Podiatrists Introduce Trending Changes For Treating Your Ankle Sprain
You really should not blame yourself when you suffer a very bad ankle sprain. You may be the most careful person in the world, but you can miss a perfect step and injure your ankle. You may be simply taking a walk down the road when suddenly your foot hits an uneven section of the pavement. Your ankle rolls too far to the right or left. You will feel a sharp pain in the ankle area following such an encounter. The ligaments that protect your ankle become stretched beyond an acceptable degree in that case. You may even start limping because of pain.
Ligament Protection
Ligaments are sheets of very tough fibrous tissue that perform the vital function of connecting bones and supporting your body's organs and muscles. When you twist your ankle or jump and land unsteadily on an ankle, ligaments take the full force of these actions. The ligaments in your ankle may have been harshly damaged in which case they might be torn. You could begin to have increasing pain and inflammation, and your ankle joint may also become quite swollen.
New Trends In Treating Ankle Sprains
Technology for treating ankle sprains has evolved over time. While there was a tendency in the past to place your sprained ankle in a casting device or have you undergo a surgical procedure, the current norm is to treat the sprain with minor bracing.
Negatives of Placing You In A Casting Device
The website notes that casting a sprained ankle makes it difficult for the podiatrist to discern the position and movement of your ankle during the treatment and recovery process. Casting your sprained ankle also leaves the ankle susceptible to scar formation, according to the article. Currently, a casting procedure is used only for a sprain that includes a fractured area of your ankle, says podiatry.com, since the fracture would be a priority that requires casting anyway.
Era of Wearing Leg Boot and Using Crutches
Nowadays, you can expect your podiatrist (such as one from ETL Podiatry) to have you wearing a long leg boot and using crutches if you are diagnosed with a grade 3 sprain, according to the article. You will not be required to wear the boot all day. However, when you take a break from the boot during the course of a day, the podiatrist will require that you then slip on an air-cast brace that initiates the process of controlled motion.
More Controlled Motion With Physical Therapy And Manipulation
Physical therapy is the next stage of your rehabilitation, and controlled motion as well as tolerable manipulation will be the standard treatment in your recovery plan. The new trend is to have you removed from wearing the boot about 1 to 2 weeks following your injury. After that period, you will be placed on the air-cast brace for a month.