Sprains and Strains to your Ankle
When we sprain or strain our ankles it often feels as though we may have broken something. Intense pain, difficulty putting the foot to the floor, swelling bruising of alarming colours - it all suggests a huge problem, a broken bone, a ruptures ligament! But no, this is not always the case.
Rest assured, should you have hurt your ankle by 'going over' on it, you are better to take your usual over the counter pain killers (paracetamol) and anti-inflammatories (ibubrofen) and rest your ankle. Put it up and apply a cold compress.
The swelling is caused by damage to the soft tissues in the ankle and the initial pain and inability to weight bear will subside.
What can your Podiatrist do?
Our first responsibiliy is to give you appropriate advice so that you can acheive some comfort. Your ankle is a highly complex configuration of four key bones that meet and are held together by a network of strong ligaments, supported by tendons from muscles that arise in the leg. It is usually a ligament that gets damaged - but what ever has taken the brunt of your mishap, it is up to your podiatrist to identify which structure/s are damaged and then provide appropriate support.
How we can help?
At the Foot Clinic we will identify what has most likely been damaged. We do this by gently manipulating your foot and assessing the areas of most tenderness.
If you have not already, we recommend you take over the counter pain relief, rest and a cold compression. In addition, your podoatrist can provide strapping support so that you gain some use of your ankle.
We work with you and agree a plan of recovery which will include rehabilitation, exercise and regular strapping support until you can safely weight bear again.
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