Knowing your way Around a Sprain

Imagine this: there’s a part of our body that houses over 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 different muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These body parts are none other than...our feet and ankles! With so many bits and parts needed to keep our feet and ankles fully functioning, it’s no wonder foot and ankle injuries are among the most common types of injuries you can get.

Did you know that over half of people who experience a sprained ankle won’t seek medical treatment for it? While rest and reduced activities are advised for any foot or ankle injury, many ankle sprains can become fractures or weaken the joints and tendons over time, leading to further injury. Ankle sprains are also commonly referred to as “rolling” your ankle, which might contribute to those affected not always seeking medical treatment.

What are the symptoms?

Depending on the severity of your sprain, you may even be advised to start physical rehabilitation to encourage optimal healing and maintain long-term health and elasticity in your ankle. The most common symptoms will be pain, tenderness, stiffness, swelling, and bruising. The more bruising, swelling, and pain, the more likely you are to actually have fractured your ankle versus sprained it. There are two different ways you can sprain your ankle:

• Inversion: when your ankle is sprained via inversion, it means that your ankle rolled inward. This is the most common type of ankle spraining and causes the heel to forcefully roll towards your opposing foot.

• Eversion: as you might have guessed, spraining your ankle via eversion means your ankle rolled outwards and away from your opposing foot. Though less common, an untreated everted sprain can quickly lead to a weakened ankle and repeated injury.

Are you wondering if it’s too late to help strengthen your ankle for the future? Podiatrist Dr. Michele Kurlanski at Lighthouse Foot and Ankle Center firmly believes that it’s never too late, nor too early, to start being proactive about your foot and ankle health. Call us today at (207) 774-0028 to schedule an appointment at our location in Scarborough, Maine.