Sprained ankle

Reviewed by Dr John Pillinger, GP

How does the doctor make a diagnosis?
The doctor will assess the degree of swelling and the extent of the damage and whether the tenderness corresponds to the position of the ligaments or bones. Finally, any weakness of the ankle will be assessed.

If a fracture is suspected, an X-ray examination will be necessary.

Future prospects
Depending on how bad the damage is, these symptoms will usually go away between one and four weeks after the accident.

The immediate tenderness can persist for one to four weeks, depending on the extent of the damage. Support-related pain can persist for up to three months.

With the correct approach, there will rarely be any lasting symptoms but a small number of people have ongoing pain and a feeling that their ankle is weak. If this is the case, further investigation may be needed to find the cause of any ongoing symptoms.

For a more severe sprain, you need physiotherapy and you should not do any sports training for at least six weeks.

Treatment
The primary treatment by RICE is adequate to achieve recovery following minor sprains.

When receiving treatment, it's important to give the physiotherapy time to work. The patient must avoid damaging the ankle further by not allowing it to bear too much weight too early.

The physiotherapy is aimed at starting to move the foot after one or two days. After this, a lot of balance training is required, on the floor and using other apparatus such as a wobble board or seesaw board or a trampoline. This is important to restore the stability of the ligaments.

In addition, strength must also be restored to the joint by training. Later in the recovery period more complicated running patterns can be attempted such as running zigzags, figures of eight and so on.

If the ankle is not allowed to mend properly, sportspeople often complain of loose joints or ligaments. This is almost always avoidable by patience and rehabilitation. It is better for sportspeople to be able to concentrate 100 per cent on their sport rather than on their fear of another injury due to lack of careful rehabilitation training.

What medication can be used?
The doctor may prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen.

Your doctor or pharmacist will also be able to advise you about creams, gels and support bandages which can be used to treat minor sprains and be bought from a pharmacist without a prescription.

<<Go To Page 1

The documents contained in this web site are presented for information purposes only. The material is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. The materials in this web site cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. Conditions for use



© Copyright 1998 - 2004 NetDoctor.co.uk - All rights reserved