The ankle joint is characterized by increased mobility and a large range of motion in several planes. It is he who carries the greatest load during many types of activity, including when running, walking, playing sports, as well as carrying heavy loads. This activity is provided to the joint by ligaments, which are special connective tissue cords. The task of the ligaments is to ensure stability of the joint and restrict foot movements in a certain direction.
Injury features
Ankle sprain is a specific injury that occurs with increased load on the joint. However, it is worth considering one feature: the ligaments do not have elasticity, so they can not stretch. As for the medical term “sprain”, it is understood to mean the rupture of their individual fibers, which does not lead to a loss of joint stability. The complexity of such an injury directly depends on the number of damaged fibers and the location of the gaps. However, even with a mild degree of damage, a person needs medical attention.
Why does stretching occur?
The main reason for ankle sprain is an increased load on the joint. So, the peroneal group of ligaments is injured during tucking of the foot outward, and the deltoid and tibial - when tucking inward. The mechanism of injury is quite simple. As soon as the tension that the ligament can withstand suddenly becomes transcendent, individual fibers break. People often get a stretch at home, but there are some sports that increase the risk of ligament damage. The list includes gymnastics, football, hockey, parachuting and parkour.
There are several main causes of ankle sprain:
- sharp turns of the foot in one direction or another (this often happens when running on uneven surfaces);
- falls;
- broaches, bumps, sharp pressure and other sharp mechanical impacts on the foot;
- wearing uncomfortable shoes with heels (such cases are less common and occur mainly if the shoes do not meet the weather conditions).
Who is at risk
Doctors note that some groups of people are much more likely to go to the hospital with an ankle sprain. This allowed us to identify some factors that increase the risk of injury:
- intensive sports, which lead to a general overstrain of the ligaments;
- congenital pathologies associated with fiber weakness;
- a number of minor injuries and sprains in the same joint - such events “shake” the entire system of ligaments and make it more susceptible to external influences;
- the presence of a high arch of the foot in a person (this feature manifests itself at birth or in early childhood);
- some joint diseases.
Clinical picture
Signs and symptoms of ankle sprain are very specific:
- Pain. The ligaments connecting the bones to each other are penetrated by nerve endings. That is why any violation of the integrity of the fibers causes pain. The intensity of the pain may vary depending on the degree of injury. So, slight damage may not attract much attention of a person, and he will continue physical activity. In this case, the next day he will definitely feel the consequences of the injury. The pain intensifies, swelling of the tissues appears. With such symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor.
- Edema. With an ankle sprain, this symptom often appears immediately. However, in some cases, edema can appear only 3 or 4 hours after stretching or even the next day.
- Bruise. This symptom occurs in case of severe damage to the ligaments.
- Stiffness or vice versa joint instability.
- Limited performance. With minor injuries, a person may well continue to move and will rest on his leg. In this case, pain is felt. Significant damage to the ligaments causes severe pain and inability to rest on the leg. This may cause a suspicion of a dislocation or even a fracture.
Stretch ratio
In medicine, it is customary to distinguish between the degree of stretching, depending on the size of the injury and related symptoms. Doctors consider this feature to prescribe a more correct course of therapy. In addition, how long the ankle sprain heals depends on the degree of damage. There are 3 degrees of stretching.
1st degree. With such an injury, patients report moderate pain, and soft tissue edema is negligible.
2nd degree. In the area of damage, there is severe swelling of the soft tissues, bruising and severe pain. In this case, there is a short-term loss of performance.
3rd degree. Significant ligament ruptures, accompanied by severe (sometimes shock) pain, the appearance of a large hematoma and edema, belong to this degree. With such an injury, a person loses his ability to work for a long time. A damaged joint can remain unstable for a couple of years after recovery. In the next photo - an ankle sprain of the third degree.
Diagnostics
In order to understand how to treat ankle sprain, the doctor needs to make the correct diagnosis. To this end, he conducts a thorough examination of the patient, notes the absence or presence of swelling, hematoma, the degree of joint mobility. The specialist takes into account all the patient's complaints: the nature and intensity of the pain, the ability or inability to rest on a damaged leg. Take an x-ray in two projections. The condition of the ligaments in this case cannot be established, however, a fracture is excluded in this way.
First aid
To minimize the consequences that occur after an ankle sprain, you should provide first aid as soon as possible:
- Take off your shoes.
- Provide the greatest possible rest to the injured leg.
- Take a horizontal position, raise your leg above body level. Due to this, there will be an outflow of blood from the limb and edema will decrease.
- Under the foot put a fabric folded several times (you can pillow).
- Apply cold to a sore spot. It must be dry. Ice is applied through several layers of tissue. It must be kept for at least 15-20 minutes. After that, take a break and apply again. This procedure is repeated several times a day.
- The ankle needs to be fixed with an elastic bandage, but not very tight.
- With severe pain, an analgesic is taken.
What can not be done
Many people who are injured take the wrong action. This not only does not alleviate the condition, but also enhances pain, swelling and leads to an increase in hematoma. In addition, complications and a longer recovery period are possible. How to treat ankle sprains categorically impossible?
