Ankle injuries are easily one of the most popular athletic injuries that occur. There are many things that can cause ankle injuries like wearing the wrong shoes, or not taking care of a previous injury. The goal is to get your ankles healthy so you can continue to live an active lifestyle. There are not many sports that you can participate in that do not require some ankle health.
One of the best things you can focus on when it comes to ankle injuries is prevention. Even if you feel great right now, or you go through a rehab and feel better. As long as you are playing sports, you are at risk of suffering an ankle sprain. The best way to fight this is to be proactive and stay ahead of the game.
Sports Susceptible to Ankle Injuries
All sports can be affected by ankle injuries. Even just walking down the street on an uneven surface can cause these injuries, so they are ubiquitous. The most common types of ankle injuries are sprains and fractures.
Any sport that requires running and changing direction will have a lot of ankle injuries. It only makes sense because the ankle can roll by landing on another foot, landing in a ditch in the grass, and for so many other reasons.
Causes of Ankle Injuries
The injury comes from the ankle joint rotating or twisting too far out of position, which is why they are often referred to as ankle rolls and twisted ankles. It is much harder to roll your ankle barefoot because your heel does not have a platform to roll off of. High heels become the worse type of footwear for anyone with ankle issues.
- Landing weird
- Tripping
- Falling
- Getting foot caught or stuck to the ground during direction change
- Extreme ankle stiffness
- Ankle joint becomes hard to touch or looks out of place
Symptoms of Ankle Injuries
It is hard to tell the difference between a sprain and a fracture which can be the dangerous part of ankle injuries. Both injuries have similar symptoms. If you have had an ankle injury before you will know what it feels like. An ankle fracture is much more painful in most cases.
- Sudden pain
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Inability to bear weigh on ankle joint
- Trouble changing direction
Treatment For Ankle Injuries
The problem with many ankle injuries for athletes is that they are not dealt with properly the first time, and they tend to reoccur. It is important that you use 9INE POINT Health to find the right people to help you return from your ankle injury. Ice and rest is the first step, but there are much more that must come after those steps.
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- See a health care provider
- Light massage
- Light movement
- Acupuncture
Prevention of Ankle Injuries
The best way to avoid the fate of an ankle injury is to focus on not getting hurt in the first place. Once you sprain your ankle once, it is more susceptible to multiple sprains. The only way to change this is to consistently work at strengthening the muscles and ligaments that surround the joint.
You can spend 5 – 10 minutes on this a day and reduce your chances of injury. What most people do is wait until they are hurt and then have to miss a month of training and do everything they can to try and get back as quickly as possible. The work is the same but the choice is yours.
- Avoid wearing heels
- Avoid falling
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Maintain proper sport-specific conditioning
- Warm-up properly for physical activity
- Run-on flat surfaces
- Avoid fields with potholes and uneven grass
- Keep lower leg muscles strong
- Always work on improving single leg balance
Rehab for Ankle Injuries
Phase 1- Acute Inflammatory Stage
- Control pain
- Limit Swelling
- Regain Range of Motion
- Approximately 1 to 5 days
Phase 2 – Fibroblastic Stage
- Increase range of motion in all planes
- Restore neuromuscular control
- Restore proprioception
- Start looking to return to sport moves
Phase 3 – Maturation – Remodeling Stage
- Elimination of all swelling and pain
- Full range of motion
- Full neuromuscular control
- Able to perform sports movements without any issue
Additional Resources for Ankle Injuries
What If You Can’t Rehab Your Ankle On Your Own?
Sometimes you can ice all you want, but a muscle is in pain because another area is not working or because it is protecting you. With the hips, for example, your back may be hurting because your psoas is doing too much work and it is also tight. The psoas may be doing too much work because your other hip flexors are not activating correctly. The chain reaction could keep going.
Sometimes you need the help of a sports medicine provider. Sports medicine providers are used to working with athletes that need to get results quickly, to get back on the field. If you are not an athlete, I am sure that you still want quick results.
There are many different options you can go with when looking for a provider. You could get a chiropractor, massage therapist, physical therapist or many other options. The key is finding someone you trust and that you are excited to work with.
How to Find The Best Healthcare Providers for an Ankle Injuries
9INE POINT Health is the best place to find the health care providers you need for any injuries. It does not matter where you are hurting; a 9INE POINT Health provider will be able to get you healthy again. 9INE POINT allows you to find the best local providers and compare them quickly using the 9INE POINT GAP Number.
If you have no idea what you need, but you know you need something, 9INE POINT Health is an injury guide, and you will get helped through the process. We make it easier for you to find the information and the person you are looking for help with Ankle Injuries.
Skills to Look for in a Healthcare Provider for Ankle Injuries:
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Fascial Stretch Therapy
- Corrective exercises
- Dry Needling
- Sports Background
- Functional Movement Screen
- And more
