The ankle joint is characterized by increased mobility and a large range of motion in several planes. It is he who bears the greatest load during many types of activity, including when running, walking, playing sports, as well as carrying weights. Such activity to the joint is provided by ligaments, which are special connective tissue strands. The task of the ligaments is to provide stability to the joint and limit the movement of the foot in a certain direction.
Features of injury
Ankle sprain is a specific injury that occurs with increased stress on the joint. However, one feature should be taken into account here: the ligaments do not have elasticity, therefore they cannot stretch. As for the medical term “sprain”, then it is understood as a rupture of their individual fibers, which does not lead to a loss of joint stability. The complexity of such an injury directly depends on the number of damaged fibers and the location of the breaks. However, even with a mild degree of damage, a person needs medical attention.
Why stretching happens
The main cause of an ankle sprain is increasedload on the joint. Thus, the peroneal group of ligaments is injured when the foot is turned outward, and the deltoid and tibial ligaments are injured when turned inward. The mechanism of injury is quite simple. As soon as the tension that the ligament can withstand suddenly becomes prohibitive, individual fibers are torn. Stretching is quite common in everyday life, but there are some sports that increase the risk of ligament damage. The list includes gymnastics, football, hockey, parachuting and parkour.
There are several main causes of ankle sprains:
- sharp foot turns in one direction or another (this often happens when running on uneven surfaces);
- fall;
- broaches, blows, sharp pressure and other sharp mechanical effects on the foot;
- wearing uncomfortable shoes with heels (these cases are less common and occur mainly if the shoes do not match the weather conditions).
Who is at risk
Doctors note that some groups of people are much more likely to go to the hospital with an ankle sprain. This revealed some factors that increase the risk of injury:
- intense sports that lead to general strain on the ligaments;
- congenital pathologies associated with fiber weakness;
- a series of minor injuries and sprains in the same joint - such events “loose” the entire ligament system and make it more susceptible toexternal influences;
- the presence of a high arch of the foot in a person (such a feature manifests itself at birth or in early childhood);
- some joint diseases.
Clinical picture
The signs and symptoms of an ankle sprain are very specific:
- Pain. The ligaments that connect bones to each other are permeated with nerve endings. That is why any violation of the integrity of the fibers causes pain. The intensity of pain can vary depending on the extent of the injury. So, a slight injury may not attract much attention of a person, and he will continue physical activity. In this case, the next day he will definitely feel the consequences of the injury. The pain will intensify, swelling of the tissues will appear. With such symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor.
- Edema. With an ankle sprain, this symptom often appears immediately. However, in some cases, swelling may not appear until 3 or 4 hours after the sprain, or even the next day.
- Bruising. Such a sign occurs in case of severe damage to the ligaments.
- Stiffness or vice versa instability of the joint.
- Limited performance. With minor injuries, a person may well continue to move and will rely on his leg. At the same time, pain is felt. Significant ligament injuries cause severe pain and inability to lean on the leg. This may raise the suspicion of a dislocation or even a fracture.
Stretching degree
BIn medicine, it is customary to distinguish the degree of stretching depending on the size of the injury and the accompanying symptoms. Doctors take this feature into account to prescribe a more correct course of therapy. In addition, how long the ankle sprain heals also depends on the degree of damage. In total, there are 3 degrees of stretching.
1st degree. With such an injury, patients report moderate pain, and soft tissue swelling is negligible.
2nd degree. In the area of damage, there is a strong swelling of the soft tissues, bruising and severe pain. In this case, there is a short-term loss of performance.
3rd degree. This degree includes significant ruptures of the ligaments, accompanied by severe (sometimes shock) pain, the appearance of a large hematoma and swelling. With such an injury, a person loses his ability to work for a long time. The damaged joint may remain unstable for a couple of years after recovery. The next photo shows a third-degree ankle sprain.
Diagnosis
In order to understand how to treat an ankle sprain, a doctor needs to make a correct diagnosis. To this end, he conducts a thorough examination of the patient, notes the absence or presence of swelling, hematoma, the degree of joint mobility. The specialist takes into account all the patient's complaints: the nature and intensity of pain, the ability or inability to lean on the injured leg. An x-ray is taken in two projections. Statein this case, the ligaments cannot be established, however, a fracture is excluded in this way.
First Aid
To minimize the consequences that occur after an ankle sprain, first aid should be provided as soon as possible:
- Take off your shoes.
- Give the injured leg as much rest as possible.
- Take a horizontal position, raise your leg above body level. Due to this, blood will drain from the limb and the swelling will decrease.
- Put a fabric folded several times under the leg (you can use a pillow).
- Apply cold to the sore spot. It must be dry. Ice is applied through several layers of tissue. It must be kept for at least 15-20 minutes. Then take a break and apply again. This procedure is repeated several times a day.
- Ankle should be fixed with an elastic bandage, but not too tight.
- For severe pain, take an analgesic.
What not to do
Many people take the wrong action when they get hurt. This not only does not alleviate the condition, but also increases pain, swelling and leads to an increase in hematoma. In addition, complications and a longer recovery period are possible. How to treat an ankle sprain is absolutely impossible?
