Ankle Sprain

Did you know that an ankle sprain is one of the most severely UNDER-treated injuries?

How many times have you sprained or twisted your ankle?

Did you seek medical attention for the ankle sprain?

Did you see a foot and ankle specialist?

So say you had an ankle sprain, and if you did decide to see a medical professional, most likely it wasn’t a Podiatrist. You may have just gotten an ACE bandage or some kind of brace and you were told it will get better in a few days. Perhaps you even got a prescription for ibuprofen. That is not good enough for an ankle sprain!

That’s NOT enough. Why?

Let me start by explaining what an ankle sprain is. Ligaments connect bones to one another. The ligaments on the outside (the side of your baby toe) of the ankle are much smaller than the inside of the ankle. When you sprain your ankle, you are either over stretching the ligament or partially tearing them. In order to heal the ligaments, the ankle must be immobilized. What does that mean? It means that the ankle must be placed in either a soft cast or placed in an appropriate ankle brace. If the sprain is severe, you may be placed in a cast boot or on crutches. Immobilization will help heal the sprain much faster and it will heal the ligaments in a tightened position.

Consequences When You Decide to Skip the Doctor’s Advice.

Wondering what will happen if you skip my advice? Let me explain. You keep walking on your recently sprained ankle. There’s swelling and pain that lingers for weeks, even months. You try to exercise but your ankle hurts and swells. Six months later you finally heal but a few months later you sprain your ankle AGAIN. Now you’re starting all over again. Why you ask? Why did you sprain your ankle again? Because you didn’t treat the first sprain properly, your ankle ligaments healed in a stretched position or the partial tears never quite healed at all. Now your ankle is looser and not as stable so it’s more prone to re-injury. Re-injuring the ankle causes over stretching or partial tearing of the ligaments again and so the cycle continues. Eventually, you end up with arthritis of the ankle joint.

Immobilization is KEY

As you can see, do not take ankle sprains lightly. Some degree of immobilization by your Podiatrist, along with rest, ice, compression and elevation (R.I.C.E.) will help get you back on your feet FAST! Dr. Arti C. Amin is a board-certified Podiatrist who specializes in the conservative and surgical management of the foot and ankle, including wound management. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology from UC Irvine, Dr. Amin earned her podiatric medical degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine.

Make an appointment for a medical diagnosis, proper care and instructions today should you be having ankle pain or ankle sprain.

Contact us HERE.