Ankle Sprain

Ankle sprains in Fox Chapel are one of the most common injuries in all of sports. A sprain is the tearing of a ligament. There are three grades of tears. Grade 1 is a small partial tear, grade 2 is a larger partial tear, and grade 3 is a complete tear of the ligament. There are 3 ligaments which are the most commonly torn. The three ligaments are the anterior talofibular ligament, the calcaneal fibular ligament, and the posterior talofibular ligament. These 3 ligaments are on the lateral (outside) part of the ankle. They help to stabilize the ankle bones with one of the leg bones. These ligaments are commonly injured during an inversion ankle sprain, the most common type of ankle sprain. An inversion ankle sprain is when one lands on the outside of their foot and puts a lot of force through the ankle. This force can either be bodyweight or some other type of external force. The ankle is forced inwards causing the ligaments on the outside of the foot to be stretched and torn.

To diagnose an ankle sprain at Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in Fox Chapel, history plays a major part. A history of someone turning their ankle and experiencing immediate pain in the area is a pretty good indicator that someone sprained their ankle. When someone presents with a sprained ankle they will commonly have pain, tenderness, and swelling on the outside of the ankle. Some orthopedic test can be performed to further indicate that a sprain is present. Performing inversion stress test of the ankle will likely elicit the pain, and if the injury is severe enough anterior or posterior drawer tests may reveal some laxity in the ankle. If the injury is severe enough and the patient meets the recommended criteria an xray may be taken to rule out any fractures in the area. If there is no fracture in the area and one presents with the above history and examination findings they likely experienced an ankle sprain. An MRI may be warranted in some cases although usually one is not required to diagnose a sprain.

Right after the traumatic event the ankle should go through the PRICE protocol. PRICE stands for protect, rest, ice, compress, and elevate. One needs to protect the ankle from further injury and rest it, which likely means no or minimal amounts of weight bearing. Then the area should be elevated. Ice and compression should be applied to the area for around 20 minutes every hour. This protocol is to take place for the first 48-72 hours after the injury takes place. After that period of time, one can usually go through rehabilitative procedures to the area. These rehabilitative procedures at Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in Fox Chapel normally progress from restoring range of motion, all the way to strengthening the muscles in the area. A trained professional should take one through these progressions.

At Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in Fox Chapel we are able to diagnose and treat athletes who experienced sprained ankles whether it occurred while participating in sports or not. Ankle sprains should be rehabbed appropriately to avoid reinjuring the area. Without adequate rehabilitation the same injury is likely to occur again. At Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation we use soft tissue techniques, manipulation, and exercise therapy to progress patients through the stages of rehab. These techniques are designed to get people better as fast as possible. For more information call 412-517-8124

Works Cited

• Society, T. A. (n.d.). Ankle Sprain. Retrieved from American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society : http://www.aofas.org/footcaremd/conditions/ailments-of-the-ankle/Pages/Ankle-Sprain-.aspx