- Image by NiteLynx via Flickr
Ankle sprains are a common medical problem in athletics. While men participate in sports like basketball for fitness in their older years, the constant stop and pivot motion in basketball makes the ankles susceptible to sprains. Sports like tennis which is a series of start and stops and foot planting result in quite a few high ankle sprains, though there is a distinction to be made between your garden variety ankle sprain and the high ankle sprain.
The stand ankle sprain: In a traditional ankle sprain, there will be some ligament damage. This is the area that connects the tibia and fibia bones in your legs, to your feet. The result of this type of injury is some bruising as well as visible swelling.
The high ankle sprain: A high sprain is different in that the damage is done above the ankle, in the lower leg area. In this sprain scenario, it’s the ligaments that attach the tibia and fibia to each other that is being damaged. The signs may not be quite as obvious as a typical ankle sprain. There may be a duller pain associated with this sprain and less swelling or bruising than is seen in the more typical sprained ankle.
Treatment: Taking anti-inflammatory medication is a great way to reduce the swelling in your sprained ankle. Beyond that, the best thing you can do for it is to give the foot some rest. You will want to ice it, compress it, and keep it elevated as often as possible after the sprain in order to give the foot proper opportunity to heal. If you must continue to play sports or work on a sprained ankle, there are sleeves and other braces available to lend support to your ankle. These can be especially helpful if you are chronically spraining your ankle.
