
Does your ankle routinely “give out” on you?
If so, you’re not alone. It happens to many Americans.
Usually, this occurs because you have had an ankle sprain that never healed or received proper treatment in the past.
So if you sprain your ankle, make sure you see your podiatrist.
But since you have that problem already, take a minute to learn what you can do about it right now:
1. Physical Therapy
Your ankle really needs proper rehab to strengthen and retrain the muscles and tissues that affect your balance.
You may not even need to see a physical therapist for this. You may just need to do a few simple exercises your podiatrist recommends.
But if you have a more severe ankle sprain, then you might need to see a physical therapist for a couple months.
Since insurance companies cover physical therapy, it’s not a major cost.
You may also get exercise regimens that give you specific things you can do to strengthen your muscles for your particular physical activity to prevent ankle sprains from ever happening in the first place.
2. Ankle Braces
A simple brace really works wonders. But as with anything in America, you have an abundance of choices.
And not all options are actually good ones.
Basically, your brace should feel comfortable, but not tight. And it shouldn’t restrict blood flow or cause pain.
Braces are made of either neoprene or fabric. Generally, fabric ones are better because they allow more air to flow through. This keeps your ankle cool and comfortable and works best if you have to keep your brace on all day long.
You can also get ankle sleeves designed to provide ankle support and relief from pain. They work best if you have tendonitis, arthritis, or plantar fasciitis.
Ankle supports with straps place those straps over a sleeve to provide more support and protection. If you exercise at all, or if you play sports, you’ll want to go with these at a minimum.
Lace up ankle braces use shoelaces to offer maximum protection. If you play high impact sports with a high chance for ankle injuries, use this type of ankle brace.
3. NSAIDs
Not much to say here because it’s pretty straightforward. NSAIDs like ibuprofen may be prescribed to help you relieve pain.
4. Surgery
Yes. Surgery may come into play. It may be necessary to treat more severe ankle instability, and if you want to maintain a high activity level.
Surgery typically involves repair or reconstruction of the damaged ligaments.
In most cases, surgery isn’t necessary. And you can likely manage ankle instability using a combination of physical therapy and bracing.
Just because you have an unstable ankle now doesn’t mean you have to live with it the rest of your life.
Take the right action so you can exercise without fear of further harming your ankle!
Call to schedule your appointment with any of our doctors.
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