At some point in your life, you’ve probably rolled or sprained your ankle. An ankle sprain is far and away the most common type of ankle injury, as roughly 25,000 Americans sprain their ankle every single day. However, not all 25,000 will properly care for their sprained ankle, and that can lead to a couple more significant issues down the road. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at two long-term ankle issues that can develop if you fail to properly treat your sprained ankle.
Complications Of Untreated Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains are far from the most serious injury, but at the same time, ignoring the problem can lead to much more annoying issues down the road, so it’s important to throw yourself into a proactive treatment program. Rest and ice are great at the outset, but eventually you’re going to need to push your ankle with exercise, stretches and physical therapy to get back to a pre-injury level of fitness. If you don’t, there’s a possibility that these two problems could develop down the road:
Ankle Instability – Ankle instability is one of the most common issues that Dr. Silverman sees in his clinic. Ankle instability develops when the supportive ligaments in the ankle joint are injured and remain weakened, in turn making them less able to support the joint during normal movements. An ankle sprain occurs when you overstretch these supportive ligaments, so a sprain is the most common precursor to ankle instability. However, very few ankle sprains will lead to long-term instability if the patient takes a proactive approach to care. After a short period of rest, activity limitations and anti-inflammatory medications, you’ll want to pursue some targeted active interventions like controlled exercise and physical therapy. This will restore strength to the injured ligaments while also helping to stabilize your ankle joint as a whole. This will ensure you’ll continue to be able to handle the stress you put on your ankle during normal and athletic movements.
Posttraumatic Ankle Arthritis – Posttraumatic ankle arthritis isn’t something that will set in overnight after an ankle sprain, but it can be exacerbated by a sprain that is not properly treated. If that sprain inhibits normal ankle function, soft tissues and cartilage in the ankle joint can break down faster, speeding up the arthritis process. Again, it’s important to work to restrengthen injured structures and restore your gait to a pre-injury level so that different areas of your ankle are not taking on more stress as they try to compensate for lingering weakness. Working with a physical therapist or an ankle specialist can ensure that not only has ankle strength returned, but your movement patterns and gait are not putting excessive stress on the joint as a result of the original sprain.
Don’t let a minor ankle sprain snowball into a much bigger issue because you tried to ignore the problem and walk it off. Sprains can be effectively managed, but they require proactive treatment, so give your ankle the attention it deserves after a sprain. Of course, if you need assistance assessing the scope of your ankle sprain or want help developing a specific physical therapy routine, reach out to an expert in your area. For more information, reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.