Treating A Sprained Ankle
“Best Treatment For A Sprained Ankle At Our Burlington Clinic”
The term sprain means to wrench a joint with partial rupture of the ligaments.
The ankle joint is one of the most frequently sprained joints in the human body.
Sports injuries, obesity, walking injuries & previous sprains that were not treated appropriately are the most common source ankle sprains.
Here is what you need to know if you have or had a sprained ankle so you can treat it effectively & prevent re-occurrences.
When you sprain an ankle you have typically rolled over on your foot putting an undue force into the ankle joint.
The ankle can either collapse inwards or outwards ( which is the most common ) tearing the ligaments that secure & hold all the ankle bones together. Remember that ligaments are what attach bones together.
They typically are very tough with very little capacity to stretch.
That is why they are more likely to rupture or tear when stressed too far & this is when they become sprained.
A stretched ligament without rupture is a ligamentous strain as opposed to a sprain.
The treatment for a strained ligament would be similar to a sprained ligament but the consequences of mistreating a sprain are far greater than mistreating a strain.
To sprain a ligament means to rupture or partially tear. Complete ligamentous tears often require surgical repair depending upon which joint & which ligament is involved.
But, a sprained ligament can heal successfully if the injury is managed appropriately right from the onset.
How to differentiate: a broken ankle will not swell as much as a sprained or strained ankle joint.
There will be pain, some swelling ( sometimes none ) and usually joint deformity.
This means that something doesn’t look right when comparing to the other un-injured side.
And of course, it will probably be very difficult to put any weight on the joint.
A strained ankle joint may not be evident for some time (hours) after the injury.
Soreness & stiffness with or without swelling are usually evident & there typically is little discoloration (bruising) with a strain.
With a sprain however, swelling is pretty much immediate.
Weight bearing on the injured joint is pretty much impossible & within a day or two, the rainbow of discoloration(bruising) will begin.
The swelling & eventual bruising that occur when ligaments are sprained are from the bleeding that occurs when the ligament is ruptured or partially torn.
Understand that when you sprain or tear a ligament it bleeds so the first thing that needs to be addressed is the bleeding.
Ice therapy is the first thing that is recommended.
Whether or not to put ice or heat is a question many people have when trying to treat their own injuries. With bleeding & inflammation comes heat.
If you apply heat to an injured area that is already bleeding & inflaming, you will only make the problem worse.
In other words, the bleeding & the inflammation will be accelerated.
There is absolutely no benefit to applying heat to a sprain.
In fact, it will only make the problem worse.
Ice therapy is the best thing to do when you have sprained an ankle.
Putting your foot & ankle into an ice bath if you can would be the most effective.
Make sure that the ice water covers the whole ankle & leave it in there for as long as you can tolerate.
If you have to take it out every few seconds for a break until you have acclimatized to the temperature, that is ok.
Just get it in the ice bath as much as you can.
Try to give it a solid 20 minutes every hour over the first 2 days [except when sleeping – rest it comfortably on a pillow or two].
If an ice bath is not possible, apply a bag of ice or a flexible ice pack directly to the side of the ankle that has been sprained.
Again, leave it on there as long as you can keeping a goal of 20 minutes every hour in mind.
You do not have to wrap the ankle unless you are attempting to move around.
And, use a cane or crutches if you absolutely have to walk.
If you can stay off your feet for the first 48 hours , this would be ideal to setting forth good healing.
Unless someone has taught you how to wrap a sprained ankle, you would have to consult with a physio or chiropractor to learn how & I would be more than happy to assist you with this.
The bottom line is that your wrap must simulate (replace) the support offered by the injured ligaments without being too tight to cause more discomfort.
And, I will say it again that you should always use a cane or crutches to take as much weight as possible off of the sprained ankle joint if you need to walk.
After 2 or 3 days once the bleeding & swelling has started to subside, the treatment plan needs to change.
By this time the swelling has subsided but you will notice the bruising may become more severe ( black & blue) & it will probably travel into the foot or the tips of your toes.
This is normal & due to the effect of gravity & blood flow.
But, this old blood may cause a little discomfort in the areas where it pools.
Again this is normal & will subside on its own in a few days so do not be concerned.
Now, this is the point where proper management of the injury will make all the difference between complete & partial healing. Most people do not follow through once the ankle feels better after the initial swelling & most of the bruising has subsided.
Remember what ligaments do: they hold & attach bones together.
Just because swelling & bruising are no longer present does not mean that the ligaments have completely healed.
And, as with any sprain there is usually misalignment of the bones that make up the joint.
So here is where continued treatment will make the difference between partial & complete healing.
COLD LASER THERAPY (low level laser therapy) will help repair the sprained ligaments, repair any damage that may have occurred to the joint capsule & prevent post-traumatic scar tissue from forming in the injured ligaments ( see the page posted on this web-site dedicated solely to the benefits of Cold Laser Therapy).
This is essential to preventing a weak & wobbly ankle joint that will be prone to subsequent sprains, require constant wrapping & feel very uncomfortable & even limiting under load for fear of pain & instability.
CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT of the ankle will help re-align any of the small ankle bones that were displaced as a result of the sprain.
Most people do not realize that as with any sprain, the bones that comprise the injured joint are usually misaligned to one degree or another as a result of the extreme & misdirected force placed upon the joint.
You cannot rupture &/or tear ligaments without affecting the alignment of the bones those same ligaments attach to.
If the bones of the sprained joint are not sitting in their correct anatomical position, this will not allow the injured ligaments to heal properly, the joint will not be structurally stable , it will likely develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis & it will be prone to re-injury.
Remember that the degree of recovery drastically decreases with subsequent sprains ( 2nd, 3rd …) so it is vital that the first injury is treated diligently.
Treating a sprained ankle following this 3 part formula ( ice, cold laser therapy, chiropractic adjustment )will allow quick, proper & complete healing & all without the potentially dangerous side-effects of drugs & medications.
These do nothing to promote healing of the injured tissues & will probably cause you stomach upset & irritation of your liver & kidneys.
If you would like more information on how we can help you recover from a sprained ankle, or you would like to have a free consultation please call 905 335 LIFE (5433).
Remember, we are always here to help in any way that we can.
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