It’s that time of year! Youth and high school sports are starting to ramp up as kids are getting back to school. Every year, roughly 30 million youth and high school athletes participate in some form organized sport. However, injuries like sprains and strains cause roughly 3.5 million of those athletes to miss time off the field. An ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries we see in our office this time of year.

Ankle Sprain Anatomy Lesson

The most common mechanism of an ankle sprain is an inversion movement or “rolling” of the ankle. This motion puts a lot of stress on the outside ligaments and tendons of the foot and ankle. The ankle is very delicate and relies highly on these ligaments to stabilize it. The foot and ankle contain 26 bones joined together by multiple tendons and ligaments which are at high risk of injury during a rolled ankle. We utilize our knowledge of anatomy along with some very specific tests to determine exactly what structure is injured and to what extent! This hands-on exam mixed with the patient’s recall of the injury will determine whether conservative care is appropriate or if imaging and more invasive care is needed for your ankle sprain.

Should I Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate (RICE) My Ankle Sprain?

In the absence of torn ligaments and fractures, movement is actually the best course of action for the fastest recovery of an ankle sprain. Wearing a boot and immobilizing the ankle actually lengthens your recovery time. We want our athletes to start to weight bear and move the ankle as quickly as possible. In these types of injuries, we do not want to completely eliminate inflammation. This is why icing too much and for too long can actually be detrimental. The inflammation helps provide the area with a constant supply of nutrients needed to repair the sprained tissue. However, if these joints and tissues do not stay moving, the fluid becomes static and the tissues will starve.

Sports Chiropractic For Treating An Ankle Sprain

This delicate balance is what makes the doctors at Elite Sport & Spine the experts at treating sprains and strains. We have special training and a plethora of experience in this area along with all of the modalities needed to get you on the field ASAP. During the initial inflammatory phase of the ankle sprain injury, we typically use passive modalities. Some of these modalities include dry needling, Graston Technique, interval ice therapy (10 minutes on/30 minutes off during the first 24-48 hours), Class III Laser, kinesiology tape (RockTape), and blood flow restriction therapy in order to control the inflammation and promote good blood flow to the site of injury.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a sprained ankle or hasn’t fully recovered from one in the past, send them this blog and encourage them to schedule an appointment with us! We love helping people live the pain free life they deserve!