The joints of the legs take on a huge load, as they have to withstand human weight when moving. Injuries are different, but quite often it is an ankle sprain that happens. Almost every person at some stage of life is faced with this problem. The severity of the damage received can vary significantly.
Features of the anatomical structure
Frequent ankle sprains occur because the joint is extremely mobile and has a lot of freedom of movement. According to these indicators, it can be compared with the shoulder joint. However, it carries a more impressive load. And this is with all its mobility.
- The skeleton of the ankle is made up of bones that are fixedly connected by means of an interosseous membrane. They are combined in the form of a fork. Between them is the talus.
- The whole structure is held together by ligaments, which are divided into three large groups. Some are designed to strengthen the internal surfaces of the joint,others are outside. The third of them perform holding functions.
- The muscles are used to control the joints. They are attached to bones by tendons, which are the most commonly damaged.
It is precisely because of the complexity of the structure that ankle sprains often occur. The photo fully reflects the anatomical features. The variety of joints leads to damage when the load increases.
Main causes of occurrence
The ligamentous apparatus of the foot is not injured by a small application of force. It is designed for sufficiently high loads, so damage occurs only in extreme cases. Sometimes injuries appear due to a sedentary lifestyle. However, most often they are associated with improper load distribution when moving in space.
- Often the outer edge of the foot is turned up. In this case, the entire weight of the body falls on the lateral group of ligaments. It is they who prevent increased supination of the lower leg.
- If the weight of the body loads the front part, then the back part is injured. Achilles tendon suffers significant damage.
- The peroneal ligaments are injured when the leg is overextended. The foot is fixed in this case.
- Internal or external ligaments may suffer from joint rotation.
Types of injury and severity
Before treating an ankle sprain, doctors determine the level of receiveddamage.
- The first degree of severity is characterized by a slight rupture of the fibers. In such situations, movements are practically not disturbed. The symptoms are rather mild. The patient may lightly step on the injured leg.
- The second degree of severity is characterized by an impressive number of broken fibers. The pain in this case is very severe. It becomes impossible to step on the foot.
- The third degree of severity is characterized by a complete rupture of one or several ligaments at once. The symptoms of an ankle sprain may resemble a fracture as the foot stops moving.
In the first cases, we can talk about disability for about 5-10 days. If an injury of the third degree of severity is received, then the recovery period may be delayed for a sufficiently long period. Injuries are usually caused by the foot turning inward or outward.
How do symptoms manifest?
If the ankle sprain is mild, then during the first day, motor activity almost does not decrease. Only a day later, a slight swelling occurs, sometimes a hematoma forms at the site of damage. Pain gradually increases with movement.
In more serious cases, discomfort is felt immediately. Pain sensations are pronounced. The swelling may last for more than a week. Over time, an impressive hematoma forms, which descends directly to the sole. The hue may become yellowish.
What needs to be done beforedoctor visits?
You should know what to do with an ankle sprain before contacting a specialist so as not to worsen the condition.
- First of all, you need to fix the foot for maximum immobility. For these purposes, an elastic bandage is quite suitable. If you can’t find it, then you can use high shoes with rigid fixation for a while. The bandage should tightly tighten the joint, significantly limiting its mobility. It is best to use an elastic bandage in the shape of a figure-eight.
- It is recommended to apply a cold compress to the injury site. You can make it with an ice pack, frozen food, or regular snow. In sports medicine, bags with a special cooling agent are often used.
- It is advisable to put the injured leg on some kind of elevation so that the lower leg is slightly higher than the hip joint. This is necessary to improve venous outflow. Swelling in this position subsides somewhat, so the pain becomes less pronounced.
You also need to know what not to do with an ankle sprain. First, rubbing with alcohol-containing substances is contraindicated. Secondly, the implementation of thermal procedures is prohibited. Thirdly, massage is not allowed until the pain is completely gone.
Diagnostic tests
Having identified characteristic symptoms as a result of a visual examination, the doctor without fail directs the patient forradiography. This method is recommended to exclude a possible fracture. Diagnostics, as a rule, is performed in two projections at once.
X-ray is just one of the research methods. Other diagnostic measures may be prescribed, especially if there are additional symptoms that have nothing to do with the sprain. With edema, ultrasound is often done, with the help of which the degree of rupture of the fibers is established.
In particularly difficult situations, when surgery is needed, an MRI may be prescribed. This option allows you to determine the state of the bone tissue with high accuracy.
Conservative Therapy
The most common treatment for ankle sprains is at home. Only in case of injury of the third degree of severity can hospitalization be prescribed. For simple injuries, ice must be applied to the sore spot during the first day. In total, about 6 procedures are performed, lasting no more than 10-15 minutes. For 7 days, the leg is pulled together with an elastic bandage.
