Footnotes / Blog
What Exactly is an Ankle Sprain?
An Ankle sprain is a tear of one or more ligaments of the ankle.
How Does an Ankle Sprain Occur?
Usually patients report pain after twisting their ankle. Tripping off of curbs, falling down stairs, and injuries while playing sports are all common culprits.
Symptoms
Immediate pain may present, and patients sometimes report being unable to place weight on the foot. Some patients report hearing a “pop” at the time of injury. Swelling(edema), and bruising are often present. Severity of all symptoms is mostly correlated with the extent of the injury.
Diagnosis
Ankle Sprains can be diagnosed by one of the licensed podiatrists at Innovative Foot and Ankle. A clinical exam is performed, where the doctor will visually examine the patient’s extent of swelling and bruising, and manually locate the region of most pain.
Treatment
Ankle sprains are treated depending on the level of severity. Minor sprains may only require rest, ice, compression and elevation.
More severe sprains will need immobilization with splinting or a soft cast.
Surgical repair of an ankle sprain is an option for significant injuries that cannot be healed by conservative means.
Once pain and swelling subside, it is important to restore your ankle’s range of motion, flexibility and strength. This helps a sprain to fully heal, and lowers the chance of a recurrent injury.
Our doctors are thoroughly trained in diagnosing and treated all injuries of the foot and ankle. With office locations in North Jersey including Kenilworth, Bayonne, Little Ferry and Montclair, we surely have a location close to where you live.