During a forcible, your doctor will examine your ankle, foot and lower leg. The repair will touch the clamber around the injury to check for points of tenderness and move your metrical foot to check the compass of gesture and to understand what positions cause discomfort or pain .
If the wound is severe, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following imagination scans to rule out a break bone or to evaluate in more detail the extent of ligament damage :
- X-ray. During an X-ray, a small amount of radiation passes through your body to produce images of the bones of the ankle. This test is good for ruling out bone fractures.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRIs use radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce detailed cross-sectional or 3-D images of soft internal structures of the ankle, including ligaments.
- CT scan. CT scans can reveal more detail about the bones of the joint. CT scans take X-rays from many different angles and combine them to make cross-sectional or 3-D images.
- Ultrasound. An ultrasound uses sound waves to produce real-time images. These images may help your doctor judge the condition of a ligament or tendon when the foot is in different positions.
treatment for a twist ankle depends on the austereness of your injury. The treatment goals are to reduce annoyance and swelling, promote heal of the ligament, and restore function of the ankle. For severe injuries, you may be referred to a specialist in musculoskeletal injuries, such as an orthopedic surgeon or a doctor specialize in physical medicate and rehabilitation.
For self-care of an ankle twist, use the R.I.C.E. approach path for the first two or three days :
- Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort.
- Ice. Use an ice pack or ice slush bath immediately for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat every two to three hours while you’re awake. If you have vascular disease, diabetes or decreased sensation, talk with your doctor before applying ice.
- Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the ankle with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. Don’t hinder circulation by wrapping too tightly. Begin wrapping at the end farthest from your heart.
- Elevation. To reduce swelling, elevate your ankle above the level of your heart, especially at night. Gravity helps reduce swelling by draining excess fluid.
In most cases, over-the-counter pain relievers — such as ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin IB, others ) or naproxen sodium ( Aleve, others ) or acetaminophen ( Tylenol, others ) — are enough to manage the pain of a twist ankle .
Because walking with a twist ankle might be irritating, you may need to use crutches until the pain subsides. Depending on the severity of the twist, your sophisticate may recommend an elastic bandage, sports record or an ankle support stimulate to stabilize the ankle. In the case of a severe sprain, a project or walking boot may be necessity to immobilize the ankle while it heals .
once the swell and pain is lessened enough to resume bowel movement, your doctor will ask you to begin a series of exercises to restore your ankle ‘s range of motion, intensity, flexibility and constancy. Your repair or a physical therapist will explain the appropriate method and progress of exercises.
balance and stability trail is specially authoritative to retrain the ankle muscles to work together to support the joint and to help prevent perennial sprains. These exercises may involve assorted degrees of counterweight challenge, such as standing on one leg .
If you sprained your ankle while exercising or participating in a frolic, talk to your doctor about when you can resume your bodily process. Your doctor of the church or forcible therapist may want you to perform particular action and drift tests to determine how well your ankle functions for the sports you play .
In rare cases, surgery is performed when the injury does n’t heal or the ankle remains unstable after a long period of physical therapy and rehabilitative drill. surgery may be performed to :
- Repair a ligament that won’t heal
- Reconstruct a ligament with tissue from a nearby ligament or tendon
Preparing for your appointment
Schedule an date or get hand brake medical caution for suspect sprains that do n’t respond to self-care strategies or that cause continued pain or instability. If your twist is dangerous, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in sports music or orthopedic operation .
What you can do
You may want to write a tilt that includes the follow :
- Detailed descriptions of your symptoms
- Information about medical problems you’ve had, especially past ankle injuries
- All the medications and dietary supplements you take
- Questions you want to ask the doctor
What to expect from your doctor
Your repair may ask some of the take after questions :
- How did the injury occur?
- Which direction did your foot turn when you injured it?
- Can you bear weight on that foot?
- What self-care treatment have you used?
- What effect did the treatment have?
- Have you injured your ankle before?
- How was that injury treated?