It’s so easy to sprain an ankle – kerbs, uneven surfaces, high heels, sports and sometimes your foot type (high arched feet, we’re looking at you!) can lead to painful ankle injuries. Ankle sprains can happen at the inside, outside or even at the front of your ankle. Lateral (outside) sprains are the most common and happen when your ankle rolls to the side and you hurt the soft tissues in the area.
Ankle sprains have 3 different levels of severity. A grade one ankle sprain is where the ligaments have been stretched or very slightly torn, the pain is mild and there might be some swelling and stiffness. You can usually walk reasonably comfortably, and the ankle is stable (we can test this for you).
A grade two ankle sprain is more painful and likely to present with some swelling and bruising. Ligaments are injured but any tears are incomplete. It will be sore to touch, and walking will cause pain.
Grade three ankle sprains are a complete tear of the involved ligaments. There will be a lot of pain, swelling and bruising and the ankle will be unstable meaning that walking is not possible.
Occasionally fractures can occur at the ankle bone (malleolus) when the attached tendon is violently pulled during a sprain injury, breaking the tip of the bone. For this reason, if you have a lot of swelling, bruising and pain and walking is tricky, we recommend getting an x-ray to check for bony injury.
If the injury is to the soft tissue, we recommend following the PEACE & LOVE guidelines. Ankle sprains need a bit more care than just rest, ice, compression and elevation as previously done (known as RICE). PEACE & LOVE stands of protect, elevate, avoid anti-inflammatories, compression, education, load, optimisation, vascularisation and exercise. We can do a full assessment of your ankle and give you personalised advice to help you heal.
In addition to assessment and advice, we can use our MLS® laser to help increase the speed of healing and reduce swelling and discomfort. It’s painless, quick and effective, getting you back on your feet faster!
A professional assessment and specialist treatment means you will recover as quickly as possible and appropriate rehabilitation ensures that your ankle will be strengthened with the risk of reoccurrence being reduced for the future.
In addition to acute ankle sprains, we can also help you with ankle injuries from the past.
Book a Biomechanical Assessment or Gait Analysis at Podiatry Station so our Specialist Podiatrist can help you recover from your ankle pain as soon as possible.
