Many athletes and sports-people work so hard to attain their dreams. Majority of their time passes away at practice sessions and workouts. However, there are times when they are so near their objective, and a small injury like an ankle sprain plays spoilsport with their dreams. Even in cricket, you often hear of someone or the other (especially bowlers) unable to play the next match due to ankle sprain. Is our ankle so delicate?
How Does an Ankle Sprain Occur?
Ankle sprains normally occur when you run or walk fast on uneven surfaces. There is a tendency of the ankle to twist which causes the sprain. Doctors report that after winter, when people suddenly start getting active, that is when majority of ankle sprains occur. Sprained ankle is one of the most common orthopedic injuries. In the US, it is reported that about 25,000 people suffer from ankle sprain every day! During the Summer Olympics of 2008 and Men's Soccer World Cup of 2010, ankle sprain was the most recorded injury.
Ankle sprains not only affect active people but also sedentary people. Sometimes, when people suddenly get out from bed, etc., they could injure themselves.
What All Activities Could Possibly Cause This?
Some examples of when you could sprain your ankle:
- While walking on an irregular footpath, you suddenly step on a stone or ditch.
- While running or doing aerobics, which involves stepping up and down.
- While getting out of bed, you suddenly step on some object.
- When one player steps on another player's foot (especially in basketball).
What are the Precautionary Measures?
- Before starting any exercise or sports activity, always do warm up exercises to loosen up your muscle. This will give flexibility to your bone too. Also do some stretching exercises.
- An athletic bandage or tape will protect your ankle against any injury.
- Use appropriate and comfortable shoes when you engage in sports and games.
- Use ankle braces while indulging in sports activities. This will support and stabilize the ankle joints and protect them from sports injuries.
Precautionary Measures to Avoid Further Injury
If you have already sprained your ankle, you need to take steps to avoid injuring it further:
- Wrap a bandage in such a way that it is firm but not too tight.
- Give sufficient rest to your ankle allowing it to heal completely.
- Ankle braces are very beneficial here too, as these will help immobilize an injured ankle and limit the range of motion of the ankle.
What is RICE Treatment?
RICE is an acronym for the protocol followed after an ankle sprain. It stands for:
- Rest: During the first two days, complete rest is advised for the ankle. Then slowly put as much weight on your ankle as possible under toleration and then discontinue the support once you start walking with a normal gait.
- Ice: Ice pack is normally applied after 48 hours. Ice pack can be applied up to 20 minutes at a time, but not more than that, as that could cause damage to the tissue. Ice can be applied about 7 to 8 times, leaving sufficient intervals between 2 sessions. This pack can also be a pack of frozen peas of corn, which enables you to reuse it.
- Compression: This is applied using Ace bandage. The bandage should be wrapped starting from the toes up to the top of the calf muscle, overlapping in each turn by half of the width of the bandage. The wrap should not be too tight and should allow proper blood circulation to the ankle and foot, at the same time, providing sufficient warmth to the ankle. If there appears any bluish discoloration, remove the bandage immediately.
- Elevation: You need to elevate your sprained ankle when you lie down or sleep. The level of your leg should be at the same level of your heart. Use pillows or rolled towels to bring your leg to this level. Take care to get up slowly when you get out of bed!
There are some exercises that help stretch the injured ligaments of your ankle. These exercises also help with the general flexibility of your ankle joints:
- Achilles Stretches: While seated or lying flat on the ground, take a towel and loop it around your toes. Pull the ends of the towel such that your toes are pulled upwards. Feel the stretch in your ankle joints. Repeat this 10 to 12 rounds 3 to 4 times a day.
- Alphabet Writing: While lying down flat on the floor, write alphabets in the air with your toes. Make the alphabets as big as possible and try out different styles of writing them (uppercase, lower case, etc).
- Toe Raises: Stand on your tip toes for some time and then slowly bring down the heels with good control (don't drop them). Repeat this 10 to 20 times on each foot 3 to 4 times a day.
- Heel and Toe Walking: Walk on your toes for 1 minute, then on your heel for another minute. Repeat this for 10 minutes 4 times each day.
All these exercises will help you regain your normal gait after an injury. You can also strengthen your ankle joint by regularly doing these.
It is not always possible to be careful when you walk or jump. Accidents do happen. Take them in your stride and follow the doctor's advice to help heal your ankle.
