Lateral Ankle Sprain Treatment in Oakville!
Doctor Steve Knighton treats a great number of ankle sprains. Everyone will have at least one ankle sprain in their life which is why understanding the type of pain you’re feeling and treatment is important.
This Video shows Dr. Steve’s sprained ankle after a mountain bike crash.
Symptoms may vary from being very mild to very severe. With a mild sprain, you will likely be able to continue with training. However, a very severe injury could result in hospital treatment and take longer to heal than a broken ankle.
Ankle Sprain Treatment Oakville
Our Oakville therapists treat all kinds of ankle injuries. The most common are lateral ankle sprains. Treatment for a confirmed ankle sprain will include IFC and heat, Shockwave Therapy, Instrument Assisted Tissue Treatment, and in most cases an ankle adjustment.
Once Dr. Steve has confirmed the diagnosis of a ankle sprain and not sinus tarsi, a fracture or foot injury, or a calf/Achilles issue, a game plan will be given to the patient and treatment will begin.
Steps in Ankle Sprain Treatment
- IFC and Heat: Interferential Current Therapy (IFC) is a electric stimulation machine that is applied with suction cups and a vacuum and not sticky pads. The stimulation promotes blood flow, loosens the tissue, decreases pain, and when combined with a Heat Pack, helps loosen up the joint and prepare the muscles around the ankle for shockwave therapy.
- Shockwave Therapy for Ankle Sprains: Shockwave Therapy is an air powered gun that fires a bullet 15 times a second for up to 1500 hits on the injured area. Shockwave is the gold standard for treatment at our Oakville clinic and is included in the price of treatment. The shockwave breaks up tight-damaged tissue and allows the body to build new blood vessels and heal acute and chronic ankle issues. The Shockwave treatment can be modulated between 0.5BAR and 5.0BAR to work with the patient’s pain tolerances.
- Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Treatment: Dr. Steve uses his scraping tools on most patients with ankle injuries. The metal tools are dragged/pushed against the skin and help loosen up superficial tendons/ligaments and muscles. The treatment process has the IFC/Heat get a ton of blood to the damaged area and then the Shockwave treats the deeper tissue and then the “scraper” treat the superficial tissue.
- Ankle Adjustments: Once all the treatment above is performed and Dr. Steve feels your ankle joint is stuck, if needed, he will adjust your ankle. If the ankle moves, this will be a life changing event for a chronic ankle sprain patient. To adjust a patients ankle, Dr. Steve has the patients lie face up on the table, the patient locks their body into the table with their hands and non-injured foot. Dr. Steve then rotates the ankle 30 degree from the midline and pulls the foot/ankle. Most patients will hear an audible pop and when they stand up, will feel like their ankle is floating on the ground.
- Patients will go home with icing instructions and a specific game plan based upon a bunch of factors including age, activity level, job type, timeline of injury, and overall damage to the ankle.
What is a lateral ankle sprain?
A lateral ankle sprain usually occurs from a sudden trauma, twisting or turning over of the ankle. Pain will be felt in the ankle joint and on the outside of the ankle when pressing on it. Swelling or bruising may be present in more severe cases. Pain can also be felt on the inside of the ankle from compression of bones and soft tissue.
Sprains are graded 1,2 or 3 depending on severity. A professional therapist will carry out a full diagnosis and assessment which will include range of motion tests and resisted movement tests to determine the structures injured and extent of the damage.
Immediate first aid for a sprained ankle is RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) as soon as possible. Cold therapy or ice should be applied for 10 to 15 minutes every hour for the first 24 to 48 hours. Then medical treatment should be sought out from a professional therapist. Book an appointment today with Dr. Steve, so he can have a look at it and enable you to feel yourself once again.
For more on ankle sprains and what to expect during recovery click HERE to see our Oakville Treatment.
For a further explanation visit Dr. Steve’s YouTube channel, where he does live demonstrations of your anatomy.
For help with pain or discomfort please contact your local chiropractor in Oakville at 905-827-4197.
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