At some point in life, it is highly likely that you will injure your ankle. We've created Complete Ankle Recovery Guide to get you back on your feet after suffering with these common injuries, we'll get you back on your feet in no time!
Sprains and strains happen when the joint or limb moves awkwardly or overextends. Sprains are graded 1-3, from partial tears to full ruptures. Ligaments are fibrous structures that attached bone to bone, they give stability to the ankle and help us to balance. These structures aren't very elastic as they are designed for stability when overstretched they can be damaged and become inflamed. This commonly happens when we lose our balance or the ankle moves in an unexpected direction.
If you think you've sprained your ankle taking early steps will help to prevent further back and help to speed up recovery. Using ice on the ankle to remove heat and swelling, compressing the area with an ankle sleeve, wearing a support to allow normal walking without a limp.
Achilles tendonitis is inflammation in the tendon as a result of overuse. It's common if you change your activity levels, footwear or gain significant weight - the Achilles struggles to adapt to the new force and gets inflamed. Common examples are: walking up hills in flip flops, doing a HIIT session with lots of jumping or increasing your running miles/speed. Any of these factors can explain a swollen painful tendon. After the initial 'acute' injury stage of 4-6 weeks, the inflammation may settle, yet the pain persists. The Achilles Tendon structure itself may adapt and weaken in response to the pain.
For this condition, reducing the swelling with ice and using a support can assist recovery by offloading the tendon and allowing it to rest. It can be difficult to walk normally so gentle stretches are often recommended first thing in the morning.
Unfortunately, ankle arthritis is becoming more common, a painful condition that limits movement in the ankle and causes pain. The ankle absorbs shock from the ground during activity and the repeated and sustained impact to the ankle can lead to joint pain over time.
Footwear can make huge differences to this condition, thicker, more absorbing soles. Symptoms are often - pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of range of motion. An ankle support helps to limit some of the unwanted movement that may aggravate symptoms. Swimming is a great exercise for the ankle as there is less impact on joints in the water.
Quality ankle ligament support, suitable for all type of ankle injuries. Get back to playing sports, walking without pain, gardening etc... Manage your injury your way.