Twist and turn on a sprained ankle… you think you Bruce Lee Meh??

IT ALWAYS HAPPENS TO PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY DURING SPORTS WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF ANKLE TWISTED AND NOT TAKING ANY PROPER ACTION TO CURE IT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE…. THE ANKLE MIGHT CURE, BUT IT WOULD BRING A BIG CONSEQUENCE TO YOUR FUTURE LIFE.

Remember on how I twisted my ankle yesterday caused by the spoiled sports shoe that I was wearing and now you should know that wearing a proper shoe could be very helpful in preventing any parts of the body getting hurt. But the main problem is, what happens if it was an accidental? because sports can be rough at times. Here is some information to guide you through to get your ankle heel faster when an ankle sprain occurs. But first of all, let us all understand on what is a sprained ankle.

According to SportsInjuryClinic.net, a sprained ankle or twisted ankle is a common cause of ankle pain. A sprain is stretching and or tearing of ligaments. In other words, you sprain a ligament and strain a muscle. In simpler words, you just got yourself an injury on your ankle (LOL!!). There are 2 types of sprain, as the most common is an inversion sprain (or lateral ligament sprain) where the ankle turns over so the sole of the foot faces inwards, damaging the ligaments on the outside of the ankle.

The second would be the medial ligament sprain, in which it is rare but can occur particularly with a fracture. This happens when the ankle rolls the other way, so the sole of the foot faces outwards, damaging the ligaments on the inside of the ankle.

In addition to the ligament damage, there may also be damage to tendons, bone and other joint tissues, which is why it is important to get a professional to diagnose your ankle sprain. If possible an X-ray should be used, as small fractures or avulsion fractures (occurs at the point where a tendon or ligament attaches to a bone. A force on the tendon or ligament, causes a piece of bone to be pulled away) are common.

There are 3 levels of severity:

Grade 1 sprain:

1) Some stretching or perhaps minor tearing of the lateral ankle ligaments

2) Little or no joint instability

3) Mild pain

4) There may be mild swelling around the bone on the outside of the ankle

5) Some joint stiffness or difficulty walking or running

Grade 2 sprain:

1) Moderate tearing of the ligament fibres

2) Some instability of the joint

3) Moderate to severe pain and difficulty walking

4) Swelling and stiffness in the ankle joint

5) Minor bruising may be evident

Grade 3 Sprain:

1) Total rupture of a ligament

2) Gross instability of the joint

3) Severe pain initially followed later by no pain (which means you are in big trouble)

4) Severe swelling

5) Usually extensive bruising

Therefore, if you have a sprained ankle, the best thing to do is to get treatment immediately. But if you could not find any treatment immediately, then below are some First Aids that could be done before treatment. The key points would be RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation).

R: rest. It is important to rest the injury to reduce pain and prevent further damage. Use crutches if necessary. Many therapists advocate partial weight bearing as soon as pain will allow. This is thought to accelerate rehabilitation.

I: Ice or Cold Theraphy. Applying ice and compression can ease the pain, reduce swelling, reduce bleeding (initially) and encourage blood flow (when used later). Apply an ice pack or similar immediately following injury for 15 minutes. Repeat this every 2 hours.

C: Compression. This reduces bleeding and helps reduces swelling. A Lousiana wrap (click here to see on how Lousiana Wrap is done) bandaging technique is excellent for providing support and compression to a recently injured ankle.

E: Elevation. Uses gravity to reduce bleeding and swelling by allowing fluids to flow away from the site of the injury. So put your feet up and get someone else to wait on you.

After all of these stages, it is still advisable to consult a doctor as thorough check up is still needed.

But always remember, prevention is better than cure as curing ankle often would lead to a problematic ankle in the coming days.

Source: SportsInjuryClinic.net