Ankle sprains are undoubtedly the most frequent accidental event in an athlete’s sports career; only through a comprehensive recovery course can this type of pathology truly be resolved.
Ankle sprains are part of the experience of many people, even non-sports people, and are undoubtedly the most frequent accidental event in an athlete’s sports career.
The most common mechanism of ankle sprain is inversion (internal rotation of the sole of the foot) but it can also be caused by eversion (external rotation of the sole of the foot). Sometimes the two mechanisms can coexist.
In the case of ankle sprain, swelling is usually immediate and pain can be very intense; movement is very limited by the swelling, and ankle stability is compromised in more advanced grades.
Recent scientific research by Isokinetic’s Education & Research Department shows that only through a comprehensive recovery pathway can this type of pathology be truly resolved. In this regard, an ideal protocol of approaching the patient after ankle sprain has been studied.
The first goal of the protocol is the reduction of swelling and pain through the use of immersion ultrasound, laser and draining massage, and ice; at this stage we talk about the RICE protocol, an acronym that defines the procedures to be followed, Rest (rest), Ice (ice), Compression (compression), Elevation (limb unloading).
Once the swelling has been reduced, ankle articulation should be recovered through soft pumping of the tibio-tarsal, active and passive mobilizations, specific stretching of the leg muscles, and massage of the foot muscles with the goal of recovering proper walking.
At the same time, the most important part of the treatment protocol, that of regaining strength and proprioception, can begin, through exercises to tone the muscles that underlie the ankle, such as the calf, anterior and posterior tibial, peroneals, intrinsic foot, and plantar muscles.
Strengthening of the core and gluteus medius muscles (important for laterally stabilizing the limb) is also important at this stage.
Then more complex exercises such as proprioceptive boards, pathways, trampoline jumps, heel-to-toe gaits on inside/outside board can be done.
The last phase of the therapeutic program involves reeducation on the sports field with specific gaits of the sport of origin, corner running, pathways, jumps and specific fundamentals, and a relapse prevention program.
