Most people nowadays lead a sedentary lifestyle. The average person spends most of their time in front of a computer or TV. Accordingly, the muscles and ligaments of the musculoskeletal system weaken. Dislocation of the ankle due to excessive loads is one of the most common injuries. It is worth noting that often injuries of this kind are found in athletes. The following types of physical activity are considered especially dangerous: athletics, running, skiing, etc. There is a high load on the foot, which can lead to a fracture. An ankle sprain can occur in anyone. After all, it’s enough just to step on your foot incorrectly, for example, due to an uneven road surface. Traumatologists note that negligence is one of the main causes of damage.
Terminology
First, consider the structure of the joint from an anatomical point of view. It should be noted right away that it is quite complicated. The ankle consists of the small and large tibia, as well as the talus, covered with dense tissue. Hyaline cartilage in this case acts as a shock absorber. In the process of movementfriction occurs, which negatively affects the strength of the joint. However, the synovial fluid present there softens the process due to its viscous consistency.
The strength of the ankle comes from the muscles and ligaments that surround it. If a person loses tone and the process of weakening of the body begins, the muscles cannot help in any way, and the joint, in turn, becomes rather fragile. As a result of the influence of additional external factors, a displacement occurs, which in medicine is called ankle dislocation. Most often, this injury is accompanied by problems with ligaments: rupture or sprain.
What causes injury?
In fact, there are a lot of reasons for this damage. You need to understand that a dislocation occurs with sudden movements of the lower leg, tucking the leg in or out, quick braking with the fingers on the floor, etc. Particular attention should be paid to the tucking of the joint, because this can happen to anyone. You need to walk down the street or indoors carefully, monitor the situation around and not run headlong. If the joint is still damaged, then the case will most likely not end with a dislocation. Often in such situations, a fracture was found.
Let's consider several standard cases of dislocation, ankle sprain:
- careless walking, running on ice or uneven ground;
- women need to be careful when wearing heels, because quite often traumatologists fix an injury due to a fall;
- injuriesexercise;
- hitting a heavy object, jumping with a bad landing.
The main reasons still lie in physiology, but damage can occur due to other reasons. There is a group of diseases, the development of which has a negative impact on the strength of ligaments and tissue density. Oncology, tuberculosis, obesity, diabetes, inflammation significantly increase the risk of ankle injury.
Injury severity
What to do with a sprained ankle? First of all, you need to contact a traumatologist as soon as possible. The doctor will first have to determine the severity of the damage, and then offer treatment.
In medicine, there are currently three stages of damage:
- First degree dislocation. It is characterized by a tear of a small number of fibers, pain is felt when trying to take a step or lean on the foot. However, the movements are preserved in full, despite the swelling of the joint. If you have this type of damage, it will most likely go away on its own after a few days.
- Second degree dislocation. Almost half of the connection fibers are broken, which leads to a serious difficulty in movement. There is swelling that extends to the side of the leg.
- Third degree of dislocation. There is a complete rupture of the ligament, movements become impossible due to pain and severe swelling. The latter already covers the entire foot, both from the back and from the plantar part.
Symptoms of a sprained ankle
Depending on the severity of the injury, certain signs appear. Of course, in the presence of the third degree, all the symptoms are more pronounced and strongly felt. The second stage of the lesion is characterized by an average manifestation of signs, and the first - by minor violations.
It must be remembered that the mechanism of the appearance of dislocation of the ankle is directly related to the component of traumatic origin. It is based on incorrect distribution during walking and running. In some cases, this type of injury is caused by a direct blow to the ankle.
So, the following symptoms of ankle dislocation are distinguished:
- Painful sensations. There are troubles immediately after the injury, the pain is very pronounced in the area of the injured ankle, there is a burning sensation. Attempts to move the ankle only bring more pain, palpation is also unpleasant for the patient.
- Puffiness. The leg swells almost immediately after dislocation, as the periarticular vessels rupture and a hematoma forms. The edema spreads quite quickly. If the injury is serious, then the inflammation covers the entire foot.
- Change of the ankle. External deformation is one of the most reliable signs. It looks like a curvature of the lower part of the foot due to a bend to the side. Believe me, this is difficult to confuse with other injuries.
Diagnosis
Before talking about how to treat ankle dislocation, it is necessary to understand the diagnostic methods. Experienceda qualified technician can determine the damage by the indicated symptoms. In addition, a visual assessment by a professional will help confirm the suspicion of injury, because the foot will be in the appropriate position. Often it arches back or sideways, sometimes there is an extension up or inward. One of the signs of a dislocation will be a click in the joint after the injury. All these factors are often not enough to accurately determine the diagnosis. In most cases, a more detailed examination is necessary.
If we talk about the most effective methods of diagnostics, it is impossible not to highlight the X-ray examination. Dislocation of the ankle is perfectly visible in the picture even with the naked eye. A qualified doctor will be able to use this method to determine the degree of damage to the ligaments and related injuries, for example, a bruised foot. Also quite often they use computed tomography, which will remove all questions about the presence of a dislocation.
