One of the most common athletic injuries is to the ankle. Runners can easily sprain an ankle simply by stepping off the curb or rolling it off a rock or crack in the pavement. Contact sports players are running, falling, and being tackled all the time, and that is a lot of pressure on the ankle. Depending on serious the injury is, there are several treatment options for Athletic Injuries Treatment Joliet IL. Athletes should have any sprain or pain evaluated by a podiatrist, even if it appears to be mild. What may feel like a mild sprain or pulled a tendon, can be more serious than it first appears.
A mild sprain, for example, can have more inflammation than is visible, can involve tendons and ligaments, and can lead to a re-occurring injury. It can also weaken the ankle and cause a more serious injury the next time it is sprained. A pulled muscle can be a torn tendon or ligament that will get worse if left untreated. The ankle is made up of three bones, two joints, tendons, and ligaments. The talus, which is the foot, combines with the tibia and the fibula bones of the lower leg. If the sprain is mild, ice and rest may be the only treatment needed. Other treatments for Athletic Injuries Treatment Joliet IL, include heat, ultrasound, physical therapy, an air cast, braces, electrical nerve stimulation, a hard cast, surgery, or ankle arthroscopy. The latter treatment is less invasive than traditional surgery and stabilizes the ligaments with tissue anchors.
The goal of any Athletic Injuries Treatment Joliet IL is to reduce inflammation, strengthen the ankle, relieve the pain, and get the athlete back to his preferred activity. Experienced podiatrists, like the ones at Suburban Foot & Ankle Associates in Joliet, IL, can diagnosis the extent of the injury quickly and devise a treatment plan that will be efficient. Treatment can involve more than one approach. Ice, home exercise, and an air cast may be recommended and evaluated during a follow-up visit. Electric nerve stimulation along with physical therapy may be the best course of action. Physical therapy is also needed after surgery or immobilization. Browse website for more detail.