Ankle Injuries:
Ankle Injuries can occur by:
Tripping/Falling and landing wrong
Jumping
Walking/running on uneven surfaces
Sudden Impact (eg. car crashes, extreme sport injury)
Twisting, rotating, or rolling the ankle
Sport activities
Improper footwear (eg. high heels, shoes with no support, etc.)
Tripping/Falling and landing wrong
Jumping
Walking/running on uneven surfaces
Sudden Impact (eg. car crashes, extreme sport injury)
Twisting, rotating, or rolling the ankle
Sport activities
Improper footwear (eg. high heels, shoes with no support, etc.)
Sprains
Did you know? Every day in the US 25000 people sprain their ankle, and half of all ankle sprains happen during physical activity.
- A sprain occurs when the ligaments of the ankle are stretched beyond their regular range of motion. (e.g. the anterior talofibular ligament)
- This occurs most often because the foot has been overly inverted or turned inward. These cause mainly inversion sprains. If the foot twists outward it is an eversion injury (high ankle sprain, often involving the sydesmotic ligament).
- A sprain can be a minor or complete tear to the ligaments.
- Minor sprains may only result in tender spots and no swelling (with a recovery of 1-14 days), while grade 2 or 3 sprains may result in major swelling, decrease range of motion, sharp pain, bruising, or non weight bearing (with a recovery period of 2-4 weeks for second grade or 5-6 weeks plus for third grade).
Symptoms: Swelling (due to fluid in the joint) and swelling of irritated ligaments, pain (more acute when damaged ligament is pressed or moved), redness, heat
Treatment: Ice, elevation, ankle brace, rest, physical therapy exercises, crutches, anti-inflammatorys, potential surgery for grade two or three sprains.
Prevention: Even playing surfaces, proper foot wear, ankle strengthening exercises, warm ups and cool downs after activity, supportive brace if in a high risk sport
- A sprain occurs when the ligaments of the ankle are stretched beyond their regular range of motion. (e.g. the anterior talofibular ligament)
- This occurs most often because the foot has been overly inverted or turned inward. These cause mainly inversion sprains. If the foot twists outward it is an eversion injury (high ankle sprain, often involving the sydesmotic ligament).
- A sprain can be a minor or complete tear to the ligaments.
- Minor sprains may only result in tender spots and no swelling (with a recovery of 1-14 days), while grade 2 or 3 sprains may result in major swelling, decrease range of motion, sharp pain, bruising, or non weight bearing (with a recovery period of 2-4 weeks for second grade or 5-6 weeks plus for third grade).
Symptoms: Swelling (due to fluid in the joint) and swelling of irritated ligaments, pain (more acute when damaged ligament is pressed or moved), redness, heat
Treatment: Ice, elevation, ankle brace, rest, physical therapy exercises, crutches, anti-inflammatorys, potential surgery for grade two or three sprains.
Prevention: Even playing surfaces, proper foot wear, ankle strengthening exercises, warm ups and cool downs after activity, supportive brace if in a high risk sport
Strains
Ankle strains are the result of muscle fibres being stretched, partially torn, or extensive/ completely torn.
-A first degree muscle strain would only affect a few muscle fibres and the recovery period would only be a few days.
-A second degree muscle strain would consist of a partial tear of muscle fibres with noticeably felt defect in the ankle.
-A third degree muscle strain in the ankle could consist of an extensive or complete tear, and result in abnormal or impossible muscle contraction. A recovery period of several weeks should be observed.
RICE treatment should be taken.
-A first degree muscle strain would only affect a few muscle fibres and the recovery period would only be a few days.
-A second degree muscle strain would consist of a partial tear of muscle fibres with noticeably felt defect in the ankle.
-A third degree muscle strain in the ankle could consist of an extensive or complete tear, and result in abnormal or impossible muscle contraction. A recovery period of several weeks should be observed.
RICE treatment should be taken.
Tendon Tears/ Achilles Tendonitis
Tendonitis: Is the inflammation of the tendon. This inflammation is caused by activities that are repetitive, overusing the tendon, or trauma. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and heat. Achilles tendonitis is when
Acute tears: are caused by repetitive activity or trauma.Symptoms include: pain, swelling, weakness/ instability of the foot and ankle) *these tears may lead to the arch of the foot becoming higher*
Degenerative tears: Overuse of the tendon that occurs over long periods of time. The tendon becomes like taffy, overstretched, thin, and frayed.
