It is common to find ankle joint injuries. Such a case is more common among athletes – people who engage in intensive physical activities such as sports, exercise, and workouts in a routine manner. Therefore, the risk of ankle injuries such as joint sprain and pain are more usual than less physically active individuals. Nevertheless, reinforcing your activity routine with safety precautions can diminish the risk without having the need to find the nearest orthopaedic clinic in Singapore.

Cause & Symptoms of Ankle Sprain

In an anatomic view, an ankle injury can happen when the joint is forced to land in varied unnatural positions or is twisted far out than its normal position. An example of situations where your ankle joints and foot are forced into an abnormal position is walking on an uneven surface, or the foot is turned inwards suddenly with force. It is often common to encounter sudden snapping or popping sensations when the injury happens.

The most common symptoms for sprain injury are:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Instability in the ankle region
• Popping sensation during the injury
• Pain
• Tenderness when you touch the affected ankle
• Restriction in motion

While most ankle injuries can be treated without seeing a local ankle specialist in Singapore, a severe sprain can weaken the ankle, and repeated injuries can pose long-term problems, including chronic pain.

The Most Common Risk Factors

As we mentioned earlier, one of the highest risk factors for ankle injury or sprain is those who choose to participate in physical activities such as sports. These particular sports that require cutting action, twisting and rolling of the foot, such as soccer, football, tennis and basketball, are at high risk of acquiring ankle sprain. It is advised to visit an ankle specialist or orthopaedic doctor in Singapore for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Other known risk factors for sprained ankle are:

Poor physical condition

Lack of proper exercise and nutrition can make the ankle weaker or less flexible. It increases the risk for any ankle injuries, including sprain when that person is engaged in sports-like activities. It is, therefore, crucial to take proper health maintenance to increase your ankle strength and flexibility to lessen the risk factor for related injuries. You can contact a local orthopaedic doctor or ankle specialist in Singapore for specific recommended exercise based on your current fitness and condition.

Prior ankle injury

Individuals who had a previous history of having ankle sprain or injury are at a higher chance of experiencing spraining again due to the weakening of ligaments and joints in the area.

Improper footwear

Individuals who are wearing improper footwear or shoes that don’t fit properly can make the ankle more vulnerable for any form of injury, including spraining and foot conditions such as a bunion. To have proper footwear, it is advisable to visit a local orthopaedic clinic for footwear recommendations and consultations. It will help prevent any forms of injury-related to wearing incompatible footwear or visiting an orthopaedic doctor in Singapore for guidance.

Uneven surfaces

Walking and running on uneven or poor field surface conditions increases the risk of an ankle sprain.

Ankle Sprain Diagnosis & Rehabilitation

The severity of ankle sprain injury can range from Grade I to Grade III. The rehabilitation procedures you can do may vary depending on how mild or serious the sprain in your ankle is. If one would take a look and examine the ankle injury, it usually reveals swelling by the accumulated blood and fluid in the affected area.

When it comes to diagnosis and treatment, the X-ray plays an integral part to help identify any evidence of fracture among patients. On the other hand, an MRI procedure is conducted for a comprehensive look for various ligaments, showing their current condition and providing complete analysis for proper diagnosis. What’s convenient about this is that almost every orthopaedic clinic in Singapore provides this mentioned diagnosis for most ankle injuries.

Here are other types of different diagnoses for ankle sprain:

• ankle instability
• Achilles tendonitis
• ankle fracture (in sports medicine)
• navicular fracture
• injuries in the Achilles tendon
• talofibular ligament injury
• gout and pseudogout

Improper rehabilitation is at higher risk for instability and re-injury. Hence, it is crucial to adhere to specific rehabilitation requirements or visit an orthopaedic clinic in Singapore of accurate diagnosis for current ankle conditions. Returning to sports and any demanding physical activity without proper or inadequate rehabilitation are prone to experience ankle instability. It is crucial to follow the doctors prescribed treatment and undergo adequate rehabilitation for a faster recovery. Patients can be declared fit to return to their activities upon satisfying the result of the following actions:

• The ability to walk without limping
• The lack of any restrictive sensation when moving the ankle
• 80-90% strength compared to normal pre-injury ankle
• Pain-free motions on the affected limb
• The ability to do any wide range of limb motions

If you are experiencing difficulties with your ankle, do not hesitate to visit or contact an orthopaedic doctor in Singapore.

Strengthening Your Ankle For Less Injuries & Preventing Sprains

While ankle sprain might not be too serious and threatening enough to warrant patients to look for Singapore orthopaedic surgery service, ankle sprains can hinder your motion ability – primarily if you are an athlete.

Perform exercises as warm-ups

Incorporating beneficial exercises such as performing ankle circles, single-leg balance and Achilles stretching can help strengthen its core muscles and enhance its joint stability. Personal stretching is also beneficial for improving lower limb strength and support – which are recommended for athletes, professional dancers, and runners as additional warm-ups before engaging in any activities.

Wear proper footwear

Aside from what you can hear about how wearing improper footwear can increase your risk from sprains and bunion problems, improper footwear can seriously affect your mobility with all the injuries and conditions that arise from it. You can avoid this by contacting a reputable ankle specialist in Singapore about compatible footwear and assessing your ankle to determine the perfect shoe fit, especially if you’re engaging in sprinting activities.

Healthy diet

Making healthy choices such as vegetables and fruits can improve your overall physical health. Certain poor diet choices such as an excess protein with saturated fats can lead to inflammation of your body and internal injury threat that can affect and aggravate your foot.

The Bottom Line

While ankle sprain can be mild and non-threatening, this injury can be very prevalent, and further continuous re-injury can weaken your ankle joints. It’s best to be aware of what you can do to narrow down your risk and learn more about the condition itself for proper rehabilitation treatment for an injury-free experience.

If you’re looking for an ankle specialist or bunion surgery in Singapore, you can visit the Specialist Orthopaedic Centre for orthopaedic treatments.