DefinitionA
grade 1 ankle sprain is an overstretching and minor tearing of one or more of the ankle ligaments. An ankle sprain that involves two ligaments results in much more disability than a single ligament sprain.
Parts Involved- ligaments that support the ankle joint
- The bones of the ankle such as the tibia, fibula and the talus
- surrounding tissues such as nerves, periosteum and blood vessels etc.
Signs & Symptoms- Pain felt at the time of injury
- Popping and tearing sensation felt on the outer aspect of the ankle
- mild tenderness in the area of the injury
- very minor loss of function if any at all. sometimes may take upto 30min before any loss of mobility is experienced.
- swelling and inflammation in the ankle
- very little visible deformity other than minor swelling
Causes- excessive amounts of stress put on either side of the ankle which temporarily forces the ankle out of its socket. This forcing out of the socket results in stretching and tearing of the ligaments that support the ankle joint.
- sudden high impact to either side of the ankle
Risks- pre existing ankle injury
- Sports with sudden impacts such as football, hockey etc
- sports that require the athlete to change direction suddenly such as basketball, football, hockey etc
- running on uneven ground or ground with holes such as a filed or road with potholes
- shoes that do not provide support for the foot and do not prevent the foot from rolling over
Prevention
design a strengthening and flexibility program tailored for your sport or activity
always preform a proper warm up before your sport or activity
buy and wear shoes that provide adequate support for the foot
Even though a grade 1 ankle sprain is not too serious it is still important to see a doctor as these injuries can progress very quickly into grade 2 an in some cases grade 3.
