Foot & Ankle Injuries
Foot and Ankle injuries are one of the most common presentations to Physiotherapists. The foot and ankle function as a joint to provide stability and support in weight bearing while allowing for propulsion. Injuries to the foot and ankle are extremely common in normal activities with the most amount of foot injuries occurring while playing high intensity sports such as football, soccer, netball and tennis.
The most common mechanism of injury is the inversion ankle sprain, in which the ankle rolls over on the outside. An ankle sprain is the stretching and tearing of ligaments - in the sprained ankle the most common damage is done to the talo-fibula ligament (if the ankle sprain is worse, the calcaneo-fibula ligament can also be damaged) - sometimes the tendons also get damaged.
The Physiotherapist will grade the ankle injury:
Grade 1 ankle sprain:
stretching or mild tearing of the ligament
little or no functional loss – the joint can still function and bear some weight
mild pain, swelling and joint stiffness
Grade 2 ankle sprain:
severe tearing of the ligaments
moderate instability of the joint
moderate to severe pain – weightbearing is very painful
swelling and stiffness
Grade 3 ankle sprain:
total rupture of a ligament
instability of the joint
severe pain initially followed by no pain
severe swelling
Ankle sprains require strengthening and rehabilitating. Body Clinic Physiotherapists will assess and diagnose the area and determine the best method of treatment. Commonly advice given will initially involve RICE principles (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation), followed by having manual ankle treatment such as soft tissue massage, strengthening and balance and proprioception exercises. Other specific foot and ankle treatment may be required depending on the severity of the ankle injury.
There are hundreds of foot and ankle injuries such as stress fractures, plantar fascitiis, avulsion fractures and various types of heel and foot pain, to name only a few. At Body Clinic we also have Podiatric specialists who can help treat any specific foot problems that present.
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