- You can not do warm compresses. In the first few days after the injury, it is forbidden to apply heat to the injured leg. This rule applies to both dry compresses and the adoption of warm foot baths.
- Joint development. Some people, wanting to shorten the recovery period, try to develop the leg even through pain. Such actions will not bring the desired effect, on the contrary, a worsening of the condition is possible.
- Non-compliance with the gentle regime. Loads on a sore joint interfere with rapid recovery.
- Foot massage. Massage movements contribute to a strong flow of blood to damaged tissues, which can increase the symptoms of ankle sprain.
General principles of treatment
In the treatment of ankle sprain, several tasks need to be addressed:
- stop the pain;
- eliminate swelling of the soft tissues in the affected area;
- remove blood when hemarthrosis occurs;
- remove the hematoma.
Only with all these tasks can mobility and efficiency be restored to the joint.
Surgery
Ankle sprain surgery is a rare treatment. It is carried out only if a serious injury is received. There are several reasons why the doctor will prescribe surgery:
- severe fiber damage related to 3 degrees;
- sprain, which is accompanied by a complex fracture of the bone;
- the presence of complications in the form of hemarthrosis (with hemorrhage in the joint cavity).
The essence of the operation is to restore the integrity of the fibers. After this follows a recovery period.
Drug therapy
In most cases, treatment includes the following steps:
- Fixing the legs. The use of an elastic bandage or special orthoses helps to minimize joint activity and thereby prevent inaccurate movements.
- Applying ice. The first 2-3 days after the injury, it is recommended to apply dry ice to the damaged joint.
- Anti-inflammatory therapy. To stop the pain and reduce swelling, doctors recommend the use of drugs that have anti-inflammatory effects. Of the medicines with local analgesic effect, ointments and creams are most often prescribed: Diclofenac, Lyoton, Indomethacin, Fastum Gel, Diclac Gel.
Exercise Exercise
It is worth going to the recovery period only when all the symptoms of an ankle sprain are eliminated. How long should I wait? It is better to consult a doctor about this. This may be a visit to an orthopedist, traumatologist, physiotherapist or rehabilitation therapist.
To restore normal physical activity, it is recommended to start classes with light exercises:
- Isometric exercises. Such activity is extremely important in the recovery period after an injury. Under isometric exercises understand muscle tension in a static state.
- Rotation of the foot. This load allows you to restore muscle mobility.
You should start with small loads - exercises are carried out literally for several minutes. Daily load increase.
A little later, doctors recommend connecting dynamic exercises for coordination and adding a small complex for power load. Such exercises strengthen the strength and endurance of muscle tissue.
Physiotherapy
To speed up recovery and avoid complications after an injury, doctors prescribe a series of physiotherapy procedures. Among them:
- UHF (ultra-high-frequency therapy) - based on the action of a high-frequency electromagnetic field;
- electrophoresis with analgin and calcium;
- phonophoresis using hydrocortisone;
- mud procedures;
- paraffin therapy.
The purpose of such effects is to restore blood flow and metabolic processes in tissues, reduce swelling, relieve pain.
In the treatment of ankle sprain at home, you can and should carry out massage or self-massage. In this case, it is necessary to act not on the joint itself, but only on the periarticular tissues. It is advisable to apply the massage procedure immediately before physical therapy. Such actions will help to warm up the tissues and prepare them for physical activity.
At this time, doctors are also advised to use warming ointments and gels. They may contain snake venom, bees or hot pepper.
Home Ankle Sprain Treatment
In addition to drug therapy, alternative recipes can also be used. They allow for the treatment of ankle sprain at home. If you believe the reviews, then many of them help relieve puffiness and reduce pain in just a few days:
- Lotions from onions with salt. A large onion is passed through a meat grinder and mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt. The resulting slurry is applied to several times folded gauze and applied to the affected joint.
- Warming rubbing. The drug is prepared from 5 crushed cloves of garlic, 100 ml of alcohol or vodka and 200 ml of vinegar. This tincture is used for rubbing a diseased joint or for compresses.
- Thermal therapy. Therapy can be carried out using therapeutic mud and paraffin. These products are sold at any pharmacy. Use them in the form of thermal cakes and alternate with other procedures for treating ankle sprain. At the same time, home procedures differ little from hospital procedures.
- Vodka compress. Those who themselves use this method of treatment, argue that the compress helps get rid of puffiness in just 2 days. The bandage is folded in several layers, moistened in vodka or diluted alcohol and applied to the joint. A cling film is applied over the bandage. To create a thermal effect, a warm cloth or cotton wool is applied over the film. The duration of the procedure is 8 hours.
- Foot baths. For their preparation, warm water is used with the addition of mustard, salt, bischofite, turpentine or coniferous extract. Such additives help reduce swelling, reduce pain, strengthen muscles.
It may take a different amount of time to restore joint mobility and leg performance. How long the ankle sprain heals depends on the degree of damage and the type of treatment. So, the consequences of stretching the first degree can be eliminated in just a week, and more serious injuries need long-term treatment. The correct approach and the systematic implementation of the doctor’s prescriptions has a positive effect on the patient’s condition.