Although ankle injuries are often associated with sports injuries, they are not limited only to athletes. Ankle injuries are one of the most common injuries people of all ages can have at some point in their life. 

From sprains to fractures, ankle injuries can vary in pain and seriousness. Sometimes even something simple as walking on the sidewalk can cause a painful sprained ankle (and most of us have experienced that pain at least once). 

Although ankle injuries can happen to almost anyone and anywhere, men between 15 and 24 years old have a greater chance of injuring an ankle. Why? Because this is usually the time when boys take part in some sort of sport and the most common sports that can lead to ankle injury are the ones that are the most popular for this age group. And those include football, basketball, volleyball and soccer. 

So, if you have boys at home (but as we said no one is spared) that might suffer from these injuries, here, we are going to talk about ankle injury recovery and what to do to prevent it. 

Prevention

There are a number of ways you can prevent uncomfortable ankle injuries that will surely get in the way of normal day to day activities. If your boys are athletes that have sprained their ankle before but the level of injury wasn’t that serious maybe you should consider investing in a lace up ankle brace that offers extra protection and support to ankles. 

Also, doctors recommend several other ways of preventing ankle injuries. The first and foremost is to have an exercise regime and to maintain a healthy weight. But you should also avoid exercising when you are exhausted or are feeling any pain. Invest in shoes that are well fit and that are appropriate for the activity you are doing. And remember to always warm-up before exercise. 

What to Do With an Injured Ankle?

If you do end up with an injured ankle (or someone in your family) the first steps of recovery include resting, icing, compression, and elevation. It’s very important to rest when you are feeling pain. This will help prevent further damage to the ankle. 

If the swelling starts to occur the best way to reduce it is by icing. Rember to remove the ice after 15-20 minutes in order to prevent frostbite, and wait for around 40 minutes before you apply ice again. 

Next, you can compress the ankle by wrapping it with an elastic bandage but make sure not to wrap it too tightly. This will keep the ankle immobile and supported. And lastly, elevating the ankle will reduce swelling and uncomfortable pain. 

Types of Ankle Injuries

There are three types of ankle injuries and they can be categorized as sprains, strains, and fractures. They are categorized this way because during the damage to the ankle different parts of ankle tissue become impaired. 

If the ligaments have been damaged that means that the ankle has been sprained. When someone has a strained ankle it means their muscles and tendons have been damaged. And fracture is the term that describes breaks in one or more bones of the ankle. 

Depending on the type of injury your doctor will prescribe the proper treatment. Sprains and strains usually don’t last long and the best way to reduce pain is to rest and enjoy the couch or bed for a while. 

Common Causes 

An ankle injury can happen almost instantly at any time and in any place. So it’s very important to take care of yourself and follow preventative measures like wearing proper footwear, warming up before exercise and just to watch where you’re going. 

An ankle injury often occurs during different sports activities or by walking on uneven surfaces.  Football, soccer, basketball, and volleyball are the sports that can cause ankle injury if people participating aren’t careful. Also, an ankle injury can be the result of tripping, falling, walking and/or running on even surfaces, twisting the ankle, rotating or rolling the ankle and awkward landing after a jump. So, be careful and remember to warn your kids as well.

Conclusion

Ankle injuries are very common amongst people of all ages and genders. But, you should have in mind that men between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely to have some sort of ankle damage due to participating often in different sports activities. There are a number of ways you can prevent ankle damage by taking precautions like warming up or using a lace up ankle brace. 

If the damage does occur remember to rest, ice, compress and elevate the ankle. If the swelling or pain doesn’t go away go to your doctor as soon as possible. You don’t want to further the damage or make things worse. There are also research peptides (read review of bpc-157) that speeds up the recovery process.  So, make sure to stay safe, take the precautions, wear proper footwear and if you do get injured take action immediately, your ankles will be thankful.