What is an ankle sprain?
- An ankle sprain is an injury to the ligaments that connect the bones in the ankle.
- Ankle sprains are graded in severity based on whether or not the ligament is stretched or torn.
What are some of the typical causes of an ankle sprain?
- Ankle sprains are caused by the forceful bending of the ankle joint.
What are the symptoms of an ankle sprain?
- Pain, swelling, decreased range of motion, and increased instability of the ankle.
What are some initial treatments?
- Rest, ice, compression, elevation, anti-inflammatories.
What is an Achilles tendon injury?
- There are two major Achilles tendon injuries
- Achilles tendinitis – Achilles tendinitis is a condition in which the tendon is thickened and strained with or without small tears in the tendon.
- Achilles rupture – an Achilles rupture occurs when the tendon is forcibly stretched and torn.
What are some of the typical causes of an Achilles tendon injury?
- Achilles tendinitis is caused both by overuse and acute impact or sudden stretching.
- An Achilles rupture is caused by sudden overstretching or impact to the leg.
What are the symptoms of an Achilles tendon injury?
- Achilles tendinitis is typified by pain and swelling above the heel in the back of the leg.
- Achilles rupture is a typified by a sudden pain in the back of the leg and the inability to forcefully point the toe.
What are some initial treatments?
- Rest, ice, anti-inflammatories, orthotics, taping, strapping, may benefit tendinitis. Achilles ruptures should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
What is ankle laxity?
- Ankle laxity is the condition in an ankle in which the ligaments do not provide the required support for the ankle joint.
- This can be seen in an ankle that is repeatedly “giving out”, or one in which ligaments that have been injured do not heal properly.
What are some of the typical causes of ankle laxity?
- Repeated ankle sprains are the typical cause. There are some individuals that are born with loose ligaments.
What are the symptoms of ankle laxity?
- Recurrent sprains, ankle "giving out", pain, bruising, and weakness of the ankle.
What are some initial treatments?
- Taping, bracing, orthotics, ice, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy.
What is ankle arthritis?
- Osteoarthritis is the degenerative breakdown of the smooth, firm tissue that lines the ends of the bones in the joints.
- This can happen in any joint but is common in the ankle.
What are some of the typical causes of ankle arthritis?
- The exact causes of arthritis are unknown; however, it is believed to be a combination of genetics and environmental factors that predispose the development of ankle arthritis.
- Prior ankle injuries are known to increase the risk of ankle arthritis.
What are the symptoms of ankle arthritis?
- Ankle pain, swelling, crepitus (grinding, clicking), stiffness.
What are some initial treatments?
- Ice, anti-inflammatories, modifying activity, weight loss, orthotics, bracing.