Ankle sprain treatment: PRICE and more!

Ankle sprain/strain is a very common injury among athletes or the regular population. The most common ankle sprain is that your ankle rolls outward and your foot turns inward (inversion). This results in over stretching, partial tear or complete of the lateral side of ankle ligaments such as anterior talofibular lig, calcaneofibular lig. or posterior talo fibular lig depending on the severity of the injury. Grade I over stretch ligaments and Grage II partial ligamentous tear respond very well to traditional physiotherapy, manual therapy and chiropractic adjustments.

After detail examination ruling out contra-indication of conservative care, PRICE is the first step of treatment. "P" stands for protection. Protect the injury site from second injury. "R" stands for rest. Proper rest can prevent the condition from getting worse and allow the body to heal. "I" stand for icing. Ice your ankle 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off is very critical for the first 24 to 48 hours. You have to repeat 3 to 4 time at least. "C" stands for compression. Besides icing it is important to compress the injury side with elastic bandage. Don't wrap too hard. You can check your toes' circulation to make sure it is not too tight. "E" stands for elevation. Make sure your ankle is above your heart when lying down. This will help your body absorb the extra fluid due to inflammation. What else need to be done after PRICE?

1. When the swelling is going down, it's time for some active therapies to help your body healing in the right direction.
2. Besides icing and compression, it is important to use Kinesio Tape over the injury site to promote lymphatic drainage.
3. Gentle manual therapy to mobilization ankle joints is also important. This will help restore range of motion and promote healing.
4. I would also include some cross friction massage over the injury site depending on patient tolerance and conditions. One effective technique is using "Gua Sha." You can read more about this in my previous blog. Once a week for this would be sufficient.
5. Ankle stretching exercises: stretch your ankle in dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion and eversion for 10 seconds and 3 repetitions.
   
6. Chiropractic adjustment for the ankle low back and pelvis. This will help realign and balance the pelvis, and lower extremities.
   
7. Proprioception training and strength training: using a BAPS board or a vestibular disc is a good way to help patient regain balance and proprioception over the injury foot. Without proper proprioception training ankle sprain will likely to happen again.
   

The procedures above are some basic treatment protocol that we use in our clinic. Please consult your health care provider before doing these on yourself.

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Kinesio Taping for Neck pain, back pain, tennis elbow, knee pain and more!

I was trained to use athletic tape to stabilize ankle sprain, wrist sprain, knee sprain and most sports injuries in college. While in chiropractic school I learned something new- Kinesio Taping! This type of taping is totally different from traditional athletic taping. It helps improve range of motion, mobility, flexibility, reduce inflammation and edema, and improve performance. It's amazing! Besides chiropractic adjustment, I use this therapy for patient with acute neck and back pain. Most people feel decrease in pain level with tape on their back.

Kinesio taping is a method used to help normalize the function of muscles and other connective tissues. Kinesio taping is used for both spinal and extremity conditions such as neck pain, back pain, tennis elbow, knee pain, shin splint and shoulder pain.

Kineso taping uses elastic tape rather than the rigid tape traditionally used in sports. The elastic properties of this tape help in many ways:

• Improve contraction of a weakened muscle
• Reduce muscle fatigue and spasm
• Reduce over-stretching and over-contraction of muscles
• Re-educate muscles through sensory feedback
• Lessen edema (swelling) through aiding the lymphatic system
• Minimize post-traumatic or post-surgical bruising through improved circulation
• Help mobilize scar tissue by enhancing glide between tissue layers
• Help correct joint mechanics through aiding muscle function around the joint
• Relieve pain by activating the natural analgesic system in our skin receptors

For more information please visit Kinesio Taping website!

Active Spines Chiropractic Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com