First Aid
This injury is one of those that require immediate attention. If you or someone close to you has a dislocation, you must immediately take action. Inaction and waiting for the arrival of an ambulance is absolutely inappropriate here, because not only the further condition of the patient, but also the risk of complications depends on emergency care.
It is worth noting that first aid activities are not complicated, you do not need to have special knowledge and skills. Anyone with no training can follow these simple steps:
- the main thing is to ensure the complete absence of movement of the injured leg, and for this you need to lay the patient down and place a roller or other object under the lower limb;
- you need to relieve pain, for this you should put ice on the site of the injury or take painkillers;
- now you need to do your best to deliver the patient to a medical facility, where the doctor will already determine the severity and prescribe the optimal treatment.
Drug therapy
It is worth noting that this treatment of ankle dislocation is not the most effective, but as a supplement it is quite suitable. Most often, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If these drugs are already ineffective, experts prescribe strong analgesics, such as tramadol. Medicines are only used if the injury is too painful and the victim is hospitalized.
If a patient has a subluxation or a small torn ligament, local therapy can be dispensed with. Here we are talking about ointments for dislocation of the ankle. The most popular and at the same time effective are "Nise-gel" and "Voltaren Emulgel". These drugs contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory substances.
Conservative treatment
Treatment measures must be taken within twelve hours of injury. It must be said that the faster the reduction is made and the necessary assistance is provided, the easier the patient's rehabilitation will be in the future. On one's ownadjusting the ankle is strictly prohibited, because here you can not make a mistake. Only a competent specialist can do it correctly, so that later there is no displacement of bones and fragments during a fracture.
After the doctor corrects the dislocation, the victim needs to stay in the hospital for some time until the swelling subsides. A plaster cast must then be applied and the patient must wear it for three weeks. After that, the leg is fixed with a splint for two months to avoid unnecessary movements. If necessary, a removable splint is fixed for a few more weeks. In addition, the patient should treat ankle dislocation at home through therapeutic and preventive exercises. Gymnastics should be done daily, and an effective warming ointment will help relieve symptoms.
Physiotherapy and massage are simply indispensable for recovery in a short time. The doctor often prescribes electrophoresis, paraffin baths and warming baths. All this in combination can give a very good effect in a short time.
Rehab
Treatment of an ankle dislocation at home comes down to competent recovery after an injury. It is worth noting that the best medicine is time and patience. If we talk about damage to the ankle (when help was provided in a timely and competent manner), then you can not put a load on the leg for two or three months. After a month, doctors usually allow you to walk on crutches. Experts recommend wearing specialized shoes for a year after the injury.
To shorten the recovery time, you need to regularly engage in therapeutic physical culture. Preference should be given to exercises such as walking, exercise bikes, water gymnastics, rolling a cylindrical object.
Traditional medicine
Treatment of dislocation of the ankle at home is possible with the help of folk remedies. The following recipes are the most effective:
- compresses of celandine and calendula flowers can be applied to the sore spot, this will relieve pain and swelling;
- a good option would be to lubricate the injury site with a mixture of turpentine, ammonia and laundry soap;
- relieves symptoms also wipes soaked in vinegar and s alt, they must be applied to the injured ankle.
It should be noted right away that alternative methods of treatment only help relieve symptoms, and it is best to use them as an additional therapy, that is, along with traditional methods. The injury should be treated under medical supervision. Only effective therapy, which a qualified specialist can prescribe, will help ensure normal functioning. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the rehabilitation period, so do not ignore the advice of a doctor in this regard.
Prevention
In order not to worry about the treatment of a dislocated ankle at home or in a hospital, you do not need to allow an injury. Of course, such damage can happen to anyone regardless of the observance of preventive measures. And yet, if you are more attentive to your he alth, the risk of gettinginjury is greatly reduced.
Basic prevention rules:
- only wear shoes that are comfortable and comfortable for your feet;
- always follow basic safety rules when exercising;
- on slippery surfaces, move carefully and carefully;
- exercise should be done with an elastic bandage or bandage, this will reduce the risk of injury;
- strengthen your limb muscles, just don't overdo it;
- if your ankle is bothering you, don't put off a visit to the doctor, because the consequences can be the saddest.
A sprained ankle is a rather serious injury that is not so easy to cure. But if first aid was competently provided, effective therapy was prescribed and all the rules of rehabilitation were followed, the patient can count on a relatively quick recovery. Soon a person can return to their usual way of life, and this is probably the main goal of the victim.
If the doctor discovers a fractured ankle, the situation is greatly aggravated. Then in no case should you hesitate and you should contact a specialist as soon as possible. Otherwise, complications will appear, and then the prognosis will be completely disappointing. Among the most common pathologies in fractures are arthritis, arthrosis, partial or complete muscle atrophy, inflammation of soft tissues, scarring, etc. Therefore, it is so important to provide high-quality first aid and showpatient to a traumatologist.
