All about ankle injuries
While the risk of suffering sprains and fractures are always high when we indulge in sports like football, but at times, something as simple as walking too can land your feet in trouble. Self-healing techniques may help take away the pain
A ll types of athletes are at risk of sustaining foot or ankle injuries or developing an ongoing condition. Injuries to the foot or ankle while being active are common as they work together to provide support and mobility.
Ankle sprains and strains are two common injuries that can cause a significant amount of pain. The ankle joint involves a series of interconnected ligaments, muscles and tendons, all of which can be subject to acute or chronic sprain or strain. This complex ankle design makes it a relatively stable joint compared to other joints in the body, and this stability is essential to its function. The ankle sustains 1.5 times the body’s weight in impact with every walking step, and up to eight times the body’s weight with each step when running or jumping. In high-impact activities, the normally stable ankle is subject to increased injury risk, especially when it turns or twists too far out of its normal range of motion.
Ankle injuries commonly occur due to:
Acute injury that forces the ankle joint beyond its normal range of motion, such as in a sports injury or falling off a curb.
Overuse injury caused by repetitive forces, such as repeated hard landings involved in sports such as long distance running and basketball.
While many of the symptoms and treatments are similar for sprains and strains, they actually involve two different body tissues, and typically have different causes.
In a sprain, the ankle ligaments that normally support the ankle are either stretched beyond their normal limits or torn outright as a result of this trauma. The sprain can occur when the ankle is forced beyond its normal range of motion, such as when people twist their ankle when making a sudden stop on an athletic field or track, walking or running on an uneven surface, or when tripping over an obstacle. If not treated, or with repeated sprains of the same tissues, pain and dysfunction from acute ankle sprains can become chronic.
An ankle strain is an injury that occurs when ankle muscles and/or their connecting tendons are either stretched beyond their normal limits or torn outright. Strains may be acute or chronic. The muscular injury often occurs at the point where the muscle connects to a tendon and may be a side effect of or coexist with ankle tendonitis, which is the acute inflammation of one or more tendons in the ankle.
Less common than ankle sprains, ankle strains often occur due to chronic overuse of the ankle. This type of injury can occur due to activities such as running long distances, repeated hard landings from jumping (such as in basketball layups or volleyball sets), or repeated hard articulations of the ankle, such as going up on tiptoe in ballet or gymnastics.
Ankle strains can also occur due to an acute injury, such as a direct blow onto the lower body, or being tripped or tackled on the legs during contact sports. Strains can also occur due to overstretching of the ankle, or by excessive contracting of the muscles, which can occur when lifting heavy leg weights or kicking a ball forcefully.
To reduce the risk of injury:
Take time off. The body is a not a machine and needs to be rested. Plan to have at least 1 day off per week and at least one month off per year from training for a particular sport to allow the body to recover.
Wear the right gear. Players should wear appropriate and properly fit protective equipment such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee, shin), helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and eyewear. Young athletes should not assume that protective gear will prevent all injuries while performing more dangerous or risky activities.
Strengthen muscles. Conditioning exercises during practice strengthens muscles used in play.
Increase flexibility. Stretching exercises after games or practice can increase flexibility. Stretching should also be incorporated into a daily fitness plan.
Use the proper technique. This should be reinforced during the playing season.
Take breaks. Rest periods during practice and games can reduce injuries and prevent heat illness.
Do not play through pain. The body speaks to you through pain. While ‘no pain no gain’ may be a great motivator statement, pain is a sign of muscle fatigue that could be natural or through overstrain. Just sit it out for a while to observe if the pain grows or recedes.
Avoid heat illness by drinking plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise or play; decrease or stop practices or competitions during high heat/humidity periods; wear light clothing.
The main role of a Sports Medicine Physician is to prevent and heal injuries, along with examining a player’s fitness level before any upcoming game. The role of the doctor may also extend beyond the usual sports related injuries. It can also involve handling illnesses like asthma and physiological issues. Sports Medicine specialists can also work as counselors, consultants, and performance educators.
Your scientific knowledge and guidance can help sportsmen/ women improve their fitness and performance. Did you know that the Sujok therapy I suggest, works just the same as physiotherapy – except, it does not really need anyone other than your own self to administer it. Sportsmen and women may do Prithvi Mudra whenever they are free as it makes bones and muscles strong.
One who has been reading my articles will surely know as to how to trace these meridians on the front and back side of our hands and feet. The place for these are given in the figure. These Protocols are based on the research done by the Institute of Acupressure and Holistic
Healing. Allahabad since over two decades.
Treatment: One has to take a Jimmy / Probe or a pencil with its lead point broken and smoothened. Without applying much pressure move the blunt point in the area shown on the skin of fingers and toes. The affected point as shown will be very painful. Stimulate it, by turning it clockwise and anticlockwise for a minute or two. One will generally feel some relief instantly. Paste tiny Byol magnets for about eight hours preferably before sleeping. If the point has an arrow up, please use a magnet with yellow side touching skin and if arrow down then white touches skin. The points are to be stimulated three to four times in daytime and magnets attached at night. Repeat the treatment till the problem is over.
Ankle region injuries:
a) Sports injuries to ankle joint: K3, UB 60, GB 3,
39, Sp 5 b) Pain in the healed malleolar. c) Fracture of the ankle: Sp 9, K 3, UB 60, GB 39
Injuries to the soft structure of the Ankle
For more self-guided treatments log on to our website www.artofselfhealing.in. To understand treatment properly for this problem and attaches appearing earlier in this column, you are invited to our Zoom meeting (ID: 4793331908; Password: healing) held every Monday from 7 PM to 8 PM. It’s a free service courtesy of The Free Press Journal and the Lions Club Mumbai ACTIONs. You can also share your problems by writing to us at eatures@fpj.co.in; lionsclubofaction@gmail.com or send a WhatsApp at 9323178565.