If you have been involved in sport or the occasional boogey on a Saturday night, the chances are that you’ve probably sprained your ankle at some stage in your life.
Read moreArticles & Posts in Category: Foot & Ankle Pain
Ankle sprains: challenging outdated concepts
There are too many outdated concepts and beliefs about the management and treatment of ankle sprains.
Outcomes-based research has challenged previous management of ankle sprains resulting in an updated approach. Here are the top 3 misconceptions followed by the updated facts! Read more
Plantar Fasciitis Heel Pain Q&A
Heel pain is often caused by plantar fasciitis – an inflammation of the large tissue band (plantar fascia) connecting the heel bone to the toes.
The pain is usually felt under the heel and symptoms can vary from sharp, dull, ache, burning sensation and sometimes mild swelling. Read more
Have I sprained or strained my Ankle?
Ankle injuries are very common on the sporting field but can easily happen in everyday life such as tripping over a rock in the garden or even just walking on an uneven surface.
Ankle injuries are commonly associated with swelling, pain, bruising and decreased movement but how do you know what you have injured? Read more
The no. 1 mistake people make when recovering from injury
It is far too easy to simply stop all exercise when injured. This does not mean we want you to hop on a sprained ankle, but there are things you can do while recovering.
Unfortunately, if you completely stop exercise the body is quite unforgiving. If you don’t get moving, the science is quite clear:
- Joints around the injury, plus the injured joint, are likely to stiffen and lose their flexibility.
- Muscles around the injured site and other areas of the body are likely to weaken.
- Healing is likely to be delayed.
- There is a potential to lead to complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
CRPS is an alteration in the nervous system following injury which causes an increased sensitivity to the affected area which can also lead to increased swelling, stiffness and stretched skin. For a specific example, a study by Moseley et al. (2014) showed “The incidence of CRPS in the 4 months after wrist fracture was 3.8%…” Fortunately Physiotherapy can provide benefit with advice about elevation, active exercises and a desensitisation program. - Immune system may weaken.