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As we spring into the new year you might know a friend (or 10) who has made resolutions to lose weight, become more active, or finally get rid of the pain they’ve been experiencing. You’ve probably suffered an ankle sprain in the past, recently sprained your ankle, or know someone who always talks about their “bad ankles” and you want to know how Strength & Spine Chiropractic can help you. People are sometimes surprised when we tell them that we specialize in extremity injuries to the shoulder, knee, ankle, elbow, wrist/hand, etc.
Ankle pain and treatment is always fun to assess and work with as there are different severities, locations, and many forms of treatment. It is crucial that a clinician properly assess your ankle pain to help determine if there are serious injuries such as a fracture, avulsion fracture, or dislocation.
Ankle sprains are a common sports injury suffered by athletes of all sports. Typically, this injury is experienced by those who play soccer, runners, basketball, or tennis and suffer some form of an ankle sprain when there is a heavy emphasis on lateral movement. Even as pickleball has grown ankle sprains are still very prominent as newcomers join the movement.
The most commonly sprained ankle ligament is the Anterior Talofibular Ligament (ATFL) located on the outside aspect of your ankle, by the lateral malleolus. However, not many people discuss medial ankle sprains, which occur to the Deltoid Ligament in the medial aspect of the ankle. When this excessive force travels through the ankle joint, a large load is placed on the ligament and musculature and may result in partial or full tears of the ligaments. Following an injury, there may be different severities of swelling, bruising, pain, or lack of movement. Upon ruling out possible fracture or dislocation, it is imperative to begin a trial of conservative management to help with ankle pain and prevent the risk of reinjury.
Injury to the Deltoid Ligament is rare because it is a strong and triangular band on the inside of the ankle so when this gets injured it is more serious with a longer time frame to heal. This is often a result of someone who has had many lateral ankle sprains or chronic instability in their ankle that has not been addressed. The mechanism of injury is excessive ankle eversion (outward) and dorsiflexion (toes up).
For those who have suffered an acute medial ankle sprain, care is initially geared toward passive therapies first then places more emphasis on active care as treatment progresses. Finally, some patients receive chiropractic adjustments to joints above and below the ankle to help restore any lost mobility of joints due to being on crutches or compensating due to a painful joint.
Soft tissue therapies such as manual therapy or IASTM help desensitize the area, promote healing, and help prevent scar tissue. Compression flossing helps reduce edema and provides stability while performing certain movements or exercises. Taping reduces edema, and bruising, and helps with proprioception. Class IV Laser and Winback Tecartherapy have been revolutionary in decreasing pain, swelling, and time to recovery. This helps us utilize rehabilitation exercises to help strengthen the ankle, increase proprioception, and restore mobility and stability of the ankle joint. Most people either want to decrease their pain overall or return to their respective sport or activity faster and this allows us to do both.
Do you suffer from acute or chronic ankle pain? If so, schedule your FREE Discover Appointment with Dr. Caleb or Dr. Cameron today at Strength & Spine Chiropractic. Building resilient ankles, one ankle sprain at a time!
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