Have You Sustained a Sprain or Strain to Your Ankle? Get Back on Your Feet with Physiotherapy

Ready to Move with Ease Once Again?

If you’re having ankle pain that isn’t going away, there’s a significant chance that you’ve suffered from a strain or a sprain! People sometimes use these two terms interchangeably, but there is actually a big distinction between them.

A strain is the tear or overstretching of a muscle or tendon. These tendons connect the bones to the muscles. Your lower back and hamstrings are the most popular area of the strain. A sprain is the overstretching or tearing of a ligament. Ligaments are rows of tissue linking bones in a joint. Sprains commonly occur in the joints of your ankle but can happen in any joint.

The good news is that you no longer have to live in discomfort. Physiotherapy will benefit you! To learn more about the natural and effective treatment of pain and prevention of sprains and strains through PT, please call our office today. One of our certified physiotherapists will be pleased to see you!

Ankle injuries: a common area of pain

Although many injuries are more likely to occur as we age, according to WebMD, “Ankle injuries can happen to anyone at any age. However, men between 15 and 24 years old have higher rates of ankle sprain, compared to women older than age 30 who have higher rates than men. Half of all ankle sprains occur during athletic activity. Every day in the U.S., 25,000 people sprain their ankles. And more than 1 million people visit emergency rooms each year because of ankle injuries.”

That’s a pretty impressive statistic, and it just goes to show that literally, everyone is at risk for receiving an injury to their ankle! That’s why it’s incredibly important to be aware of how you’re moving your body in order to prevent one, as well as understanding your treatment options should you get hurt.

What can I expect from a treatment plan?

Active therapy in physiotherapy includes targeted workouts and stretching. Passive treatment includes electrical stimulation, ultrasound, massage, and heat therapy. Electrical stimulation and heat therapy are very helpful in reducing ankle pain.

Physiotherapy has also been shown to be an effective treatment for ligament sprains, such as ACL tears. ACL tears are a very common injury to the knee. Physiotherapy has also been shown to be beneficial for damage to the Achilles tendon and other forms of sprains and strains. No matter what the injury might be, physiotherapy is here to help.

How can a physiotherapist help me find relief?

.A majority of folks can do this technique at home, but it doesn’t always work. If you find that your injury doesn’t heal this way, it’s time to see the doctor. A doctor will most likely conduct a few tests and take an X-ray to see if there are bone fractures. If not, the diagnosis is typically a strain or a sprain.

This is where physiotherapy should come in! You might be recommended by your doctor to visit a physiotherapist, no matter the cause or severity of the injury. Physiotherapy will play a vital role in your rehabilitation, since physiotherapists know a multitude of ways to effectively relieve and alleviate discomforts, such as the ones from ankle sprains and strains. They can also enhance your coordination and strength.

Why did I sustain a sprain or strain?

Symptoms for strains and sprains are very similar, which is another reason people seem to mix the two up! You might experience muscle spasms, swelling and inflammation, decreased range of motion, limited flexibility, and pain around the affected joint.

The biggest difference between the two is that a sprain will normally show up with bruising on the skin around that affected area.

Some ways that you can receive a strain or sprain are as follows:

  • Prolonged repetitive motion
  • Slipping and falling
  • Athletic activities
  • Overexerting yourself
  • Lifting heavy objects

It’s important to warm up before physical activity to avoid receiving a sprain or strain. Make sure when you’re working out that you are alert and aware of your surroundings, and using the proper equipment as well so you don’t have an accident resulting in one of the two injuries.

There are also environmental factors that can put you at risk as well, such as slippery or icy surfaces, or exercising on rocky ground that could cause you to trip and fall.

Get moving again today!

If you have ankle pain from a strain or sprain, don’t let it get worse by putting off treatment any longer. Our office is here to help you out! Contact Be Active Physiotherapy today to learn how we can get you on the road to recovery.

Our qualified and licensed physiotherapists will carry out a thorough evaluation to determine your condition and develop an individualized treatment program. In no time we will help you recover and live your normal life again!

Relieve Your Pain Without Drugs! Find Natural Pain Relief Today

Ready to Find Pain Relief Without the Side Effects of Opioids?

Pain is a serious problem in today’s world. It’s little wonder that painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs have grown into such a mammoth industry.

Unfortunately, these drugs offer their own share of troubles, from addiction to dangerous effects on internal organs. Many people are now seeking effective pain relief that doesn’t come from a pill bottle. If you’re one of those people, you need to know about the amazing pain-busting potential of physiotherapy.

Physiotherapists can help individuals manage pain, and greater use of physiotherapy could make a real impact on the tragic levels of drug abuse in this country—abuse that often begins with a prescription for pain medication.”

So, instead of turning to opioids, consider physiotherapy first!

Why you should consider physiotherapy for your pain management needs

Physiotherapy offers numerous advantages as a safe, effective, all-natural pain management tool. A physiotherapist takes each individual’s symptoms (and those symptoms’ underlying causes) into account when devising a physiotherapy plan for pain management. Your plan might include modalities such as:

  • A soothing combination of heat therapy and cryotherapy
  • Chiropractic adjustment to help joints move more freely and correct painful musculoskeletal imbalances
  • Electrical nerve stimulation to interrupt pain signals
  • Cold laser therapy and/or massage therapy to boost circulation, relax tissues, and reduce inflammation
  • Resistance training exercises to strengthen muscles, making physical actions less of a strain
  • Aerobic exercises to get the blood flowing and encourage joint lubrication

Physiotherapy appears to have one more major contribution to make toward freeing pain sufferers from their symptoms.

Some physiotherapists have adopted “brain-rewiring” techniques such as graded motor imagery to help patients develop a new perception of their pain – one that allows them to master and minimize their responses to it. This form of physiotherapy seeks to give individuals more control over their pain so that they can tolerate more exercise, which then reduces the pain even more.

Physiotherapy can do more than just help you feel better. By providing you with non-pharmaceutical pain control measures, this form of care can help you steer clear of the side effects of prescription and non-prescription drugs.

Better yet, you’re going beyond the temporary numbing of your symptoms by actually treating the underlying causes of those symptoms. Why settle for the illusion of relief when you can have the real thing — and improve your health and functionality in the process?

So, what’s so bad about painkillers?

A variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications promise to ease pain and inflammation temporarily. Steroids do this by suppressing the immune system for people suffering from painful auto-immune disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis).

That same immune-suppressing power, however, also makes the body more vulnerable to infection. Long-term steroid use has also been associated with cataracts, glaucoma, hypertension, water retention, acne, high blood sugar and osteoporosis. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) block the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body.

These drugs aren’t necessarily safe, either. NSAIDs can cause stomach bleeding and kidney damage in some individuals. They have also been associated with elevated heart attack and stroke risks.

Perhaps the most ominous danger comes from opioid drugs. Opioids can deaden more than just pain. These powerful drugs caused over 70,000 fatal overdoses in 2017 alone. Some of these deaths may have been related to recreational drug use, but over 60 percent of the deceased were chronic pain sufferers.

Some important facts about opioids

Opioids are the most commonly used medication for pain management across the United States. Even though they are commonplace, they contain some shockingly harmful facts:

  • Opioids are a highly addictive substance and are the most commonly abused prescription medication.
  • Opioids are a highly dangerous class of substances. Heroin is among the opioid category, as well as prescription pain relievers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and more.
  • More than 2 million people in the United States become addicted to pain medication every year, many of the medications being opioids.
  • About a quarter of heroin addicts began their addiction through prescription opioid dependency.

Contact us today

Our physiotherapist will be happy to create a pain management program just for you. Contact BeActive Physio today for a consultation!

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