Tackling Ankle Sprains: A Common Injury in Athletics - Essay Sample

Introduction

Athletes in most sporting activities at one point or the other experience ankle sprains. It is by far one of the most common injuries an athlete can experience/encounter (Barker et. al, 2015). According to Barker et. al (2015), the tearing of ligaments in a joint is what is referred to as a sprain. Hence an ankle sprain is the tearing of ligaments in the ankle joint. Ligaments are the tissues that join/connect the cartilage or bones in a joint. Depending on the forces involved, the ligament tearing can be minor or severe and can include one or multiple ligaments. Observantly, most athletes only experience slight ankle sprains which heal well, following proper treatment procedures. For this particular case, the athlete, a bass ball player, injured his ankle while running towards the first base and fell. He hit the ground, rolling his left ankle.

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Immediately, the team head athletic trainer ran towards the injured athlete and assessed the injury. The trainer applied ice to the ankle for about 15 minutes, after which the ankle was wrapped and elevated for the remaining duration of the game, which was about one hour. The head trainer encouraged the athlete to seek medical attention after the game, which the athlete did, the next morning. Ankle injuries are usually the consequence of twisting the ankle. In most sporting activities, an athlete can twist their ankle with sudden cutting or pivoting movements (Barker et. al, 2015). The most prevalent sprain involves an inward twist of the ankle. This inward twist thus injures the CF and ATF ligaments. Additional dynamics for ankle sprains include weak or imbalanced muscles, previous ankle injuries, uneven surfaces, inappropriate or worn out shoes, overweight, or family tendency.

Ankle sprains are categorized into three categories; First, second and third degree sprains. First-degree sprains are the most common type sprains and are minor injuries if not neglected. The ligaments are stretched, not torn. There may be mild inflammation, but no instability. The athlete can expect to resume sports in 1 - 2 weeks with conservative therapy.

Upon doing some tests, the athlete's physician concluded that the athlete had suffered a second-degree sprain to his ankle and recommended rehabilitation of the ankle. A second-degree ankle sprain means that the ankle ligaments are partly torn, causing bleeding, which results in bruising, discoloration, swelling, and pain. Rehabilitation of such an injury may take 3 to 6 weeks depending on the no. of tendons affected and will require splints, ankle immobilization in a brace or similar device. The third degree of sprains is where the ankle ligaments are severely torn, causing instability. The recovery period is much longer for third-degree sprains, usually requiring 8 to 12 months for the ligaments to fully heal (Michigan University Health System, 2018).

There are four main exercise types that are used to rehabilitate sprained ankles as per University of Michigan University Health System (2018) these are; Stretching exercises, Range-of-motion exercises, Strengthening exercises and Balance and control exercises. Under stretching exercises, the key aim is to stretch the Achilles tendon as soon as the athlete/injured person can, without any pain/discomfort. This tendon connects the calf muscles on the rear of the lower leg to the bone at the bottom of the heel. The stretching exercise can be done whilst sitting or standing (Michigan University Health System, 2018).

There are two approaches to stretching of the Achilles tendon, these are Towel and Calf stretches. Under Towel stretches, the athlete will be required to sit with his leg in front of him, place a rolled towel under the ball of his foot whilst holding the towel at both ends. Gently, he will pull the towel towards himself, keeping the knee straight all the while (Michigan University Health System, 2018). He should then hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds and do the same procedure again for 2 to 4 times. In case the athlete experiences pain, he should stop pulling on the towel or pull to the extent there is no pain.

The second means of rehabilitation is the Calf stretch, in which the athlete will be required to stand facing the wall, with his hands on the wall at about eye level. The injured leg should be placed about a step behind the other leg. Whilst keeping the back heel on the floor, the athlete will then bend his front knee until he feels a stretch in the back leg. This is repeated 2 to 4 times, whilst holding the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds in each stretch. The exercise should be repeated with the back knee slightly bent while keeping the back heel on the floor. This exercise stretches different parts of the calf and ankle muscles (Michigan University Health System, 2018).

Range-of-motion exercises would have been done by the head trainer, as they are done right after an injury. The athlete would be required to do these exercises up to 5 times a day, all the while putting ice on the ankle. The easiest range-of-motion exercise is tracing letters in the air using the big toe, this encourages ankle movement in all angles. This should be done Trace 1 to 3 times (Michigan University Health System, 2018). The second technique involves the athlete sitting in a chair with the injured foot resting flat on the floor. Slowly, he moves the knee side to side while keeping the foot pressed flat to the floor. He should repeat this for two to three minutes. Towel curls are another advisable range-of-motion exercise, which is done by placing the injured foot on a towel on the floor while sitting. The towel is then scrunched towards the body, using the toes as an anchor point.

Then, also using the toes, one pushes the towel away from their body. This exercise can be made more challenging by placing a weighted object on the other end of the towel (Michigan University Health System, 2018).

Strengthening exercises, as well as balance and control exercises, are usually done under the supervision of a therapist, who checks on their duration and timing. Any person who undertakes these exercises should normally do them when they are able to stand without experiencing swelling or pain. Balance exercises should be done once a day, whereas strengthening exercises can be done multiple times in a day (Michigan University Health System, 2018). Athletes should also note that severe ankle sprains require dedicated care and can often grow into chronic problems, such as chronic ankle instability.

The rehabilitation exercises started with range-of-motion exercises for the first 72 hours after the athlete's injury. He then, under the supervision of a therapist, did strength training, stretching and balance exercises. Using the strengthening exercises, in particular, he was able to regain full functionality of the ankle and was certified to be able to play the sport. Since the exercises were done under the supervision of a therapist, there was no indication that the muscles had been strained, following tests done after the athlete recovered. The bruising and swelling that the athlete had on his ankle were gone after day 7 of the treatment therapies mentioned in the first part of this paragraph. With regard to equipment used during the therapy, the athlete used an ankle boot for the first 6 days of treatment and after the sixth day, he no longer required an ankle boot or any other walking aid. 20 days after his injury athlete fully recovers and ready to start baseball training again.

Conclusion

A lower leg sprain is typical damage and for the most part happens when the lower leg is bent or rearranged (toes are turned in and the lower leg moves over). The expression "sprain" signifies damage to delicate tissues muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is typically tendons that are burst or torn; for this situation tendon in the lower leg. Tendons associate bones or ligament to different bones or ligament. Lower leg sprains are quickly and seriously difficult and incapacitating; they can form into an incessant issue if not totally recuperated and the muscles around the lower leg fortified. Whenever treated rapidly and appropriately, lower leg sprains can mend well, enabling a protected and early come back to your exercises. Sprains happen regularly when your foot arrives on an uneven surface that makes the foot turn as the lower leg takes off called a reversal. The weight on the tendons can result in an extending or tearing of the tendons and the container outwardly of the lower leg joint. At the season of the damage, you may feel a pop or snap in the lower leg joint, have agony and inconvenience strolling. Inside a couple of hours, the lower leg can progress toward becoming wounded and swollen.

References

Barker HB, Beynnon BD, Renstron PA (2015), Ankle injury risk factors in sports. Sports Med, U.S.A.

Michigan University Health System (2018), Sprained Ankle: Rehabilitation Exercises, accessed from: https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/te7604 on 14th May 2019.