Sports Injuries: Ankle Sprains
By: Greg Johnston
Background
-An ankle sprain is an injury that occurs to one or more of the ligaments in your ankle.
-Ligaments are the tough bands of tissue that hold our bones together.
-Ligaments are flexible, but if stretched too far or twisted suddenly, the ligament may become strained or rip entirely.
-There are three grades of ankle sprains classified by severity.
3 Grades of Sprains
Grade II: ligaments are partially torn
Grade III: ligament(s) fully torn
How an ankle sprain may occur
-foot lands on ground at an angle
At a higher risk of recieving an ankle sprain if
-wear shoes that lack proper support
-play a sport that involves a lot of sudden change in direction (soccer and basketball)
-you have sprained your ankle before
What does spraining your ankle feel like?
-swelling
-bruising
-instability and difficulty in moving the ankle
Treatment
-Rest it: put little to no weight on your hurt ankle at first (crutches are common).
-Ice the ankle: elevate and ice the ankle several times a day for 15-20 minutes to reduce swelling.
-Compression: elastic bandage or something to wrap the ankle and keep the swelling down.
Recovery
When has your ankle fully recovered?
-you can move your ankle as freely as your uninjured one
-your ankle feels as strong as your uninjured one
-there is no pain in the ankle when running or jumping
If all three of these things are true for your ankle then you are ready to return.