Lateral ankle sprains are some of the most common injuries in the world. Almost everyone who has walked has had an ankle sprain at some point in their life. They can be very frustrating because the ankle is so important for walking and having a normal life. They can also be very painful because there are many muscles and tendons in the ankle. Any sort of injury to one can cause problems with the others. Therefore it is important to identify ankle injuries and treat them appropriately.
The most commonly injured lateral ligament ankle sprain is cause by coming down on the outside portion of the foot. This causes the foot to roll under the lower leg. Specifically, the talus and navicular bones curl underneath the tibia. This puts incredibly pressure on several ligaments. One of them is the anteriour talo-fibular ligament. This connects the fibula, the smaller bone in the lower leg, to the talus. This ligament sits in a precarious position and can easily be comprised by a large impact force. The weight of the body is enough force to cause this problem.
When a lateral ligament ankle sprain occurs, the person usually experiences severe pain on the outside of the foot. This area can also become bruised and tends to have a large amount of swelling. This swelling can be reduced by using a cold pack. The decreased temperature prevents fluids from the blood vessels from leaking into the tissues. Also, the cold prevents the formation of inflammatory chemicals which can worsen the injury. It is always best to apply cold for effective lateral ankle sprain treatment quickly and for several hours. It should be applied for approximately twenty minutes and then taken off for ten. In this way the area does not become too cold and injure the tissue but you are also about to have a great clinical effect.
Ankle sprain treatment can also include the use of wraps and bandages to support the ankle. In the beginning these wraps with cradle the foot and be used to apply cold. But later these bandages will support the proper function of the ankle but allowing for forward and backward movement while minimizing the side to side types of activities. These can also be worn inside of a show or boot so that a person can return to normal activities while not showing that they have an injury.
Ankle sprains are not very serious and are rather common. It is important to be able to recognize the injury and to know what to do about them. Almost every athlete and coach has seen and/or experienced one. Most of the time, a person does not require any sort of extensive treatment. Other times, it may be necessary to seek additional medical help in case there are more drastic problems. Lateral ankle sprains are a product of several factors and will continue to be a problem is not managed properly.