Everything You Need To Know To Get Up & Moving Again
Do you experience ankle pain after running or walking? You are most likely reading this because you have ankle and foot pain now, you have had it in the past, or you know someone who does. If you are experiencing ankle pain that just won’t go away, there is a large chance you’ve suffered from a strain or sprain! People often use these two words interchangeably, however, there is a difference between them. A strain is the tearing or overstretching of a muscle or tendon. These tendons connect bones to muscles. The most common location for a strain is your lower back or a hamstring. A sprain is the overstretching or tearing of a ligament. Ligaments are the rows of tissue connecting bones in a joint. Sprains normally occur in your ankle or wrist joint.
The good news is that you don’t have to live in pain anymore. Physical therapy can help provide the pain relief you are looking for! To learn more about natural and effective pain management and elimination for sprains and strains, give Brewer Physical Therapy a call today. One of our Doctor of Physical Therapy providers will be happy to see you.
What Causes Ankle Pain?
Symptoms for strains and sprains are very similar, which is another reason people seem to mix the two up! You might experience muscle spasms, swelling and inflammation, decreased range of motion, limited flexibility, and pain around the affected joint. The biggest difference between the two is that a sprain will normally show up with bruising on the skin around that affected area. Some ways that you can experience a strain or sprain are as follows:
- Lifting heavy objects
- Overexerting yourself
- Athletic injuries
- Slipping and falling
- Prolonged, repetitive motion
- Stepping awkwardly on uneven surfaces
It’s important to warm up before physical activity to avoid receiving a sprain or strain. Make sure when you’re working out that you are alert and aware of your surroundings, and use the proper equipment as well so you don’t have an accident resulting in one of the two injuries. There are also environmental factors that can put you at risk as well, such as slippery or icy surfaces, or exercising on rocky ground that could cause you to trip and fall.
How We Treat Strains and Sprains
Most strains and sprains can be treated with a technique called the RICE technique. RICE stands for:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation.
Many people can do this technique at home, but it doesn’t always work. If you find that the injury doesn’t heal this way, it’s time to see a physical therapist. A PT will be able to complete a full-comprehensive examination and evaluation to determine if your signs and symptoms are consistent with a strain or sprain.
This is where physical therapy treatment can come in! A physical therapy rehabilitation program can play a major role in your recovery, as physical therapists know a multitude of different ways to successfully treat and reduce pain, including ankle sprains and strains. They can also improve your coordination, balance, and strength.
Active Treatment
Active treatment in physical therapy involves targeted exercises and stretches to retrain your proprioceptive abilities, restore normal range of motion and strength, provide pain relief, and improve your daily function. One of the most entertaining interventions that I often prescribe to patients with foot or ankle injuries is Toe Yoga. The Toe yoga exercise helps to retrain the small, intrinsic muscles in the feet to allow for a more normal walking pattern with increased stability.
How to To Toe Yoga
Instructions:
-
- Sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor and knees bent.
- Starting with 1 foot, slowly try to raise the big toe off the floor while keeping the other 4 toes on the ground.
- Then, lower the big toe and try to raise the other 4 toes while keeping the big toe on the floor.
- Continue to switch between the big toe lifting and the other toes lifting.
- Perform this for 3 minutes. Repeat with the other foot, as needed.
- For some, it is easier to perform on both feet at the same time.
Passive Treatment
Passive treatment includes: electrical stimulation, alpha-stim, ultrasound, massage, laser, trigger point dry needling, kinesiotaping, heat therapy, and more! Dry needling is a very effective technique to reduce ankle pain.
Physical therapy has also been proven as a successful treatment for ligament sprains such as an ACL tear. An ACL tear is a very common knee injury. Physical therapy has also been shown to be effective for an injury to the Achilles tendon and other types of sprains and strains. No matter what your injury might be, Brewer Physical Therapy is here to help.
How Common is Ankle Pain?
Although many injuries are more likely to occur as we age, according to WebMD, “Ankle injuries can happen to anyone at any age. However, men between 15 and 24 years old have higher rates of ankle sprains, compared to women older than age 30 who have higher rates than men. Half of all ankle sprains occur during athletic activity. Every day in the U.S., 25,000 people sprain their ankle. And more than 1 million people visit emergency rooms each year because of ankle injuries.”
That’s a pretty impressive statistic, and it just goes to show that literally, everyone is at risk of receiving an injury to their ankle! That’s why it’s incredibly important to be aware of how you’re moving your body in order to prevent one, as well as understand your treatment options should you get hurt.
Following an ankle sprain, we know that you are then at higher risk for suffering from additional ankle sprains. A large, meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that there is a significant reduction of ankle sprain incidence when proprioceptive (balance) training was performed. Other research tells us that proprioceptive training programs are very effective at reducing the rate of ankle sprains in sporting participants as well.
Contact Our Office Today To Learn More
If you’re suffering from ankle pain or a strain or sprain, don’t let things get worse by putting treatment off any longer. Brewer Physical Therapy is here to help! Give us a call today to learn how we can get you on the road to recovery. Our experienced Doctors of Physical Therapy providers will do a comprehensive assessment of your condition and create an individualized treatment program. We’ll have you recovering and living your normal life again in no time!
Our clinics are located in Shreveport, Bossier City, and Minden, Louisiana. Additionally, we can also easily provide your physical therapy through our Telehealth PT (or Virtual Visit) platform if you are located anywhere in the state of Louisiana, Texas, or Florida!
In Good Health,
Dr. Amanda T. Brewer, PT
Source:
https://www.webmd.com
