Don’t be a “swallow” when you sprain your ankle. Do this right away…

If you don't warm up enough when jogging in winter, it is easy to sprain your ankle. A few days ago, it was reported that someone sprained his ankle and fell asleep after applying ice, which caused frostbite and even suppuration of the wound. Experts recommend that when you have an ankle sprain, you should follow the four principles of "rest, ice, compression, and elevating the foot", and determine which ligament is injured based on the ankle posture and the location of the pain. If it is a severe sprain, the ankle joint needs to be fixed. If the ligament is completely broken, it needs to be plastered or sutured surgically, and you need to go to the hospital for treatment.

Physiotherapist Jiang Chunrui pointed out that ankle sprains are common sports injuries. Most people often go to martial arts masters for massage, but this often adds fuel to the fire. If people can have some basic common sense and take correct measures, they can recover from mild sprains or reduce the severity of severe sprains.

Ankle sprains are more common in adolescents

Ankle sprains are mainly caused by excessive inversion or internal rotation of the ankle when the foot lands or turns, and are often accompanied by symptoms such as pain, swelling, limited angle, decreased muscle strength, and poor posture control. In the United States, 2.15 people per 1,000 suffer ankle sprains each year, with youth aged 15-19 being the most common.

According to statistics, the sports most likely to cause ankle sprains are basketball, football, volleyball and gymnastics; the sports least likely to cause ankle sprains are baseball, softball and ice hockey. Apart from athletes, ordinary people can easily sprain their ankle if they are not careful when walking, step on empty air or fall into a hole, or jump from a chair or a high place.

4 principles of first aid for ankle sprains. (Photo provided by physical therapist Jiang Chunrui)

Ankle sprains require professional physical therapy

Physical therapist Jiang Chunrui emphasized that when an ankle sprain occurs, the first measure to be taken is to stop walking immediately, let the injured part rest and elevate, and quickly use a plastic bag to fill some ice cubes or ice water, or directly cover the sprained part with an ice towel and wrap it with an elastic bandage, towel or cloth strips to apply appropriate pressure.

Basically, ankle sprains can be divided into three levels according to their severity. Patients with grade 3 sprains usually have their ankles casted, and then decide whether to undergo surgery to repair the ligament based on the patient's needs (high-intensity life or low-intensity life). With or without surgery, follow-up physical therapy is still required.

Lateral ankle sprains have a high recurrence rate

Physical therapist Jiang Chunrui emphasized that in a study tracking patients with lateral ankle sprains, it was found that 17% to 22% of patients still complained of pain 6.5 years after sprain; 35% to 48% of patients said they still felt discomfort in their ankles; 26% to 33% of patients still had swollen ankles; and another 32% of patients still had tenderness at the same point when they first sprained their ankle 7 years later.

Ankle sprains have an extremely high recurrence rate and are believed to be the cause of these subsequent symptoms, with a recurrence rate of up to 56% to 74%. Repetitive ankle sprains may lead to chronic ankle instability. Due to the high recurrence rate of lateral ankle sprains, 6% of people are unable to return to their pre-sprain work, and 15% require assistive devices (such as ankle braces) to return to their original workplace.

The best treatment for recurrent ankle sprains is prevention, which means correctly handling the first acute ankle sprain. However, many patients tend to ignore rehabilitation for chronic ankle sprains after the acute phase. Therefore, it is recommended that patients facing recurrent ankle sprains in the chronic phase use physical rehabilitation to improve their condition.

Principles of treatment in the chronic phase (neuromuscular control training)

1. Tie your ankles with an elastic band (as shown below)

Use your left hand to apply some pulling force, step on the elastic band with your left foot, and use your right foot to write the English letters A to Z.

Use your right hand to apply some pulling force, move your left foot to the right side to step on the elastic band, and use your right foot to write English letters A to Z.

Tie your ankles with an elastic band. (Photo demonstration/physiotherapist Jiang Chunrui)

(Photo demonstration/physiotherapist Jiang Chunrui)

(Photo demonstration/physiotherapist Jiang Chunrui)

(Photo demonstration/physiotherapist Jiang Chunrui)

(Photo demonstration/physiotherapist Jiang Chunrui)