unsure of its severity, and there is a fear that the ankle could be fractured or there could be some other injury.
How to Treat a Grade 2 Sprain
With Grade 2 sprains, splints may be needed to help immobilize the ankle, and anti-inflammatory medication may also be of use.
How to Treat a Grade 3 Sprain
For Grade 3 sprains, cast immobilization is likely to be needed for at least two to three weeks, and possibly also surgery. While surgical treatment for ankle sprains is rare, options include arthroscopy and reconstruction. In the former, the surgeon looks inside the joint to see if there are any loose fragments of bone or cartilage. In reconstruction, the surgeon repairs the torn ligament with stitches or suture or takes other ligaments or tendons in the foot to repair the damaged ligaments. Physical therapy may also assist in the treatment, including improving mobility of the joint by exercise and the use of a wobble board or trampoline.
How To Wrap a Sprained Ankle?
The ankle is wrapped with a tensor bandage, or an elastic cloth bandage. Beware of overused bandages which have lost their elasticity, which will be less effective. As well, beware not to wrap the ankle too tightly, as this can decrease blood flow to the area which will also slow the healing process. The area around the ankle should be wrapped, from the calf to and including the foot. This provides stability and links the ankle to the surrounding muscles, relying less on the joint for support. The bandage compression also reduces swelling and aids the healing process, much like the use of anti-inflammatory medication.
A study was conducted on female soccer players who had previously sustained ankle injuries. A control group of players received no wrapping or taping and others received wrapping, taping or an ankle brace, as a preventative measure against further ankle sprain. The results showed that the added stability of taping or wrapping did not significantly reduce the frequency of ankle sprains. However, wearing a brace did significantly reduce the instances of further exposure to ankle strain and sprain.
Steps to Prevent Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains can be prevented by warming up prior to exercise to stretch the calf muscles, wearing supportive shoes and using strapping or an ankle brace.
An ankle sprain cannot be ignored. Going about ones’ regular activities after an ankle sprain can cause further injury or increased ankle injury, as the stretched or torn ligaments can become further stretched or torn, rather than have a chance to heal and repair. Ignoring ankle sprain can cause an ankle to be prone to further sprains, due to weakness surrounding the ankle joint. Recurring ankle sprains can be caused by interdependent factors such as ligament scarring and excess looseness or insufficient rehabilitation from previous sprains.
Resources about Sprained Ankles
University of Virginia Student Health Center. How to treat a sprained ankle.
Cedars Sinai Information about Sprained ankles. They happen when a person loses his or her balance and quickly twists the ankle. There is pain, but it fades quickly. The ankle soon returns to normal. A more serious sprain can stretch or tear one or more of the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Without proper treatment, the ankle can remain weak and prone to future sprains.
What to do with an ankle sprain that won’t heal
Foot, Ankle and Podiatry Conditions and Treatments from the University of Connecticut
How Long Do They Take to Heal
The length of time needed to heal a sprained ankle depends entirely on how severe the sprain. Sprained ankles are among the most common of injuries, affecting the slothful and super athletic alike.
An ankle has ligaments that hold the ankle bones in place and connect bones to joints or cartilage. Ligaments, which have a degree of elasticity allowing for a certain range of movement, can be stretched beyond their capabilities. When an ankle turns or twists into an abnormal position, beyond the range of where those specific ankle ligaments can move, a strain occurs.
Healing a sprained ankle is a three step process, regardless of the severity of the sprain. The varying length of time needed in each phase depends on the severity of the sprain.
The first phase deals with immediate aftereffect of the sprain to ensure the injury is not exacerbated.
This first phase if often referred to as RICE:
Rest the ankle.
Ice the ankle for 20-30 minutes at a time, 3-4 times a day, to control the swelling.
Compression dressings should be worn on the ankle to keep it immobile and protect from further strain on the ligaments.
Elevate the ankle, above heart level, for 48 hours.
Phase 2, Rehabilitaion
The second phase, rehabilitation, can begin once the swelling is gone and the pain has reduced. This is when one begins specific exercises that will help strengthen the ligaments. The goal of the rehabilitation phase is to regain strength, flexibility and mobility.
Phase 3, Verification of Full Mobility
Phase three is verification of full mobility. During phase three, one can begin engaging in all typical activity, including slowly reincorporating activities that might be particularly hard on the ankle. In the beginning of stage three, one may still want to keep the ankle taped as it gets tested.
Sprain severity is classified in three grades.
Grade 1: Covers excessive stretching resulting in some damage to the ankle ligaments. This type of strain results in some swelling of the ankle. One is likely to be able to continue to move on the ankle, but it will clearly be tender when weight is put upon it. There may continue to be a full range of motion, at least done hesitantly.
Grade 2: The stretch is severe enough that there is at least a partial tear of the ligament. One will likely experience a fair degree of pain at the time of the spraining and beyond. In addition to swelling, the ankle joint will also feel stiff, and engaging in normal activities will be very difficult and painful. There will be noticeably reduced range of movement and one may not be able to maintain their balance when standing.
In the case of a Grade 2 sprain, the same RICE prescription is followed, although instead of using a compression bandage, the ankle should be entirely immobilized with a splint. Also, one will need to follow the RICE process for a longer period of time. The key is to wait until the swelling and pain reduce before beginning the rehabilitation phase. Depending on the severity of a Grade 2 sprain, the rehabilitation phase can take between 2-3 months before returning to almost full strength, enough to move into phase three.
Grade 3: This type of sprain is a full tearing of the ligament. The pain at the time of the injury will be intense, but will not continue as the ligament has been completely torn. The swelling of the ankle will be considerable and there will be a complete loss of function. For a Grade 3 sprain, one will have a cast or brace to immobilize the ankle during the RICE phase. This level of immobilization will likely need to last for several weeks.
The rehabilitation phase for a Grade 3 sprain can last months. Occasionally, surgery may be necessary during the rehabilitation phase, although this is rare. Surgery is needed most likely when there have been persistent ankle injuries.
Resources about Sprained Ankles
University of Virginia Student Health Center. How to treat a sprained ankle.
Cedars Sinai Information about Sprained ankles.
What to do with an ankle sprain that won’t heal
I am a fanatic when it comes to fitness and nutrition. I enjoy going to the gym, working out, hiking, camping, and overall just learning how to stay happy and healthy.
Related Research For Teachers, Students, and Kids
What is the Sternum The sternum, also called the breastbone, is located in the center of the chest....
The fibula is one of the long bones of the leg, located alongside the tibia (shinbone), below the k...
Muscle dysmorphia, also known as bigorexia, is a disorder of the obsessive-compulsive class. Muscle...
What is a Pulmonary Embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common cause of death in hos...
What is Perinatal Asphyxia Perinatal asphyxia, the failure of a newborn to initiate and sustain bre...
Follow and Socialize The Free Resource
