How Do You Treat A Sprain?

How do you treat a sprain?

Injuries caused by exerting force on the joints do not include injuries such as fractures, dislocations, and skin and flesh damage. That is, X-rays show normal joint injuries and are diagnosed as sprains. Specifically, soft tissues such as ligaments and tendons and cartilage (articular cartilage that covers the surface of the bone, meniscus and joint lips that act as cushions sandwiched between gaps) can be damaged. Swelling and pain in the injured joint can usually be seen externally after a sprain. These symptoms usually correspond to the extent of the injury. They are mostly caused by improper posture during vigorous exercise or heavy bearing, or accidental falls, pulling and excessive twisting. 

Ankle sprain is the most common disease. The ankle joint is the weight-bearing joint closest to the ground, which means that the ankle joint is the joint with the most weight in the body. Most ankle sprains occur by twisting the ankle inward, damage to the ligament on the outside of the ankle joint (the pretalar ligament), and pain and swelling in front of or below the lateral malleolus. The stability of the ankle joint plays an important role in the normal performance of daily activities and sports.

In addition, with multiple sprains (ligament and cartilage damage), the intense pain will disappear around 1-2 months after the injury, which does not affect daily life. The main symptoms thereafter are pain, swelling, and shaking due to the burden of physical activity on the affected area. So while there is no feeling of serious injury, secondary wounds at the joints may occur as a result of excessive activity. If such wounds in the joints build up, it can lead to conditions such as osteoarthritis (the wear and tear of the joint cartilage, the deformation of the joints due to aging), so care is needed and you should diagnose and treat the sprain when it begins.

The first thing to do is to learn more about the condition at the time of the injury and what caused the joint injury. Whether it is an external force directly acting on the joint, or an indirect external force such as torsion when jumping and landing (called non-contact injury), or what angle the joint is injured at. You should report to the doctor in time for better judgment. Subsequent tests will assess where the pain is when pressure or force is applied to the joint and whether the joint is loose. An MRI is a test that provides useful information for a diagnosis, and a doctor will make a diagnosis based on the combined judgment of this information.

Treatment for sprains sometimes requires surgery or non-surgical treatments known as conservative treatments. In recent years, small incisions have been used for surgical treatment, such as the use of arthroscopy (endoscopy), which allows for faster recovery. Casts or external braces are now rarely used for long-term immobilization without surgery. They are generally used after surgery and during rehabilitation exercises. In other words, the main method of any treatment is to start exercising as soon as possible.

In addition, some parts cannot be protected from direct external force. Although protective gear can help us prevent injury to a certain extent, its effectiveness is limited. We need to learn and train how to use the body to avoid injury and basic turns and landings, which can prevent non-contact injuries to a certain extent.

If you return to sports after a sprain, even if you have returned to the point where it does not interfere with your daily life, if you suddenly try to return to your original level of activity, there is still a risk of re-injury in the process, and the injury may have occurred in the first place that caused the sprain out of place, so we need to do exercise gradually after our injury. To prevent such problems during the return to sports, rehabilitation is required to restore motor functions such as basic physical performance and agility that were reduced during the blank period.