Why It's Always a Good Idea to Get Help for a Sprained Ankle

Whether you sprained your ankle making a diving catch or you simply took a misstep off a curb and twisted your ankle, the end result is the same.

Acute sprained ankles send about 2 million Americans to seek medical care each year, and this is exactly what you should do. While you might think that a sprained ankle is no big deal, this injury has a way of coming back to haunt you if you don't get proper treatment initially. 

The good news is that you can find top-notch care at LaSante Health Center, where our multidisciplinary team routinely handles fractures and sprains. 

Here, we provide some eye-opening numbers about the complications that can stem from ankle sprains and why early intervention is often best.

Ankle sprains explained

Let’s first start with what we’re up against when you sprain an ankle. A sprain indicates damage to ligaments, which are the soft tissues that connect bones to other bones. 

When it comes to ankles, about 90% of sprains are inversion injuries in which your foot turns inward and stretches the lateral ligaments on the outside of your ankle.

There are different grades of ankle sprains, including:

Grade I — Slight tearing in your ligaments, with minimal pain and no instability.

Grade II — Partial tearing in the ligaments and some pain with weight-bearing, as well as instability in the joint.

Grade III — A complete rupture in your ligament and considerable pain, as well as instability when you stand on the affected leg.

The best way to figure out the extent of the sprain is to see us for an evaluation, especially if your ankle is still swollen and painful after 24 hours.

When ankle sprains become chronic problems

The reason we’re so concerned about ankle sprains (and why you should be, too) is the threat of ongoing issues. For example, up to 40% of ankle sprains develop chronic symptoms, and 20% of ankle sprains lead to chronic ankle instability.

These can be serious and nagging issues that plague you for the rest of your life, because the instability can lead to further sprains, and you can get caught in a cycle of ankle problems.

So many people end up with long-term ankle problems after an initial sprain, because the original injury wasn’t properly addressed. By addressed, we mean getting the sprain diagnosed correctly and giving the injury enough time and space to heal.

Let’s face it, you need to get around, so many people simply grit their teeth and soldier through ankle sprains, to their detriment. If the damaged ligaments aren’t able to heal properly, they remain damaged and loose, which leads to recurring issues.

A better route is to have us diagnose and treat the original sprain so we can set you up for longer-term success.

And it’s as easy as booking an appointment online or calling us at our Brooklyn, New York, clinic at 718-395-5071. Easier still, we also welcome walk-ins during our hours of operation. 

Our team proudly serves the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.