What Is A Sprain?
What Are The Symptoms Of An Ankle Sprain, And How Is One Treated?
What Should Be Done When A Child Suffers A Sprain?
How Do I Know If My Child Is Ready To Return To Sports?
What Should My Child Do When He Returns To Sports?
What Is A Sprain?
A sprain is a stretch and/or tear of a ligament, the fibrous band of tissue joining the end of one bone with another that stabilizes and supports the body's joints.
Because the outer ankle is more stable than the inner ankle, the foot is likely to turn inward (ankle inversion) from a fall, tackle, or jump. This stretches or tears ligaments; the result is an ankle sprain. The lateral ligament on the outer ankle is most prone to injury. As a result, virtually all ankle sprains are "inversion" sprains.
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align="justify"What Are The Symptoms Of An Ankle Sprain And How Is One Treated?
As with burns, there are three "degrees" of sprains: mild (first-degree), moderate (second degree) and severe (third-degree). While the intensity varies, pain, bruising, and swelling (inflammation) are common to all three categories.
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Minor stretching of ligaments |
Partial tear of ligaments |
Complete tear of ligaments, or ligaments separate from bone |
Examination by doctor/emergency room visit/x-rays? |
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Minimal; may not be swelling for several hours |
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Yes (unable to bear any weight) |
Painful to stand and walk? |
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Yes. Excruciating pain at moment of injury |
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RICE plus several days on crutches(rent at a medical supply store) |
RICE plus cast and crutches for two to four weeks; surgery may be necessary |
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Usually 2 to 3 weeks (after physical therapy), but possibly as long as 6 weeks |
Recovery after intensive physical therapy may take 6 to 8 weeks |
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What Should Be Done When A Child Suffers A Sprain?
If a child injures an ankle during practice or competition:
He or she should stop playing immediately. Have her sit down in the middle of the field or the court if she has to.
Once off the field or court, examine the ankle closely. If it looks different from the child's other ankle, of if the child hears crunching noises when she tries to move it, the ankle might be broken, which requires immediate medical attention and a trip to the hospital emergency room for an examination and x-rays (A list of emergency phone numbers should be kept in the first-aid kit.
If the child experiences any severe pain, he might have a second- or third-degree sprain, with a partially or completely torn ligament. These injuries need to be treated by a doctor.
Stay calm and calm the injured player. Keep others away from her as much as possible.
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How Do I Know If My Child Is Ready To Return To Sports?
It is important in all but mild cases for a medical doctor to evaluate the injury and establish a treatment and rehabilitation plan.
You and your child should treat any ankle sprain, but especially the first one, seriously. An athlete who fails to allow an ankle sprain to properly heal is at risk for developing chronic ankle instability. Sports medicine experts, like Dr. Lyle J. Micheli of Children's Hospital in Boston, recommend that the rehabilitation process be supervised by a qualified physical therapist, and that a child not be allowed to return to sports until:
Full range of pain-free motion in the ankle is regained
He can run and walk without limping
He has more than 90 percent strength in the injured ankle compared to the uninjured ankle; and
He can reach maximum speed while running and changing direction.
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What Should My Child Do When He Returns To Sports?
When your child is ready to return to sports:
Make sure he does some running and skill drills on his own to make sure the ankle is okay; going into a game "cold turkey" is a good way for your child to re-injure the ankle;
Have a trainer tape up the previously injured ankle;
If no trainer is available, have him wrap the ankle himself or wear a removable brace, such as an Aircast. In fact, some experts, like Dr. Micheli, believe that modern braces are more convenient and effective than traditional taping. Note: taping and fancy bracing do not do anything more to prevent ankle injuries than properly fitted shoes.
Remember that taping or braces should be used along with, not instead of rehabilitation.
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