Subluxation: tendons slip out of position (due to born bone/muscle shape or ankle trauma such as a sprain) Symptoms include a snapping feeling of the tendon by the ankle bone, pain, instability and weakness. If subluxation is not treated the tendon may tear or rupture.
Achilles tendon injuries: This is an injury that is often a result of sports - such as baseball. A quick sprint push off can lead to the achilles tendon snapping, which sounds like a gun shot and is extremely painful. Other sports Achilles tendon injuries are common in are running, gymnastics, dance, football, basketball, tennis, and volleyball. The Achilles tendon can be injured by:
- overuse
- quick increase in physical activity level
- not stretching prior to exercise
- wearing high-heels
- foot problems (e.g. fallen arches).
- tight muscles or tendons in the leg
Symptoms:
- Pain along the back of foot, and above heel (in tendinitis pain may start mild and get worse). A ruptured tendon would cause immediate and severe pain.
- Tenderness
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Snapping/ popping noise during injury
- Difficulty flexing foot or pointing toes
Treatment:
- Rest leg, avoid weight bearing. (May need crutches, cast, or surgery to repair tendon)
- Ice leg to reduce swelling
- Compress leg
- Elevate leg
- Anti-inflammatory painkillers
- Heel lift (this is an insert in the shoe that may be recommended to prevent Achilles tendon from further stretching)
- Strengthening exercises
Acute tears: are caused by repetitive activity or trauma.Symptoms include: pain, swelling, weakness/ instability of the foot and ankle) *these tears may lead to the arch of the foot becoming higher*
Degenerative tears: Overuse of the tendon that occurs over long periods of time. The tendon becomes like taffy, overstretched, thin, and frayed.
Subluxation: tendons slip out of position (due to born bone/muscle shape or ankle trauma such as a sprain) Symptoms include a snapping feeling of the tendon by the ankle bone, pain, instability and weakness. If subluxation is not treated the tendon may tear or rupture.
Achilles tendon injuries: This is an injury that is often a result of sports - such as baseball. A quick sprint push off can lead to the achilles tendon snapping, which sounds like a gun shot and is extremely painful. Other sports Achilles tendon injuries are common in are running, gymnastics, dance, football, basketball, tennis, and volleyball. The Achilles tendon can be injured by:
- overuse
- quick increase in physical activity level
- not stretching prior to exercise
- wearing high-heels
- foot problems (e.g. fallen arches).
- tight muscles or tendons in the leg
Symptoms:
- Pain along the back of foot, and above heel (in tendinitis pain may start mild and get worse). A ruptured tendon would cause immediate and severe pain.
- Tenderness
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Snapping/ popping noise during injury
- Difficulty flexing foot or pointing toes
Treatment:
- Rest leg, avoid weight bearing. (May need crutches, cast, or surgery to repair tendon)
- Ice leg to reduce swelling
- Compress leg
- Elevate leg
- Anti-inflammatory painkillers
- Heel lift (this is an insert in the shoe that may be recommended to prevent Achilles tendon from further stretching)
- Strengthening exercises
Fractures/ Breaks
A fracture in the ankle could include incomplete or complete breaks involving the fibula, tibia, or talus.
- swelling
- bruising
- not weight bearing
- inability to move ankle or toes
- numbness of foot
- cold or blue coloration of foot
- in severe fracture the bones of the ankle may be displaced or deformed
- potential open break where the bone is exposed
(if nerves or blood vessels are injured the foot may be numb, immobile, and pale)
Apply Rice method. See a doctor for a x-ray, cast, brace, or even surgery in serious fracture cases.
- swelling
- bruising
- not weight bearing
- inability to move ankle or toes
- numbness of foot
- cold or blue coloration of foot
- in severe fracture the bones of the ankle may be displaced or deformed
- potential open break where the bone is exposed
(if nerves or blood vessels are injured the foot may be numb, immobile, and pale)
Apply Rice method. See a doctor for a x-ray, cast, brace, or even surgery in serious fracture cases.