Looking for an ankle specialist in Carlsbad? Come see us.
Ankle sprains and fractures top the list of the most common ankle injuries. Seeing an ankle specialist in Carlsbad, especially one of our doctors of physical therapy, can be a conservative and cost-effective means to manage conditions of the ankle.
Most ankle sprains & fractures occur during some form of athletic activity. However, ankle injuries can also occur from daily activities such as workplace activity and regular exercise. More serious injuries due to a fracture or sprain can lead to persistent pain and stiffness. You may feel discomfort when walking for long periods of time or while jogging or running.
It is important to pay attention to the pain you are feeling. It is the way your body tells you that something is wrong. Even minor pain could mean your ankle has a hairline fracture or damaged tendons. Although you may feel fine when at rest, if your pain returns once you are active again, it is time to treat your injury.
Common causes of ankle pain:
Sprains and Strains
Your ankle ligaments help to keep your ankle stable and secure. When you sprain your ankle these ligaments are stretched beyond the normal range of motion and are injured. The ligament may have small tears or be completely torn.
From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: About half of U.S. ankle sprains occur while patients are playing sports, with basketball taking most of the blame, according to the largest study of this common injury to date. Of the sprains that occurred during sports, 41.1% were sustained on the basketball court, Brian Waterman, MD, of William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Tex., reported at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting here. Coming in a distant second was football (9.3%), followed by soccer (7.9%) and running (7.2%).
“To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale, descriptive epidemiological study of ankle sprain in the general population of the U.S.,” Waterman said.
Reference – https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAOS/19019
Fractures
When there is a partial or complete break in a bone, it is a fracture. The ankle can have breaks in the tibia and/or fibula bones. Stress fractures are tiny breaks in the bone that grow over time.
Arthritis
Another common cause of ankle pain is osteoarthritis. This occurs when joint cartilage has worn down between the joint and bone. When this happens, it leads to irritation and pain, which makes it difficult and painful to move the joint.
Do-It-Yourself Treatments
If your pain is minor, you can perform home treatments such as elevating your feet or icing your ankle to help slow or reduce swelling. You can also compress your ankle with an elastic bandage to keep it immobile and supported.
Remember, our doctors of physical therapy can properly evaluate your ankle. After diagnosis, your doctor will teach you balancing, strengthening, and mobility exercises. We will also develop a program made specifically for you to help you regain normal function of your ankle.
