Avoiding Serious Ankle Injuries
Posted on: 18 November 2019
Injuries to your ankles can be among the most debilitating injuries that people will frequently experience. While individuals will often assume that there is nothing that they can do to prevent themselves from suffering an ankle injury in the future, there are a handful of useful steps that people can take.
Stretch Your Ankles Prior To Exercise
Fears of pulling muscles while exercising can be one of the main reasons that individuals will stretch prior to starting. Stretching is an effective way of warming up your muscles so that they will be ready for the intense activity of working out. Unfortunately, people will often fail to stretch their ankles as part of this warm-up. This can lead to them being at a far higher risk of suffering an ankle injury. For example, the muscles that support the ankle can be more likely to tear, suffer a pull, or other problems that could result in the ankle suffering a major injury.
Invest In Shoes With Sufficient Ankle Support
Having shoes that properly fit and support your ankle is another step that can help to keep you safe from these injuries. When shopping for shoes to wear while working out, it can be a challenge to get a good idea as to the amount of ankle support that a pair of shoes is going to provide. One way to give you a better idea about this important factor is to put both of the shoes on and lean forward, backward and to each side. This will allow you to feel the amount of support the shoes are able to give your ankles. While this will not be a substitute for wearing the shoes during a full workout session, it can allow you to buy these shoes without having to simply guess as to the support they will provide.
Know When You Should Be Evaluated By An Ankle Doctor
Many minor ankle injuries will heal on their own with little more than rest. However, this will not always be the case, and there will be instances where you will need to see an ankle doctor in order to fully recover. When patients fail to seek treatment for serious ankle injuries, they may find that their ankle will be prone to suffering additional injuries in the future. This is often a result of the connective tissue failing to heal, which can deprive the ankle of needed support. If you experience intense swelling, ankle pain that lasts for several days or you notice that your ankle is chronically weak, seeking an evaluation from an ankle doctor may be necessary.
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