I have rarely met a person who has not sprained at least one ankle during his lifetime. After the low back, the ankle is probably the second most common area of injury. The severity of a sprain varies significantly. In minor sprains, only a few numbers of ligament fibers swell or tear, while in most serious sprains, one or more ligaments rupture entirely. But, some massage strokes and self-care help to speed up the recovery.
The ankle sprains commonly occur during athletic activity. They frequently are caused by a sudden severe trauma such as landing incorrectly from a jump in basketball, crashing into somebody in soccer, gliding on snow, or tripping on some uneven ground while running. Also, ankle sprains can happen during everyday activities like taking a walk on uneven ground, stepping off a curb, or horsing around with the kids.
In some cases, the person feels severe pain and experiences difficulty walking right away. In other, the sprain is not immediately apparent; however, a little while later, a nagging discomfort begins to develop. Swelling is not a symptom that appears all of the time.
A sprained ankle that does not heal properly can become a persistent problem until it receives proper treatment. The person feels instability at the ankle joint because the ligament may have been stretched or have developed weak adhesive scar tissue. So, strenuous activities continually re-tear the scar tissue, resulting in a variety of factors that can increase vulnerability to ankle sprains. These are some of them:
High arches, which make the ankle less stable and create poor alignment of the bones of the feet.
Inequality in lower limbs or dysfunctional alignment on the hip bone and muscles reduces a person’s ability to adapt to changes in the ground surface.
Excessive flexibility at the ankle joint due to stretched or congenitally loose ligaments also increases the likelihood of a sprain.
Wearing extremely high-heeled shoes or platform shoes regularly.
Falling or slipping.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF NEUROMUSCULAR MASSAGE?
When the sprain is chronic, friction therapy stimulates healing of a ligament while removing adhesive scar tissue. When friction therapy and massage are combined, the treatment becomes even more effective. When the sprain is acute or in the presence of an inflammatory process, massage applied on the muscles farther away from the foot can reduce the swelling and speed the healing process. Neuromuscular Massage helps even more when it is applied in the belly of the muscle that connects the ankle with the knee.
It is essential to take care of this condition by,
Resting as much as possible.
Icing for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time.
Compression by using an ankle support during the recovery time.
Elevate the foot above the hip during supine position.
If you've had a badly healed ankle sprain, a neuromuscular massage can help your body recover back to normal. Call today for an Initial Consultation, Assessment, and Neuromuscular Treatment, or reserve your spot now.