Right ankle sprain

Many people need to walk frequently, and if they do not stand properly or keep their feet flat while walking, they may accidentally sprain their ankle joints. A sprained right ankle may be particularly painful in an instant, and there will be severe pain and numbness, and surface swelling, so it can be adjusted through some reasonable methods in daily life.

The function of the joint is determined by its anatomical structure.

When the ankle joint is in plantar flexion (that is, when we do the action of tiptoeing), the foot often turns inward, that is, the sole of the foot turns inward. Due to the unique anatomical structure of the ankle joint, the ankle joint cannot match well at this time and is in an unstable state of "too flexible, but not stable enough".

Therefore, if we lose balance when we are in ankle plantar flexion activities (such as going down stairs, going down a mountain, landing after jumping, etc.), it is easy to cause inversion of the joint, leading to inversion injury of the ankle, that is, lateral ankle sprain. Statistics show that lateral ankle sprains account for about 85% of all ankle sprains. At this time, the soft tissue inside the ankle joint is squeezed and impacted, causing cartilage surface damage and synovial swelling, resulting in swelling and congestion around the ankle joint.

If correct treatment is not given in time, the lateral support strength of the ankle joint will decrease and the joint proprioception will diminish. In this way, the unstable state of the ankle joint will be aggravated, the ankle joint will be easily sprained again, and chronic symptoms such as pain, swelling, and unsteady walking will appear, which may cause damage to other joints and cause a chain reaction.

How to prevent ankle sprains?

First, pay attention to the training of muscle strength and proprioception around the ankle joint;

Second, do adequate warm-up before exercise;

Third, reduce the amount of exercise appropriately;

Fourth, choose high-top shoes with soft soles, elastic bandages or semi-rigid braces when exercising.

How to determine the severity of an ankle sprain?

Patients with acute sprains often experience pain and subcutaneous congestion; severe cases may have synovial or cartilage damage, manifested as swelling and tenderness around the ankle joint, and limited ankle joint movement. When a ligament tear or fracture occurs, pain and swelling are more obvious on the injured side of the ankle or at the fracture end.

The joint capsule of patients with repeated injuries is often loose, which is prone to secondary cartilage damage, synovitis, osteophytes and other joint surface injuries. They experience widespread pain, tenderness and swelling on the chronic injured side or in the joint, and feel insecure and their legs feel weak when wearing high heels or walking on uneven roads. Many patients are deeply troubled by this and have to wrap thick bandages and braces around their ankles to increase their sense of security.