- Don't do warm compresses. In the first few days after the injury, it is forbidden to apply heat to the injured leg. This rule applies to both dry compresses and warm foot baths.
- Development of the joint. Some people wantreduce the recovery period, try to develop the leg even through pain. Such actions will not bring the desired effect, on the contrary, the condition may worsen.
- Non-compliance with the sparing regimen. Loads on the diseased joint impede rapid recovery.
- Foot massage. Massaging motions increase blood flow to damaged tissues, which can exacerbate ankle sprain symptoms.
General principles of treatment
In the treatment of an ankle sprain, several problems need to be solved:
- stop the pain;
- eliminate soft tissue swelling in the affected area;
- remove blood if hemarthrosis occurs;
- remove the hematoma.
Only when all these tasks are completed can mobility and performance be restored to the joint.
Surgery
Surgery for an ankle sprain is a fairly rare treatment. It is carried out only if a serious injury has been received. There are several reasons why a doctor will prescribe surgery:
- Severe grade 3 fiber damage;
- stretch that is accompanied by a complex fracture of the bone;
- the presence of a complication in the form of hemarthrosis (in this case, hemorrhage occurs in the joint cavity).
The essence of the operation is to restore the integrity of the fibers. This is followed by a recovery period.
Drug therapy
BIn most cases, treatment involves the following steps:
- Fixation of the leg. The use of an elastic bandage or special orthoses helps to reduce joint activity as much as possible and thereby prevent inaccurate movements.
- Applying ice. The first 2-3 days after the injury, it is recommended to apply dry ice to the damaged joint.
- Anti-inflammatory therapy. To relieve pain and reduce swelling, doctors recommend the use of drugs that have an anti-inflammatory effect. Of the medicines with a local anesthetic effect, ointments and creams are most often prescribed: Diclofenac, Lyoton, Indomethacin, Fastum Gel, Diclak Gel.
Physical activity during the recovery period
It is worth going to the recovery period only when all the symptoms of an ankle sprain have been eliminated. How long should I wait? It is better to consult a doctor about this. This could be a visit to an orthopedist, traumatologist, physiotherapist or rehabilitation specialist.
To restore normal motor activity, it is recommended to start classes with light exercises:
- Isometric exercises. Such activity is extremely important during the recovery period after an injury. Isometric exercises are muscle tension in a static state.
- Foot spins. Such a load allows you to restore muscle mobility.
You should start with small loads - the exercises are carried out literally for a few minutes. Every day the load is increased.
A little later, doctors recommend connecting dynamic coordination exercises and adding a small complex for strength loading. Such exercises strengthen the strength and endurance of muscle tissue.
Physiotherapy
To speed up recovery and avoid complications after an injury, doctors prescribe a number of physiotherapy procedures. Among them:
- UHF (Ultra High Frequency Therapy) - based on the action of a high-frequency electromagnetic field;
- electrophoresis with analgin and calcium;
- phonophoresis with hydrocortisone;
- mud treatments;
- paraffin therapy.
The purpose of such effects is to restore blood flow and metabolic processes in tissues, reduce swelling, relieve pain.
When treating an ankle sprain at home, massage or self-massage can and should be done. In this case, it is necessary to act not on the joint itself, but only on the periarticular tissues. It is advisable to apply the massage procedure immediately before physiotherapy exercises. Such actions will help to warm up the tissues and prepare them for physical activity.
At this time, doctors also advise the use of warming ointments and gels. They may contain snake, bee or hot pepper venom.
Ankle sprain treatment at home
In addition to drug therapy, you can use folk recipes. They allow for the treatment of ankle sprains inhome conditions. If you believe the reviews, many of them help relieve swelling and reduce pain in just a few days:
- Onion lotion with s alt. A large onion is passed through a meat grinder and mixed with 1 tablespoon of s alt. The resulting slurry is applied to gauze folded several times and applied to the affected joint.
- Warming rubs. The drug is prepared from 5 crushed cloves of garlic, 100 ml of alcohol or vodka and 200 ml of vinegar. This tincture is used for rubbing a diseased joint or for compresses.
- Heat therapy. Therapy can be carried out using therapeutic mud and paraffin. These products are sold in any pharmacy. Use them in the form of thermal cakes and alternate with other procedures for the treatment of ankle sprains. At the same time, home procedures differ little from hospital ones.
- Vodka compress. Those who use this method of treatment themselves claim that the compress helps get rid of puffiness in just 2 days. The bandage is folded in several layers, moistened in vodka or diluted alcohol and applied to the joint. A cling film is applied over the bandage. To create a thermal effect, a warm cloth or cotton wool is applied over the film. The duration of the procedure is 8 hours.
- Foot baths. For their preparation, warm water is used with the addition of mustard, s alt, bischofite, turpentine or coniferous extract. Such supplements help reduce swelling, reduce pain, and strengthen muscles.
To restore joint mobility and leg performance cantake a different amount of time. How long an ankle sprain takes to heal depends on the extent of the injury and the type of treatment. So, the consequences of a first-degree sprain can be eliminated in just a week, and more severe injuries require long-term treatment. The correct approach and systematic implementation of the doctor's prescriptions have a positive effect on the patient's condition.
