Peace and Love for a Happy Ankle
Anatomy of the Ankle
The ankle joint stability is maintained by a group of ligaments that prevent the multiple bones around the ankle from moving excessively. Ligaments are soft tissue structures that attach bone to bone, and are designed to be rigid and without any stretch when placed under tension. One the inside of your ankle the ligaments that stabilise your bones are the tibionavicular, tibiocalcaneal and tibiotalar (anterior and posterior) ligaments, which group together to form a thick strong medial support structure for your ankle.
On the outside of your ankle the ligaments are the anterior tibiofibular, anterior talofibular, calcaneofibular and posterior talofibular ligaments. These support structures are spread more widely which make it more susceptible to injury when placed under pressure.
How does it happen?
“So I stepped on the pavement and I felt my foot roll outwards”
This is the most common type of description we hear when patients come in with ankle sprains. The ligament is designed to attach bone to bone, and when placed under stress through a range greater than it can withstand it begins to stretch or even tear through these strong fibres. The classification of these injuries are below:
· Grade 1; Low- involves stretching of the ligament fibre with some associated swelling
· Grade 2; Moderate- partial thickness tear of fibres with bleeding and loss of joint stability
· Grade 3; Complete Rupture- complete tear through full thickness of the ligament and significant stability loss and increased abnormal movement of joint
What are the Signs and Symptoms to look for?
· Swelling
· Restriction in ankle movement
· Feeling of instability
· Recurrent clicking
· Pain and difficulty weight-bearing
What to do?
Everyone remembers the principle of RICER, but did you know that the acronym has been modified? The new way to make your ankle happy again is through PEACE and LOVE!
PEACE and LOVE
- Protection: avoid activities and movements that increase pain
- Elevation: elevate the injured limb higher than the heart
- Avoid Anti-inflammatories: avoid anti-inflammatories as they reduce tissue healing
- Compression: use elastic bandage or taping to reduce swelling
- Education: your body knows best. Avoid unnecessary passive treatments and medical investigations.
&
- Load: let pain be the guide for gradual return to normal activities. Let your physiotherapist be the guide for return to sporting activities.
- Optimism: condition your brain for optimal recovery by being confident and positive
- Vascularisation: choose pain-free cardio exercises to increase blood flow to repairing tissues
- Exercise: restore mobility, strength and proprioception by adopting an active approach to recovery.
This new protocol allows you to take more control of your rehabilitation, and can start physiotherapy immediately to help improve your recovery time. Come and see your physiotherapist for an assessment, as we can help determine if you need to seek further assistance and investigations. You may have joint issues that need more in-depth attention and review. Surgery and specialist opinion are sometimes required, and we can help to determine if this is a necessary step on the road to your recovery.
If you have any questions regarding ankle pain or think you may benefit from physiotherapy, please give us a call at (02) 8411 2050. At Thornleigh Performance Physiotherapy, we can give you an accurate diagnosis and treatment, to help you get back in action as soon as possible. We are conveniently located near Beecroft, Cherrybrook, Hornsby, Normanhurst, Pennant Hills, Waitara, Wahroonga, Westleigh, West Pennant Hills, and West Pymble.