I’m “running” down the road kicking the ball back and forth with my son on the way to a new friends house. He kicks the ball to me and I easily kick it back his way. Unfortunately with the next pass, he gets a little too close and before my right foot can come down from the previous go, he kicks the ball back to me. With my foot still in the up position, the ball rolls just far enough under my foot that it flips completely over. I lay screaming in the middle of the road. I can feel everything as if it’s in slow motion as my foot turns further out and over causing such an incredible twinge of pain like I’ve never felt before. Worse than the last time when I fell at work and broke it the year before.
What is this unbearable sensation, the hot molten burn and razor sharp torture coursing through my entire foot and leg. I was left immobilized attempting to crawl to the side of the road as I viewed an oncoming car in my path.
My spouse and the driver of that car both helped me hobble back to the house, where I immediately lay on the couch with my foot held above my heart by the cushion from another couch. We wait. The swelling starts to rise as my ankle becomes a passing memory. My husband lays a bag of frozen veggies carefully across the area all while lecturing on the fact that we have been told not to play in the street. I am for good reason reminded of this fact because he knows me all to well. Sports plus me has equaled disaster more than once in the past.
The right side of my right foot is now the size of a baseball, however, it is not turning blue right away like when I broke my arm many years ago. So, is it broken or not? Waiting. Ice on. Ice off and back on again. I need to get to the bathroom, but how? Luckily, this is my grandmas place and a quick trip to the porch gives way to many assistant devices. I have to insist to my son that a wheelchair inside a single trailer is not going to be a viable option so I’m thankful for a cane.
Four hours pass and the color is worse. It’s time to head to the ER just in case. I dread the Emergency Room, however, this one is small and efficient. First step (aside the myriad of paperwork) is an x-ray brought directly to my room. It’s not broken. I wish it was.
Breaks, like last time are not nearly as bad. I was still walking as soon I as I could get up. A sprain, especially when severe is horrible. So, what exactly is a sprain and why does it happen?
Aside from being terribly common, a sprain is defined as an injury to the ligaments that hold the bones together. There are three large bones in the foot, the tibia, the fibula and the talus, a total of 26 all together including the small ones. The ligaments are only meant to stretch a small amount and then retract. Too much of a stretch could tear the ligament.
This happens for a number of reasons, usually involving a sports injury. An athlete jumps, say in basketball for instance, and when he comes back down lands on another players foot causing his to turn out too far. There’s also those like me who have such thin feet and week legs, that it’s all too easy to lose balance and “roll” the foot. Then, once the sprain takes place it’s imperative to begin proper rehabilitation or it is even more likely to happen again. The body’s proprioceptive abilities fail when the ligaments are stretched out and must be repaired to prevent a sprain from happening again. What this means is that the body cannot tell where the bones are in “space”. While your brain thinks that your foot bones (in this case) are lined up, the nerves are not allowing this to happen. Proprioception can be trained with balance exercises.
First things first, remember R.I.C.E., rest, ice, compression and elevation. This is very important! Then, depending on how severe the sprain is, you may be back on your feet in a week. Or, it could take months. Let your body be the guide and if it’s not getting better in a week or stays swollen, see a doctor right away.
Use crutches if it’s painful to walk on and take ibuprofen if you can for the pain. To prevent injury in the future, there are exercises to strengthen the muscles around the ankle, foot and leg.
When you first sprain you ankle, it will be very painful to pull your foot back toward you. Once you can do this without pain, start by pushing your ankle forward and pulling it back. Use added pressure from your hands to increase the stretch. Then, move into rolling your foot around in a circle. Try 10 reps, 3-4 times to regain motion.
To regain flexibility, use a towel or band to gently pull your foot toward you in a smooth stretch. DO NOT BOUNCE your foot. You can also perform this move by standing up with the injured foot behind you and bending the back knee to feel a good stretch in your the heel. In the same position, keep the back leg straight and bend the front (non-injured) leg for a good calf stretch.
To rebuild your body’s proprioception, stand on one foot holding your balance for as long as you can. Then, switch feet. Keep building up your time and ability to stand balanced without hanging on to anything.
If you need to wear a brace to hold your foot straight for a while after the injury, do so until you are able to rehabilitate properly. Watch where you are stepping and always wear good shoes!
