What Happens if I Ignore My Ankle Sprain?

Fortunately, residents of Farmingdale, Deer Park, and Long Island, New York dealing with sprains, strains, and other pains can find relief with Dr. Mikael Sarij and our experienced team at Integrated Spine And Pain Care. We are dedicated to helping you get pain relief from a variety of acute and chronic conditions using numerous innovative medical and holistic methods.

In this post, we’ll examine the common causes and risks of sprained ankles, what happens when you don’t get them treated properly, and how they can be treated.

Symptoms of a sprained ankle

If you are dealing with this painful condition, you can expect to experience:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Tenderness to touch
• Limited range of motion
• Popping sound or feeling when the injury happens

Symptoms will vary depending on the severity of the injury. Even if the ankle can be managed at home, it’s important to inform your doctor to discuss further evaluation or ways to prevent the injury from worsening.

Common causes and risks of sprained ankles

Sprains occur when the ligament in your ankle is either stretched or torn and your ankles, knees, and wrists are most prone to sprains. Participating in sports, having a history of ankle injuries, poor physical conditioning, and improper shoes can all contribute to raising the risks of getting a sprained ankle. As a result, common causes for this to occur include:

• Walking or exercising on an uneven surface
• Falling
• Sports activities that require a lot of running or footwork
• Having your foot stepped on by someone else

Any of these can force your ankle to move out of its normal position, leading to stretching or tearing in the ligaments and reducing stability in your ankle joint.

Complications of neglecting care

If you don’t treat the sprain properly, or exert too much pressure on your ankle before it's ready, you can exacerbate the condition to the point of risking a chronic condition with persistent pain, constant instability in your ankle, or arthritis in the ankle joint.

To reduce the risk of dealing with a sprain or any related complications, it is important to warm up before intense physical activity, use caution walking on uneven surfaces, utilize a brace or support when necessary, wear well-fitting shoes, safely maintain regular exercise and practice stability and balance exercises. While there are basic things you can do at home to manage your sprained ankle—rest, ice, compress with an elastic bandage, elevating your foot—crutches, sports tape, ankle braces, and in severe cases surgery are all ways to help you recover from this common injury.

So, if you’re dealing with a sprain and need to get help, make an appointment with Dr. Sarij and Integrated Spine And Pain Care today to get started.