Sprained Ankles in Athletes
Physical Therapy in East Northport
A sprained ankle is something that countless athletes suffer from, with 25,000 Americans getting the injury each day. To make matters worse, athletes with ankle sprain injuries were five times more likely to sustain an ankle related injury again. Looking at these statistics should serve as a reminder that no one is prone to sustaining injuries, and we must look at steps to avoid incidents that lead to ankle sprains. Physical therapy in East Northport, Huntington, Nesconset, Coram, East Meadow, and Glen Cove has the staff and resources available to help you recover from any sports or non-sports-related ankle sprain.
A sprained ankle occurs when the ligament holding the ankle bone together either stretches, tears or ruptures. The most common type of sprain is a lateral sprained ankle, in which you roll over the outside of the ankle and damage its range of motion. These types of injuries are especially prevalent in basketball, due to the constant pressure put on athletes lower extremities from repeatedly jumping.
Recovery
There are many steps one should take when recovering from an ankle sprain. However, one of the best to follow is the RICE treatment:
- Rest your ankle by not walking on it.
- Ice your injury to keep swelling down. Ice should be applied 20-30 minutes a day, three to four times daily.
- Compression dressings, ace wraps, and bandaging will help support an injured ankle and keep you immobilized.
- Elevate your ankle above the level of the heart as much as possible for the first couple of days following the time of the injury.
The benefits of physical therapy in Northport can also offer some remedies to treat a sprained ankle:
-
- Strength exercises – these workouts will be used to slowly build back strength after an injury. Once pain is no longer felt from weight exercises, physical therapists will focus on other ligaments to help strengthen.
- Proprioception training – also known as balance training, these exercises are used to help prevent future falls and improve your chances of avoiding sprains in the future.
- Endurance/agility – agility drills, such as small running exercises, are a great way to build back range of motion and movement in sprained ankles or other injuries.
Because of the amount of stress on their body, athletes constantly put themselves at risk of getting injured. It’s important to take the necessary precautions to avoid ankle sprains or other injuries. Island Sports Physical Therapy in East Northport will be able to assist athletes and people of all ages on their road to recovery. Contact us today!
