Every major sports injury must be diagnosed early with appropriate pain management techniques. If not properly diagnosed or left untreated, it can get worse. Appropriate instant pain management of ankle injuries is important as it as an injury which is most common among athletes. With just the right management for ankle sprain, it can eventually decrease the probability of chronic instability.
Any athlete or patient who appears to have rolled his/her ankle or have landed awkwardly while running or walking, depending upon the nature, duration and severity of ankle injuries, it then requires immediate attention, care and treatment. Depending upon the injury, either surgical or conservative management can help the patient to return to work, play, recurrence or stability.
However surgical procedures can take a longer recovery time which for some athletes isn’t the best of options. Surgery with longer recovery time might result with higher incidence of residual ankle stiffness. Ankle sprains can easily be managed conservatively without the need for surgery but additional consideration. Pain management programs are divided into acute care and functional rehabilitation phases which can be most effective,
Pain Management Programs for Ankle Sprains
Pain management programs can instantly reduce pain and swelling. However rehabilitation programs can effectively restore proper range of motion, strength, endurance, balance and result in overall return to your pre-injury state.
Incorporating Instant Best Practice
Common easy practices such as rest, ice, compression and elevate. More commonly known as RICE. It can help to control pain and limit swelling. Rice therapy elements are applied simultaneously as a clinical practice. Lifting the ankle in an elevated position can also be reasonable as high elevation can relive pain. However it should not be kept in an elevated position for too long, say about 10 to 15 minutes as it can become extremely painful for the athlete.
Using ice is also an effective practice as it decreases inflammation. Ice combined with little exercise therapy has a more beneficial effect as compared with the application of moist heat. Ice should be applied in the form of a bag or a frozen gel pack, placed directly on the site of injury for about 15 to 20 minutes, every 1 to 2 hours or at least twice in a day. Another effective practice can be compression which can be applied in the form of an elastic wrap or an open taping. Such type of ankle braces can provide limited compression. Compression cab be better if targeted to the specific area of the injury. Such rehabilitation programs can stabilize, protect and recover ankle sprains to enhance strength, motion and motor control. Treatment from these programs are temporarily effective and a number of easy ankle rehabilitation exercises will address these joints.
