Physiotherapy is effective in reducing pain, swelling and inflammation. A physiotherapist will conduct a physical exam to assess the ankle, range of motion and ability to weight bear.
Physiotherapists will recommend mild pain relievers if you experience pain and swelling. Medications include common over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen prescribed by your ankle injuries physio Woodville.
Stretching
A sudden movement or twist, often when the foot is pointed, can overstretch the ankle ligaments causing pain and swelling. This is known as an ankle sprain. In more severe cases the ligaments can tear with pain when walking and the ankle becomes unstable. These injuries are classified into three categories or grades depending on how many ligament fibres have been damaged.
Your physiotherapist will advise you on the best recovery plan for your ankle, dependent on your grade of sprain. This will include resting and avoiding the injuring movements and a few basic exercises for your ankle, starting with free active dorsiflexion (moving your foot up and down) and plantar flexion (moving your foot forward and back). Later your clinician may introduce weight bearing dorsiflexion and manually assisted inversion and eversion stretches.
During rehabilitation you will also be given balance and proprioception exercises to encourage your brain to retrain how to move the muscles in your ankle correctly. These will help you avoid re-injuring the ankle by allowing your ankle muscles to work with the other muscles of your leg to support the ankle joint.
A simple balance exercise is to stand facing a wall with your hands on it, keep the injured leg back and the good leg forward, bend your knee of the good leg until you feel a moderate stretch in your injured calf. Repeat this several times a day.
Strengthening
The ankle ligaments and muscles that support the ankle need to become strong again. This will improve stability and reduce the chance of the injury happening again. Your ankle injuries physio Woodville will help you with exercises that are safe to do at home to build strength and stability around the ankle. They may also use special taping or fit you with an ankle brace to protect the area and allow you to return to sport sooner.
Often people who injure their ankle will describe feeling a sudden inwards roll of the foot followed by immediate pain, swelling and often a ‘crack’ or ‘pop’ when they are weight bearing. This can result in a severe ankle injury with a significant amount of damage to the ligaments around the ankle.
These injuries can cause chronic recurrent ankle instability if they are not managed properly. This can lead to a loss of function, difficulty in walking, running, and jumping, and can predispose to early onset ankle arthritis.
Disc Training
Small nerve sensors inside your ligaments give your brain information about the position of your joints, a sensation called proprioception. These are the same sensory receptors that allow you to touch your nose when you close your eyes or balance on one leg without falling over. When you sprain your ankle, these sensory signals are interrupted and the result is that your ankle feels less stable. Your ankle injuries physio Woodville will help you retrain your position sense so that you can use it to stabilise the ankle joint. This will reduce your risk of recurrent ankle sprains.
During the rehabilitation phase your physiotherapist may introduce disc training. This is a special balance board that allows you to train your ankle to be more stable by tilting the disc in different directions. The studies that have been conducted show that this type of training significantly improves your postural control in people who are at high risk for ankle sprains.
These are people who have either had a history of recurrent ankle sprains or who have poor balance and strength. Your physiotherapist will determine how long to do this rehabilitation programme for you. It is important not to push too quickly to these exercises as you could re-injure your ankle. If you experience pain or any discomfort during these exercises, then please consult your physiotherapist for further advice.
Medications
When someone sprains their ankle, the soft tissue in the ankle joint is injured. This causes a release of chemicals that cause inflammation and swelling. This can lead to loss of range of motion in the ankle and difficulty bearing weight through the foot. Symptoms can include:
The first step is to reduce the inflammation and swelling. Applying ice to the injury helps in this process and should be done every two to three hours for 10-15 minutes. Ice can burn the skin, so it is important to wrap it in a cloth like a tea towel or pillowcase. Alternatively, a cold-water bottle filled with ice can be used. It is also important to elevate the ankle above heart height as much as possible during this time. This is to help limit the internal bleeding and excess swelling.
