Sprained Ankles

Another injury that seemed common on the Lacrosse Injuries Forum was sprained ankles.

Oh, here's the link to that forum if you want it...

http://forums.insidelacrosse.com/showthread.php?t=39299

Anyways, like I said, sprained ankles seemed common among the list of injuries commonly sustained by a lacrosse player.

A sprained ankle, or a twisted ankle, is the stretching or tearing of ligaments. The most common kind of ankle sprain is an inversion sprain. When this happens, the bottom of the foot faces inwards, which damages the ligaments on the outside of the foot.

A medial ligament sprain rarely occurs. This would be when the bottom of the foot is facing outward. When it does occur, it is usually in conjunction with a fracture.

The most common ligament injured in an ankle sprain is the anterior talofibular ligament. This ligament connects the talus (ankle bone) to the smaller bone in the calf, the fibula.
However, if the sprain is severe, there could be damage to
the calcaneofibular ligament which connects the heelbone to
the fibula.

In addition to ligament injuries, tendons, bones, and other tissue might also be damaged. Because of this, it is important to get an x-ray of the ankle if sprained, because small fractures are not uncommon.

With a severely sprained ankle, there can be complete ruptures of the anterior talofibular, calcaneofibular, and posterior talofibular ligaments. These can result in a dislocation of the ankle joint which is often associated with fractures.

There are three stages of ankle sprains.

Stage 1:

• some stretching of the ligaments, possible minor tearing of the lateral ligaments
• little or no joint instability
• mild pain
• mild swelling around the bone on the outside of the ankle
• some joint stiffness while walking or running

Stage 2:

• moderate tearing of the ligaments
• some instability of the joint
• moderate to severe pain, and difficulty walking
• swelling and stiffness in the ankle joint
• minor bruising

Stage 3:

• total rupture of the ligament(s)
• major instability of the joint
• severe pain initially followed by no pain later
• severe swelling
• extensive bruising

There are two parts to rehabilitation of an ankle sprain: immediate and long-term.

Immediate:
RICE

R: Rest. This helps to reduce pain and prevent further damage. Many therapists say to have some moderate weight on the foot as soon as possible-it is thought to accelerate rehabilitation.
I: Ice. Applying ice and compression can reduce pain and swelling and encourage blood flow. Apply an ice pack immediately for 15 minutes and repeat every 2 hours.
C: Compression. This reduces bleeding and swelling.
E: Elevation. Elevation uses gravity to reduce swelling and bleeding by allowing the fluids to flow away from the injury.

Later on, strengthening things such as ankle circles can get the ankle moving again and reduce swelling even more. After a sprain, the calf muscle often tightens up so protect the joint, so slowly strengthening the calf can also help get the rehab done quicker.