Tens of thousands of Americans sprain their ankles every day, yet the vast majority of people really don’t understand what they are dealing with and the best way to treat it. We see ankle sprains or the fallout from a sprain almost every day, and we believe that a more informed patient may be able to avoid a sprain or at least achieve a better recovery outcome when one occurs. With that in mind, we want to share 10 things every foot specialist wishes patients knew about ankle sprains.
10 Things You Should Know About Ankle Sprains
Here’s what your doctor wants you to know about ankle sprains:
1. They Can Happen To Anyone – Ankle sprains aren’t just reserved for professional athletes. Active or rather sedentary, all it takes is one misstep on an uneven surface to sprain your ankle.
2. Don’t Just Walk It Off – Don’t just keep walking on an injured ankle and assume that eventually things will get back to normal. Without proactive attention, the injured ligaments will remain weak, and that leaves you exposed to another sprain or a more severe injury like a fracture.
3. Sprains Have Three Grades – Ankle sprains are typically graded on a 1-3 scale based on their severity, with a Grade 1 sprain involving some minor disruption of the supportive ankle ligaments, and Grade 3 sprains showcasing significant tearing and joint instability.
4. It’s Wise To Rule Out A Fracture – If you’re dealing with moderate or severe pain or you are struggling to put weight on your foot, it’s a good idea to have the ankle X-rayed to rule out a potential fracture.
5. Recurrent Sprains Are Now More Likely – Once you sprain your ankle, you’re at a heightened risk for another sprain while you’re in the process of recovering. If you don’t work to get your ankle ligaments back to a pre-injury level of strength, you’ll always be at an elevated risk for another sprain.
6. Rest Is Best, But Only In The Beginning – It’s important to rest your ankle and protect it from additional stress, but only for the first few days. Once you have rounded a corner on your recovery, gentle exercise and physical therapy will be your best bet for getting back to full fitness. Don’t assume you can rest your way back to full health.
7. Footwear Choice Is Important – Getting your feet into a well-fitting and supportive shoe can help to protect your ankle while you’re recovering and prevent some ankle sprains for occurring. At a minimum, make sure you are wearing a shoe that’s designed for the activities you’ll be pursuing. You wouldn’t wear sandals at a construction site, so don’t wear the wrong shoes to play sports either.
8. You May Not Need A Doctor – If you want to rule out a fracture, it’s smart to see a doctor, but if you’re just dealing with a minor sprain, you can likely manage it well on your own with RICE, which stands for Rest, Ice, Elevation and Compression. Once you’ve pursued RICE for a few days, add some low impact exercise and physical therapy to the mix, and your ankle should be good as new in short order.
9. Know The Emergency Symptoms – If you’re dealing with any of the following symptoms, you should seek out care at an emergency department or urgent care facility:
- Visible ankle deformity
- Inability to bear weight
- Loss of sensation/numbness
- Worsening pain
10. Be The Tortoise, Not The Hare – Finally, we always tell athletes who are looking to recover from an ankle sprain to be like the tortoise, not the hare. Take things slowly and gradual with your rehab and return to sports. If you try to rush back to athletics before your ankle is back to full strength, you’re risking another serious ankle sprain. Make sure your body can handle the increased stress you’re about to put on it before you dive back in to athletics at full speed. The best way to do this is with a targeted physical therapy program.
Keep these tips in mind, and we’re confident you’ll be able to prevent ankle sprains or make a masterful recovery when one does occur. For individualized advice for overcoming your ankle sprain or related foot issue, connect with Dr. Silverman today!