Don’t Misjudge Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains can cause so many problems for such a simple twist of the ankle. Ankle sprains are ligament tears that cause ankle instability. Ankle sprains are painful and can produce swelling after the sprain occurs. Mobility may be impacted and can result in an awkward gait which then affects the amount of weight your ankle can support. Once a sprain occurs, the injury to the ligament weakens the ankle, making the chances of reoccurrence likely and you could require major surgery.

Ankle sprains occur during fast movements while the foot is still on the ground. It is generally caused by walking or exercising on bumpy surfaces, falling down, high-intensity activities or if your foot is placed under trauma. Early symptoms of this condition include inflammation or tenderness. If you do not treat your ankle sprain with an urgency of care, it can lead to many problems that you could have avoided in the first place.

Treatment for an ankle sprain includes:

• Raising the foot and keeping it that way can help to promote healing.
• Using compression to place strategic pressure on the injured ankle in an effort to reduce inflammation.
• Using cold therapy to reduce swelling.
• Getting a great amount of rest.
• Taking part in physical therapy to strengthen the weakened ankle ligaments and muscles.
• Undergoing surgical procedures to repair the ankle ligaments or remove loose bones. Reconstructive surgery can also be helpful with repairing torn ligaments and will rebuild hurt ligaments.

At Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, located in Waterbury 203-755-0489 & Newtown 203-270-6724, Connecticut, our podiatrist, Dr. Joel S. Segalman, DPM, can help to treat your ankles with care and precision so that you can get better and be worry-free about future sprains! So, please call our office at any of the two numbers listed above today.