A Twisted Ankle is Not to Be Underestimated

Running is the most accessible and easiest sport to get started with, and it's one of the most widely participated sports.

As we all know, exercise not only brings health and a positive life attitude, but also comes with the risk of pain.

Although running is not as competitive as other sports, when running, carelessness, uneven road surfaces, or sudden emergencies such as sudden stops or sharp turns can easily cause acute ankle sprains, commonly known as 'ankle sprains'.

ankle sprain

easy to occur sprains and causes

Because of the external force greater than the joint activity, it causes

symptoms

swelling, pain and heat, in severe cases, there will be bleeding in the joint cavity.

prevention, treatment

To prevent sprains, it is very important to warm up before exercise. After a sprain occurs, immediately conduct PRICE treatment to prevent worsening of symptoms. When severe swelling occurs, it should be promptly treated by a doctor.

Don't underestimate this ankle sprain, because running at a fast speed and with great impact can easily cause acute sprains, and it needs to be taken seriously.

If not treated properly, it is likely to leave sequelae, and in severe cases, it may affect running.

'PRICE' principle, which is the basic emergency treatment when sports injuries occur and are immediately performed during exercise.

'PRICE' steps

protection (Protection

When injured during sports, use a brace or pad to fix and protect it

prevent secondary injury, then move.

rest (Rest

Rest the affected area to prevent secondary injury and accelerate its natural healing.

ice (Ice

Place an ice pack or cooling item on the skin to cool the affected area. One time

ice time is 15-20 minutes. 1-2 times icing.

best continuous icing. Depending on the injury situation, continuous 24-72 hours.

compression (Compression

If the affected area is swollen, press the pad, felt, sponge etc. on the

affected area, then wrap with bandage.

elevation (Elevation

Lie flat, lift the affected area above the heart position, preferably sleeping in this position.

After ankle sprain, first perform the emergency treatment of the injury, then according to the symptoms and the degree of injury, conduct training to restore it.

ankle rehabilitation training

After 3-5 days of emergency treatment, you should start rehabilitation training, which is an indispensable part of accelerating ankle recovery and re-establishing healthy feet for running. Of course, for severe ankle sprains, it is still necessary to seek medical attention to rule out fractures or other problems.

1. Rehabilitation training starts with joint mobility training

If there are no fractures or other problems, after 24-72 hours after injury, you can start simple rehabilitation training.

Long-term rest and inactivity will lead to adhesion of the ankle joint, muscle atrophy and decline in strength, resulting in a series of complications.

First, relax the tense muscles around the ankle joint and restore joint mobility. You can do some stretching exercises to relax the muscles.

2. Ankle strength training

Ankle sprains are related to insufficient ankle strength. When the back leg muscles fatigue and control the ankle becomes weaker, it causes injury. Long-term rest will further reduce muscle strength.

Therefore, strengthening ankle strength is an important part of recovery. You can do the following 5 exercises to strengthen the ankle joint.

heel raises

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms crossed, upper body slightly forward, shifting the center of gravity to the heel. Once the maximum position is reached, slowly let the heel return to a position lower than the toe, returning to the starting position. Repeat the action until the required number of repetitions are completed.

foot lift exercise

Stand with feet together, arms crossed at the shoulders, lift the toes upward, leaving the ground. Repeat the action until the required number of repetitions are completed.

ankle anti-external inversion training

Sit, hold the outside of the foot, hand give upward resistance to the foot, ankle downward force action. Repeat the action until the required number of repetitions are completed.

single standing with eyes open

Stand with feet together, hands side, upper body slightly leaning forward, shifting the center of gravity to the right foot, raise the left foot to form a single standing position. Repeat the action until the required number of repetitions are completed.

single standing with eyes closed

Stand with feet together, arms crossed at the shoulders, shift the center of gravity to the right foot, raise the left foot to form a single standing position. Repeat the action until the required number of repetitions are completed.