29 Dec 2014

Prevention is better than cure-Spotlight on ankle injuries

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Alan Nevies and colleagues at north londonosteopaths.co.uk often see patients who have injured themselves. In this blog we share some advice on how to prevent these injuries in the first place, hopefully saving you suffering, time and money. The focus in this blog is on ankles. The foot and ankle are major weight bearing structures that have a vital role in the activities of daily living. Ankle injuries account for about ten percent of visits to A&E. The most common injury is acute ankle sprain, and these mostly affect young people who are physically and professionally active. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent long term complications such as mechanical instability, recurrent swelling, stiffness and long term degenerative changes. Ankle fractures are one of the most common bony injuries to the lower extremity.

So what does Alan Nevies recommend to prevent ankle sprains and fractures? He strongly advises wearing properly fitting shoes, with laces, that are tied firmly, thus holding the foot more effectively. A medium, stable heel is often the best, and the shoe should enable the feet to engage with the ground in a heel/toe pattern, ie the first part of the foot to touch the ground is the heel, and then the rest of the foot, through the arch to the ball and toes. Ankle rotations may also strengthen the joint and surrounding muscle and tissue. A way to strengthen the ankle joint is to stand on one leg,hands behind your back and close your eyes.This will strengthen the proprioceptors around the joint and stabilise the ankle.

Alan Nevies and associates treat lots of sports injuries and aim to get you back to peak fitness as soon as possible

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