We see quite a few patients in our North County St. Louis, MO office with ankle sprains but Dr. Holland has had a lot of success helping them recover more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic help?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), an estimated 25,000 people in the US sprain their ankles every day. In fact, these injuries make up nearly half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.
Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most common is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can happen due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over time, and activities that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have pre-existing ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.
A study printed in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to determine chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. Researchers recruited 33 individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were reporting tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the area in the previous six weeks.
18 of the subjects were assigned to participate in rehabilitation and the remaining 15 patients received chiropractic in addition to rehab. Each person had five full weeks of therapy, with the rehabilitation group receiving treatment seven days a week and the rehabilitation plus chiropractic group receiving therapy six out of the seven days.
The authors found that the individuals who participated in both rehabilitation and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. Furthermore, no negative effects were reported, showing that this treatment option is safe.
If you're near our office in North County St. Louis, MO and you're recovering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and running... literally!
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