An ankle sprain is a very common athletic injury, especially in sports requiring lots of running, jumping, or quick directional changes.
Running on uneven surfaces or landing awkwardly after a jump or other maneuver can cause you to roll or twist the ankle to the extent that the ligaments of the ankle are overstretched or torn. You may even hear or feel a popping sensation.
Symptoms you have sprained your ankle include pain when attempting to use or apply pressure to the affected foot, as well as swelling and bruising of the ankle.
It can be very uncomfortable and dramatically interfere with training.
The first means of healing is the standard R.I.C.E. therapy: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This addresses the immediate inflammation of the tissues surrounding your injury. After that, it’s important to allow complete healing of the ankle joint before resuming activity in order to prevent further damage and increase the risk of subsequent injuries to the weakened structure.
Sports chiropractic care is great for rehabbing strains like those to the ankle with active recovery treatment plans based on the severity and type of ankle sprain. Each individualized ankle sprain physical therapy plan is specifically designed to achieve proper motioning and alignment, as well as to strengthen the muscles and tissues surrounding the joint with specialized exercises for ankle sprains.
Regular sports chiropractic care is also great at helping prevent injuries such as these in the first place. Along with bracing weak joints, being cautious/aware of training surfaces, wearing the proper footwear for your foot shape and sport, and regularly warming up the ankle before activity, sports chiropractic care takes injury prevention even further.
With manual adjustments, soft tissue manipulation, and a variety of state-of-the-art therapies and technologies, we can help correct misalignments that are comprising ankle structures, increase strength, flexibility, and range of motion around the ankle joint, and analyze gait and other body mechanics, including an athlete’s landing and jumping techniques, that increase the likelihood of injury.
If you regularly participate in a sport where ankle sprains are common — or even possible — let Dynamic Sports Medicine provide you with effective therapies and proven expertise to fully heal with shorter ankle sprain recovery times and/or reduce your chances of an ankle sprain in the future.
