Ankle sprain is a fairly common injury, especially among people involved in sports. This condition is accompanied by damage, and sometimes by rupture of tendons. How dangerous can an injury be and what treatment methods is used by modern medicine?
The main causes of damage
As already mentioned, ankle sprain is a common problem among athletes. Often, damage to the tendons is the result of a sharp tucking of the foot in or out. This happens, for example, when walking on uneven or slippery surfaces (most often in the winter season), as well as when wearing uncomfortable high-heeled shoes. Sometimes the cause is a sharp blow, which causes the foot to bend unnaturally.
On the other hand, there are some risk groups. It has been proven that people with a high arch of the foot are more prone to this type of injury. In addition, congenital or acquired ligament weakness and some diseases that affect muscle fibers are considered negative factors.
What are the main symptoms of sprains?
The main signs of injury depend primarily on the degree of damage. Slight sprain of the ankle ligament, which is accompanied only by microdamage to tissues, responds with pain and discomfort while walking. If a partial rupture of the ligaments is observed, then the symptoms are more noticeable - the patient complains of stiffness and severe pain that occurs even with the slightest movement. Often the tissues in the joint area swell severely.
Tendon rupture has the most vivid clinical picture, it can be seen on x-ray images. The pain becomes so intense that a person cannot walk. In the area of injury, a strong persistent edema develops, and the skin turns red and becomes hot to the touch.
How dangerous is the injury?
Rupture or sprain of the ankle in the absence of qualified assistance can lead to a host of complications. After all, the ankle joint with damaged tendons becomes extremely unstable, which is accompanied by an increased tendency to similar injuries even with the slightest physical activity. Complications include stiffness of movements. In addition, an unstable joint often leads to the gradual destruction of muscle and bone tissue.
Ankle sprain: how to treat?
With such an injury, it is best to consult a doctor, since only a specialist can determine the severity of damage. Slight stretching can be treated at home - you need to put on a leg a tight retaining bandage, which will restrict movement and prevent the formation of edema. In the first 2–4 days, bed rest with a minimum amount of physical activity is recommended.
Partial
tearing of the ligaments is accompanied by more pronounced symptoms. Therefore, here, in addition to a tight tourniquet and complete rest, anesthesia is also required. Effective is an
ointment from ankle sprain, which contains not only analgesics, but also anti-inflammatory components. An example is Indomethacin, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen.
Complete tissue rupture requires longer therapy. For pain relief, intramuscular injections of novocaine are performed. In such cases, a conventional dressing is not enough, so the doctor applies a cast to completely immobilize the joint. After two weeks, you can begin special training, which must be held under the supervision of a specialist. Therapeutic gymnastics is an important component of therapy, since it allows you to slowly restore the mobility of muscles and tendons.