Ankle injuries are common and can range in severity. They vary from small strains to severe tears that can sideline you for weeks or months. In order to avoid these injuries, you should know the signs and symptoms of an ankle sprain or strain, as well as some of the best ways to prevent them.
When you’re protecting your ankles, it doesn’t matter if you work at a desk job or run around on construction sites every day. Being aware of ankle injuries and knowing how to prevent them is a must for anyone who wants to stay active!
For example, many medical professionals agree that wearing high-quality athletic shoes can help reduce your risk for possible ankle injuries.
How To Know If You Injured Your Ankle?
Most of the time when you sprain your ankle, you’ll know it pretty quickly.
When one of these injuries happens, you’ll experience significant pain and swelling. You may also have bruising that appears hours later. In order to protect your ankle from further damage, try to stay off of it as much as possible until the pain is gone.
Some minor sprains and strains can be treated at home. Your injury may heal faster if you stay active by moving around and even walking with a crutch or another assistive device.
If you think that you may have a serious ankle injury, it’s best to see a medical professional as soon as possible.
4 Common Ankle Injuries
There are several different ankle conditions and injuries that can cause pain, discomfort, and sometimes swelling.
Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains are one of the most common ankle injuries. Sprains are an injury to your ligaments – the tough bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. Sprains can be accompanied by some swelling and sometimes bruising in or around the injured area.
Ligaments can easily be overstretched when a joint is forced past its normal range of motion. When this happens, the ligament will tear slightly and become loose or unstable.
When your ligament is stretched too much and torn, the tissue will become weaker and more susceptible to additional injury. The injured ligament is often referred to as a sprained ligament.
Achilles Tendonitis or Tear
This injury is very similar to a sprain but involves the Achilles tendon instead of your ligaments. The Achilles tendon is responsible for allowing your foot to roll forward and backward.
A tendon injury usually happens when you overuse the muscles that attach to your ankle. If you are continually using the muscles to pull your leg back and forth, they can get very tired after a while.
When this happens, your tendons will begin to lengthen and become stretched too far. This overstretched tendon is what leads to an Achilles tear or strain.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia – a tough layer of skin and tissue located between the heel and the ball of your foot.
Like other muscles, your plantar fascia can become overstretched, causing pain, tenderness, and swelling in your arch area. This type of injury happens when you use your foot for prolonged periods without taking breaks to stretch it out.
Swelling and bruising around the area will precede a diagnosis of this problem. It’s best to see a doctor if the pain increases in severity or becomes more persistent.
Ankle Fracture
As the name suggests, an ankle fracture is a break in your bone. If you’ve ever twisted your ankle really hard and heard or felt a “pop,” then you may have sprained or fractured it. It is also one of the most common ankle injuries.
Many people avoid going to the doctor because they think that the problem will heal on its own. However, if you suspect that you have fractured your ankle, it’s very important that you see a medical professional as soon as possible.
How To Prevent Ankle Injuries?
One of the best ways to avoid an ankle sprain or strain is by stretching your ankles regularly. When you’re stretching, try to make sure that you stretch both ankles equally. You can do this by standing up with one foot in front of the other, or by crossing your legs at the ankle and stretching them both out. Stretching injuries can often be cured with icing or compression therapy.
It’s also important to wear good quality athletic shoes. There are a lot of reasons why this is important, but the most obvious is that you can’t run or play sports in bad shoes. Most common ankle injuries happen when people wear bad shoes.
By wearing the proper footwear, you’ll also be able to keep your feet properly aligned, which will help prevent strains and sprains as well. The proper alignment will keep your ankles from rolling inward or outward when you walk or run.
If you work at a desk job, it’s helpful to opt for foot support that helps keep your feet in line while you’re sitting at your desk. Some foot supports are even attached to chairs so that they’ll hold your feet in the right position while you’re seated.
One of the most important ways that you can stay active is by choosing the right exercises to strengthen your ankles. The best way to prevent ankle injuries is to keep your muscles strong and relaxed. You should also be sure not to overdo it when you’re exercising, as this can lead to an injury of its own.
Also, during exercising you might hurt your back, to learn how to avoid hurting your back please check the article below:
Most Important Ways to Avoid Back Injury From Lifting
Summary
An ankle sprain or strain can be very dangerous for a person who doesn’t know how to properly treat it.
If you think that you may have sprained or strained your ankle, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Also, the best way to prevent ankle injuries is by stretching your ankles regularly and wearing good-quality athletic shoes. Be sure to check the article below:
Awesome Gym Shoes for Women That Are Relentless
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