Twisting the foot is one of those acute ailments that happens to all of us. It is enough to uneven pavement unevenness, stumbling or falling, so that the wrong positioning of the foot on the ground caused a characteristic crunch in the ankle joint and sudden acute pain preventing further walking.
Protection against unwanted movements in the joints
The cause of pain is usually the strain of the so-called ligaments. The joints are movable articulations moved by the muscles. Everywhere where bones meet with each other create joints, there are strong "threads" and "collagen" tapes forming ligaments and joint capsules. The role of these structures is to limit bone movements beyond the necessary physiological range. Without these protections, the human body would resemble an unstable gummy creation that curves in all directions.
The specificity of the ankle joint
The ankle joint does not like excessive twisting from side to side - when we are heavily loaded with a foot resting on the inner or outer edge. This joint connecting the lower leg with the foot belongs to the group of so-called hinge joints. Physiological movements are flexion and extension. They are most exposed when we stand on tiptoe or heel. The ankle joint is one of the hardest working joints in our body. Even a slight disturbance in the stability of the joint may be a cause of walking discomfort.
Ankle injury
The hock joint, normally referred to as the ankle joint, is often injured. The sudden and strong support of the heel on the outside with the ground is the cause of the most common injury that orthopedic doctors encounter. Usually there is damage to the lateral ligaments: anterior and sagittal ankle joints. Ligaments that stabilize the mobility of the joint are in the nature of tapes, not "springs". They are quite rigid limiters of the maximum range of motion. When standing on the lateral or medial edge, the feet are poorly tense. However, when they deepen the movement, they tighten up at a certain moment and they do not allow the foot to "sprain"! Then an injury occurs.
Symptoms of joint injury
Each twist of the ankle causes severe pain to make walking difficult. Symptoms of joint damage include swelling and pain that increases when you try to move. This is because in mechanically damaged tissue there are so-called inflammation mediators - histamine, prostaglandins, etc. They irritate the pain receptors and cause edema.
Tearing up the ligaments?
Twisting a foot can sometimes be a source of serious health problems. To the question: What happened to us? - the doctor will answer that the strong pressure on the wrongly set foot has caused overloading of the ligaments in the joint. Rupture of the fibers of these ligaments, as well as running close to the small blood vessels causes pain, hematoma and the risk of reducing the stability of the joint.
The consequences of twisting the foot - pain and swelling and ...
The consequence of the injury is an acute inflammation caused by the appearance of the aforementioned substances called mediators of inflammation. As a consequence, long-lasting pain, swelling, excessive "warming" (inflammation) and redness of the hurt area appear. Injury which is the removal of the joint beyond the safe range can cause, apart from strain strain, damage to muscle attachments, as well as bone fractures.
Damage to the joint and bones due to injury
Normally, the ankle region of the lower leg is damaged. Trauma can cause not only a banal overload of ligaments connecting the fibula with the talus, but in the worst case, even severe bone damage and deep shank structures requiring surgical treatment.Usually, without an orthopedic examination and X-ray examination, it is difficult to assess the size of joint damage.
Treatment of slight ankle injuries
Each of us has the ability to self-heal this type of damage. However, acute joint pain with every movement and troublesome swelling usually forces us to quickly pharmacological treatment of injuries. With lighter injuries in which there is no indication to immobilize the joint and also in the states after removing the dressing or plaster, it is worth using anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling drugs. They will help to remove swelling, relieve pain and make walking easier. The treatment process can also help with cold compresses (for example, use pieces of ice wrapped in a towel) for the first three days after the injury.
Treatment of the ankle pouch takes 6-8 weeks
The inflammation in the ankle injury is also extinguished by the traditional immobilization of the joint in the plaster cast. Often, however, it is enough for the patient to use a gel (or pneumatic) joint stabilizer. However, you should set the foot in the dressing accordingly. Then most of these types of injuries can be effectively treated out-patient.
Treatment of severe ankle injuries
In the case of severe injury and the occurrence of a large swelling around the ankle after the injury, you must report to a surgeon who will probably recommend immobilizing the joint for a few weeks with plaster or plastic. You can walk in this security. Although it is not very comfortable, it eliminates the pain associated with the injury and guarantees a quick return to full fitness.
Can you protect yourself against twisting your feet?
To a large extent, yes. The easiest protection is comfortable footwear on a stable, flat sole. This applies above all to people practicing sports and tourism, because then there is a high risk of this type of injury. Particular attention to the prevention of ankle sprains should be given to people who have already suffered an accident like this.
Complications of frequent injuries
After another sprain the ankle becomes more susceptible to subsequent injuries. Frequent "twisting of the ankles" destroys the joint, condemns the ligaments to excessive work and stabilizing muscles. This may lead to unsymmetrical loading of the heel tendon, called the Achilles tendon, and to degenerative changes called achillodynia or to inflammation of surrounding tissues surrounding the tendon.
Prevention
A good protection in such cases is footwear provided with a rigid, lace-up upper and a contoured soft heel concealer. The insert, having a height of half a centimeter, should support the outer edge of the heel. This protection should be used for 3 months after the joint has been sprained.
designed by Edward Ozga-Michalski
(the study uses the knowledge of Piotr Tederko, MD, Ph.D., surgeon)
