One of the most frequent musculoskeletal ailments treated is sprained ankles. Regardless of whether you are sporty or not, they may occur to anybody. Even if you are not sporty, you can sprain your ankles in many ways, like while doing chores or just walking through a darkly lit stairway.
Sports like soccer, volleyball, rugby, and others that call for leaping, jumping, rotating, and changing directions are the ones where ankle injuries most often happen. If injured while playing the sports mentioned, pelvic health physiotherapy is a way to help and sort out by professionals in physiotherapy New Zealand.
How To Know If It’s a Sprain
If you feel pain occurring in your ankle that is disturbing and has been affecting your walk, here are some signs to know if it is a sprain or not:
1) pain
2) throbbing
3) blisters or bruising of the ankle
4) difficulty in withstanding pressure on the damaged ankle or foot
5) inflexibility of the ankle
The symptoms of an ankle sprain and a fracture are remarkably similar. The treatment for an ankle fracture differs significantly from that for an ankle sprain. Therefore, getting the ankle examined by a doctor or physiotherapist as soon as possible is crucial, along with the required request for scans to exclude a fracture or any ailments.
Severity Levels of Sprained Ankles
Sprained ankles bring different kinds of pain. The severity of ankle sprains is rated from 1 to 3 on a scale of mild, moderate and severe, with 1 being the least amount of pain and 3 being the highest amount of pain being experienced.
For Grade 1 – Mild
For the least amount of pain for sprained ankles, you may have and experience the following feelings of minor tension, minimal suffering, minimal or nonexistent joint dysfunction, slight discomfort when carrying weight or pressure, and minimal inflammation on the site are felt.
If you experience some of these signs and symptoms, physiotherapy New Zealand can help you with any feelings of discomfort you are experiencing. Apply rest, ice, and compression, and elevate your ankle for immediate care. Furthermore, give the ankle some rest and avoid walking on it.
For Grade 2 – Moderate
For the moderate amount of pain from sprained ankles, you may experience the following average to severe discomfort on the ankle, a partial rip on the tissues located on the ankle, joint dysfunction that is average and manageable, inflammation and tightness in the area of the sprain, and lastly pain while doing pressure-putting activities.
If you experience some of these signs and symptoms, you might want to get help in the form of pelvic health physiotherapy if you have experienced a sprain because of pelvic issues or incidents. For immediate care, you can also apply R.I.C.E, commonly known as rest, ice, compression, and elevation. The ankle may also be immobilised for up to 4 weeks with the use of a splint or CAMboot.
For Grade 3 – Severe
For the severe amount of pain for sprained ankles, you may experience the following severe symptoms on the ankle such as total ligament damage, a sharp ache accompanied by a dull discomfort, significant edoema, significant joint stiffness, and the potential for discomfort while carrying weight pressure.
If you experience one or more of these signs and symptoms, immediately call professionals for physiotherapy New Zealand to help you in the affected area and provide the proper aid to eliminate the worsening of the area.
Grade 3 sprains often take a lot longer to recover. But for immediate care, apply R.I.C.E. For up to 4 weeks, a splint or CAMboot may be used. Anti-inflammatory medications may be used to reduce pain and swelling. Patients who are younger and more active may also be eligible for surgery. If left untreated and without proper aid, your ankle may have persistent discomfort, edoema, or eventually arthritis. So, seek proper help and treatment as soon as possible.
How to Avoid Sprained Ankles
To avoid and prevent spraining your ankles, make sure to do these:
1) Calf Extenstion and Stretching
2) One-Legged Balance
3) Calf Raise Exercises
These exercises can help you avoid injuries, so do these before doing sports or excessive muscle movements.
How Do You Treat a Sprained Ankle?
For applying first aid treatment to your sprained ankle, here are 4 easy tips you can do at home as recommended by professionals to alleviate pain in the ankle.
- Rest – To avoid putting pressure on your sprained ankle, make sure to rest comfortably.
- Ice – For about 15-20 minutes, apply ice on the area on your ankle and repeat for 2-3 hours.
- Compression – To minimise swelling in the area, wrap a bandage around it for compression.
- Elevation – Elevate your ankle by placing it above a bed of pillows.
Conclusion
At times, getting injuries while doing recreational activities can not be prevented. For instance, you can get injured while doing daily tasks and chores, such as slipping while cleaning your floors or simply walking down the stairs. Nevertheless, with this guide, you can now take measures on how to treat a simple sprain. But for your safety, make sure to contact physiotherapy New Zealand experts to help you with your injury and provide the right and proper aid to alleviate the pain.
