Ankle or ankle injuries are very common. Most ankle injuries are mild and can heal on their own with treatment at home. But if the ankle injury is severe enough to limit daily activities, then this condition needs to be seen by a doctor.
Ankle injuries generally occur when the ankle moves to the wrong position suddenly, for example due to an accident while driving, falling or sprained when exercising, or just stepping wrong when walking.
When an ankle injury occurs, the muscles and tendons or connective tissue on the ankle can stretch and become inflamed. This can make the ankle swell, bruise, and feel pain when moved or walking.
Various Kinds of Injury and Symptoms
Ankle injury is distinguished based on the location of the injury. Here are some types of ankle injuries:
1. Tendinitis
Tendinitis is a condition when a tendon that connects muscle to bone experiences inflammation or irritation. Tendinitis can occur in any joint or muscle part of the body, but this condition is quite often caused by ankle injury.
2. Sprained
Sprains or sprains occur when ligaments, which are the connective tissue in the joints that connect one bone to another, experience stretching or swelling.
3. Tendons break up
When the ankle tendon is broken, the foot cannot be bent or tiptoeed and feels very painful. People who have broken tendons will also have difficulty or even unable to walk. Tendon rupture in the armature is a condition that requires immediate treatment.
Apart from severe injuries, tendon ruptures can also occur due to tendinitis that is not handled properly.
4. Broken bones and leg joints
Ankle or ankle fractures can be in the form of small cracks to open fractures marked with protruding bone that penetrates the skin.
This condition often occurs in people who have traffic injuries or when exercising, as well as conditions lacking nutrients to strengthen bones, such as calcium and vitamin D.
Similar to a broken tendon, this type of ankle injury is also fairly severe and needs to be treated immediately.
Although different, ankle injury causes relatively the same symptoms. The following are common symptoms when an ankle is injured:
- The movement of the ankle is limited and feels painful when moved.
- Bruised leg.
- Swelling.
- Pain when touched.
How to Deal with Engel Injury
Handling of ankle injuries is not always the same, depending on the type of injury suffered and its severity. Therefore, you should immediately see a doctor when you have an ankle injury to ensure the severity of the ankle injury that occurs.
In determining the severity of the injury, the doctor will perform a physical examination and support, such as X-rays or ultrasound foot ankle to see the condition of muscles, bones, and veins (tendons and ligaments) in the injured ankle. When the condition is known, the new doctor will determine treatment.
Ankle injury can be treated in several ways. To reduce the pain that arises due to injury, doctors will usually prescribe pain relievers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
In cases of severe ankle injuries, such as broken tendons or broken bones, treatment can take the form of splinting or casts, surgery, and physiotherapy.
However, if the injury suffered is still relatively mild, your doctor may only recommend that you do treatment independently at home through the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation).
Rest
Rest your feet as often as possible, even if only a minor injury. Try not to move much when your feet still hurt. If you keep moving your legs or doing a lot of activities, the injury you experience will be difficult to heal or even worse.
Ice
In addition to using medication prescribed by your doctor, you can also reduce pain and relieve swelling on the ankle with a cold compress.
The trick, wrap ice cubes in a cloth or wet a small clean towel with cold water, then put on the leg that feels pain for 15-20 minutes. Do this method every 2-3 hours.
Compression
Wrap your ankle by using an elastic bandage to relieve swelling. However, you need to be careful when dressing it. Make sure the bandage is not too tight because it can block the flow of blood to the feet.
If when using an elastic bandage there are parts of the foot that are numb and a tingling sensation or foot appears to turn blue, then immediately remove or loosen the bandage. If these symptoms do not disappear after the bandage is removed or relaxed, consult the condition immediately to the doctor.
Elevation
When resting on a sofa or bed, position your ankles higher than your chest. You can use a pillow or pillow case to support the ankle. This method is useful to reduce pain and relieve swelling.
The doctor will also explain how to train the ankle movements that you need to do when the injury has improved. It aims to restore the strength and flexibility of the ankle network so that it can function properly again.
When the ankle injury has healed, try to be more careful in your activities. In addition, there are some simple steps you can take to prevent ankle injuries, including:
- Warm up before exercising.
- Use shoes that fit your feet.
- Reduce the use of high heels for women.
- Rest when the body feels tired.
- Do not exercise on slippery floor surfaces.
If an ankle injury that occurs is still in a mild stage, then usually the above home care can help recovery within a few days.
However, if the symptoms do not improve or even get worse despite undergoing some of the above methods, as well as if the ankle injury causes extreme pain, cannot walk, or the feet cannot be moved at all, then you should immediately consult a orthopedic doctor.
