Ankle Injuries: Breaks and Sprains

Fall is just around the corner which means fall sports are gearing up for the spotlight. With the coming sports season, it’s important to learn up on common injuries and how to prevent them. And there’s one injury that all fall athletes are susceptible to… ankle injuries. They’re injuries that can keep mess up your mobility and cause you a lot of pain.

Learn up on ankle injuries and how to treat them.

Sprained Ankle

Not only are sprains the most common form of ankle injury, ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in the country. 2 million acute ankle sprains occur every year. Whenever you overstretch or tear the ligaments in your ankle, it will result in a sprain. Your ligaments are the pieces of tissue that connect two bones to each other inside a joint.

• Treatment: The best treatment for an immediate sprained ankle is to use the RICE treatment. Rest, Ice, Compress & Elevation are key to treating a sprain.

• Prevention: Stretching doesn’t only help with treatment it can also help prevent future injuries. It’s important to stretch thoroughly before rigorous physical activity. Working to improve your balance also helps prevent future sprains.

Broken Ankle

A broken ankle and a fractured ankle are the same thing. They happen when one or more bones in the ankle joint break. A sprained ankle and a broken ankle may feel very similar. A broken ankle may sound like a snap or crack during the moment of injury. Other symptoms include: swelling, difficulty bearing weight, dislocated foot and bleeding.

• Treatment: If you’ve broken an ankle or think you’ve broken an ankle, seek professional medical attention immediately. In the meantime, it’s important to keep weight off of the foot and apply pressure. Broken ankles are usually treated with a cast, surgery or a walking boot.
• Prevention: Always stretch before physical activity or exercise. Make sure your shoes or other athletic equipment are properly worn and working correctly. A healthy diet and calcium intake will keep your bones strong and healthy.

Whatever your age or however physically active you are, knowing how ankle injuries work may help you in the future. If you think you’ve sprained or fractured your ankle stop in at Sioux Falls Urgent located at 85^th and Minnesota and let us help you. There’s no appointment necessary.