Far too common, yet far too ignored!

Have you ever twisted your ankle, only to bear through by taking some Tylenol to relieve the pain which goes away in a couple of days while the soreness persists for a couple of weeks? And how about, later in life let’s say a year or so down the road, re-twisting the same ankle and taking a seat wherever the incident occurred and find yourself thinking ‘oh crap.. I must have really messed it up this time around!”

If you have never twisted your ankle, or have not known someone who has seriously injured their ankle by twisting it, then consider this a rarity.

Twisting an ankle can range from a slight twist to complete ruptures of ankle ligaments- structures which hold your ankle in place and help assist in the movement of the ankle bones. Almost everyone has experienced this and or have seen people in crutches, casts etc. due to this. In school, every year, numerous kids are in crutches due to sports related injuries to the ankle. When taken care of immediately, the chance of recurring twisting of the ankle can be reduced significantly and so can the prevention of injury. However, when ignored, especially when thinking the pain has gone away and the swelling decreased and it feels as if you can do everything you were able to before, can lead to sudden unexpected injuries.

Ankle ligaments are many, and run in many different directions and attach to different bones in the foot. After a twisting accident, they can be left loose, not as strong as before and can prone a person to twist their ankle more easily and perhaps more severely the next time. If you have experienced this, and not gone to see a specialist, it is highly recommended that you do so. Your foot doctor will be able to better assess the level of injury and discuss with you various different ways to not only prevent the injury from recurring but to help strengthen your ankle and make sure the chances of you developing problems further down the road can be minimized, and this is especially important for those who plan on being active and on their feet for as long as possible.