Sports Injury: Sprained Ankle
Madison Humelsine
Breaking It Down: What is a Sprained Ankle?
First of all, an ankle sprain is the most common sports injury so it is imperative that the public knows what exactly that means and how to ultimately prevent this injury. A sprain is when a ligament, what connects bone to bone, is abruptly stretched resulting in either a tear or causes the ligament to become deformed in any way.
But how do I prevent this?
Preventing injuries is not always in our complete control, but in many cases taking certain precautions towards prevention can be key in ensuring safe workouts without injury.
Before beginning a workout, properly warming up before partaking in the main workout can help blood flow throughout one’s body increase which can help minimize getting hurt.
A common mistake most athletes can make is getting back into their extreme workout instead of slowly easing back into their original routine or a more intensive workout. It is paramount that one takes the time and patience to work up to a faster pace once they have continuously been working up their muscles before hand.
Lastly, another frequent mistake made by jocks can be working out past their own limits. Kind of tying along with the previous mistake, athletes can make the error of pushing too hard ending up with muscle fatigue. The best advice to follow to avoid muscle fatigue is to stop whenever exhaustion hits during the workout.
In case it does happen…..
Since spraining an ankle isn’t in our full control, it is bound to happen if one is engaging in any physical activity. Good news, if one does happen to find themselves with a sprained ankle, it can be self treated and can only be an issue for a few days to weeks. Following the R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate) guidelines will guarantee swelling to reduce and physical heath will improve.
Bibliography
Feature, M. (n.d.). How to prevent and treat the seven most common sports injuries. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/men/features/seven-most-common-sports-injuries
How to Care for a Sprained Ankle. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2015, from https://www.aofas.org/footcaremd/how-to/foot-injury/Pages/How to Care for a Sprained Ankle.aspx