Ankle injuries are quite common and can reoccur frequently when not treated properly. Along with the ankle being affected, after an ankle injury you may also develop other issues like knee, foot and back pain. What many people don’t realize is that chiropractic care can be very beneficial to help not only your ankle but any other issues that arise due to the ankle injury.
The most common cause of ankle pain is an ankle sprain. Most sprains happen when an ankle is twisted during walking, running, jumping etc. When a sprain occurs the ankle will very often swell and become bruised. Additionally, the ligaments can be torn, bones can be misaligned and scar tissue can also form. Ankle injuries can take a long time to recover. Generally, if it is the first injury to the ankle, you can expect a 4-6 week recovery period and even longer on repeat injuries. If you leave the ankle untreated, you are more likely to have repeat injuries down the road.
When you have an ankle injury that is not treated other areas of your body can be affected as well. Most commonly you can expect to possibly experience knee pain, back pain, arches can collapse and more. Additionally, your ankle may be weak, unstable and not have the range of motion it had prior to your first injury.
How Chiropractic Can Help…
If you have had an injury to your ankle you can greatly benefit from chiropractic care for your ankle and any other areas of your body that have been affected due to the ankle injury. Chiropractors may use a variety of treatment methods.
• Chiropractic adjustments: When a sprained ankle occurs the ligaments can stretch and the bones in the foot can go our of position, causing pain, stiffness and the inability to walk. A specially trained chiropractor can assess the ankle joint, which is made up of many bones, to deter-mine if there are any out of position and adjust the necessary bones in order for the ankle joint to function properly and the athlete to return to action sooner.
• Evaluating whether or not you can benefit from insoles or orthotics. Insoles and orthotics can help to make sure your feet are in alignment which in turn can relieve stress on the knees, back, etc.
• After the ankle swelling goes down your chiropractor can give you exercises that can help to strengthen your ankle which will greatly reduce the chances of a repeat injury.
• Use of Ultrasound therapy. Ultrasound therapy gives off high frequency sound waves that send vibrations over the area being treated. Ultrasound therapy works to increase blood flow to the area, breaks up scar tissue, reduces inflammation and swell-ing and also will reduce the pain and speed up the heeling process.