Of the drugs intended for external use, the most effective is anti-inflammatory ointment. In the presence of severe pain, painkillers are used. If the edema persists for a long time, then Heparin ointment is used, which acts as an anticoagulant. Instead, you can use the tool "Indovazin". The ointment is applied to the injured leg with light movements directly to the knee.
Termtherapeutic course should be determined by the attending physician. He can also roughly tell how much ankle sprain will heal. It is not worth self-medicating and prescribing any drugs for yourself because of the possible negative consequences.
Traditional medicine
Auxiliary options can be used along with conventional treatments. Therapy should not be carried out only with their help. They can act as a supplement.
To quickly treat an ankle sprain at home, it is recommended to add folk remedies.
- A bow compress is applied to the injury site. It is necessary to take several heads of medium size and grind thoroughly. The resulting slurry should be laid out on cheesecloth. S alt is added to it. The compress is fixed with a bandage for about 5 hours.
- Clay helps with such injuries. It is diluted in water until a creamy mass is formed. The resulting mixture is applied to the sore spot for approximately 3 hours. Only two procedures are often enough to get rid of edema.
- In the process of treating an ankle sprain, you can use a potato compress. Tubers must be grated on a fine grater. The resulting mass is placed in gauze and applied at night to the problem area.
- Propolis ointment is quite effective. It speeds up healing to a great extent. For cooking, you need to take 100 g of petroleum jelly and soften it in a water bath. After that, you need to add 15 g of propolis to it. The resulting composition should cook for about 10 minutes. The filtered and cooled mixture is applied directly to the stretch.
- Olive oil and comfrey root ointment has a positive effect in the treatment of ankle injuries. With its help, lubricate the sore leg to the knee daily. It is best to do this at night. For 100 g of comfrey root, 50 ml of olive oil is required. Wax should also be added in an amount of 40 g. Castor oil 200 ml is introduced into the prepared composition. It has a positive effect on the skin. The last step is to add 15 drops of essential oil.
The listed products do not contain aggressive substances, so they act on soft tissues very delicately.
Surgery
In some cases, ankle sprains are treated with surgery. Conservative methods are not always the best way out of the situation. During the operation, an incision is made to connect the ends of the ligaments. Such a radical method is rarely resorted to when a separation from the bones has occurred.
After the operation, the patient must wear a cast until the injured limb is completely healed. Along with this, a course of conservative treatment is carried out, which allows to accelerate tissue regeneration. Sometimes vasodilators are prescribed.
Rehabilitation process
Immediately after an ankle sprain, a recovery period is required, the length of which will depend ondegree of damage. Physical therapy is recommended to speed up recovery.
- Ultrasound helps to drain lymph, thereby improving circulation at the micro level. The beneficial substances of the applied ointments are then absorbed much better.
- UHF has an anti-inflammatory effect, allowing you to speed up metabolic processes in tissues.
- Magnetotherapy is intended to increase internal energy reserves. When used, pain is reduced. Magnetotherapy has a calming effect on the nervous system.
- Electrophoresis is necessary to relieve swelling and inflammation inside tissues.
In addition to physiotherapy, patients with ankle sprains are advised to perform certain gymnastic exercises to strengthen the ligaments and muscles. However, they should be done when the pain is completely gone and the swelling is gone.
For minor injuries, recovery begins with walking. At the initial stage, jumping and running are excluded. The pace is moderate. On the day, doctors recommend walking at least 3-5 km. The load increases gradually. After a walk, it is advisable to douse the legs.
Toe raises are added over time. Each movement must be performed very slowly so that there is no re-injury. Next comes running. At first it should take 5-7 minutes. Gradually, the time interval can be increased. At the final stage of rehabilitation, jumping can be mastered. For this, it is recommended to use a skipping rope.
Possible Complications
Injuries to the ankle can cause negative consequences, although they are rare. They are detected not only at the stage of treatment, but also some time after rehabilitation. At the very beginning, dislocations or suppurations often appear. In the later period, other complications may occur.
The lack of treatment of the tumor when the ankle is sprained leads to changes in the bone structure. In some cases, flat feet develop. The transverse arch becomes flattened. Flat feet can be either longitudinal or transverse. Sometimes these options are combined. In rare cases, osteoarthritis or arthritis develops. These diseases cause bone deformity.
Complications are usually caused by sprains of the second or third degree of severity. Light damage is not so dangerous.
Preventive measures
Sprains can be prevented before they happen. To do this, it is desirable to regularly train endurance and strength indicators of the muscles of the foot and lower leg. Stretching is also recommended to develop elasticity. Sports or physical labor should be done in comfortable shoes. If there is a training, then it is necessary to do a warm-up without fail.
