Posts for tag: ankle pain
Stress fractures are small cracks in bone often developing for over doing activities such as distance running or basketball. They usually occur when the length, how often or the level of exertion is increased in a high-impact activity. People who do not exercise can also develop a stress fracture when osteoporosis or other disease has weakened their bones. This is called bone insufficiency and a stress fracture can result from normal day-to-day activities. Other risk factors for stress fractures include doing too much too soon, improper sports equipment, a change in activity surface, poor diet, being overweight, and errors in training or technique.
Except in cases of bone shortage, a stress fracture is an overuse injury. When muscles are overtired, they lose their ability to lessen the shock of repeated impacts. As muscles lose their ability to absorb the shock of the foot hitting the ground, they transfer the stress to bones. Over a period of time, this can create small cracks or fractures in the bone. Those suffering from stress fractures generally feel pain that starts slowly, increases with weight-bearing activity, and diminishes with rest. This pain may become more severe and occur during normal, daily activities. Swelling and bruising may occur on the top of the foot or outside of the ankle. Pain may also occur when the fracture is touched.
To treat a stress fracture rest is the key. It typically takes six to eight weeks for a stress fracture to heal. In addition to rest, normal treatment includes ice and elevation of the foot along with anti-inflammatory medicines. To reduce the stress of foot and ankle, a podiatrist may recommend wearing protective footwear or if severe enough a cast or surgery may be needed. After a stress fracture has healed it is important to resume activity at a slow pace until full muscle strength has returned.
Have you ever wondered why a football player with an ankle sprain is out longer than a basketball player? Have you ever wondered what a high ankle sprain means? High ankle sprains account for about 75% of ankle sprains for football, lacrosse, hockey, and rugby compared to 10-20% in other non-contact sports. The main difference between these two injuries is how they occur and the ligaments affected.
High ankle sprains commonly occur when the body and lower leg excessively rotates around a rigid foot that is flat on the ground. This action causes a force that pulls apart the two bones that make up the lower leg (tibia and fibula). When these bones attempt to separate a sprain results to the ligaments that hold them together. In contrast, a normal ankle sprain involves rolling the foot inward and damaging ligaments on the outside portion of the ankle. This injury is much quicker to heal than a high ankle sprain because the ligaments involved do not have as much of a role in the stability of the ankle. The connection of the tibia and fibula creates a joint that must withstand forces much greater than a person's body weight and in a high ankle sprain, this joint loses its effectiveness and stability.
High ankle sprains are given a grade from I-III depending on the severity and the amount of instability. Grade I means pain but no instability. Grade II occurs with some instability and pain. Grade III indicates considerable instability with pain. Time and competition missed depends on the severity. A high ankle sprain that does not require surgery is anywhere from 1-7 weeks compared to 12-14 weeks if surgery is needed.