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Health Care – Snap, Crackle, and Drop

Posted on | October 30, 2009 | No Comments

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Even a simple sprain can do permanent damage. Learn how to protect man’s most vulnerable joint.

Ankles aren’t sexy. Well, at least men’s ankles aren’t.
No victoria’s Secret model ever went to dinner with a man because his ankles were huge, ripped, and oh, so manly. That’s part of the reason Michael Bowman, M.D., an orthopaedic consultant for the pittsburgh Steelers, call the ankle ‘the Rodney Dangerfield of joints,’

Nobody gives his ankles much thought. But more than a few romantic evenings – and whole soccer seasons – have been ruined by an injury to the body’s most vulnerable joint. What’s far worse, 15 to 40 percent of ankle sprains result in permanent disability. And even those that heal properly can be painful for up to six months and make you prone to future sprains.

While you can’t guarantee that one of your feet won’t end up a statistic (27,000 ankles get sprained every day in the United States), you can stack the odds against it with a programme of ankle – strengthening exercises. “NBA players work out their ankles religiously as part of their preaseason programs,” says Christoper Hubbard,M.D…., and orthopaedic surgeon and assistant team phisician for the New York Knicks.
If you run or play sport, you should too. Here are some simple exercise to help sahore up your ankles, plus a rehab plan in case you still happen to get hurt.

Call In The Reinforcemens.

> Burrito Lift: Head to the kitchen and grab a plastic grocery bag  and two cans of bakes beans – or any combination of cans that totals about half a kilo. Put the cans in the bab and sit on the edge of a table or control that’ high enough so your feet don’t touch the floor. Hang the bag handke over the top of your left foot, close to your toes. Now, without moving your leg, raise your toes and point them at the celling. Hold that position 110 seconds. Now slowly point your toes down (but not so far that the bag slip off).This exercise works the muscle on the from of the ankle and the shin. It also stretches the Achilles tendon. Repeat the move nine more times, then place place the bag over your right other day.

> Calamari Curl: Anchor a Thera – Band or other elastic sport cord a very large piece of squid will do in a pinch) to something solid, such as the leg of the bed you are sitting on. Put the other end of the cord around your right foot, and turn your foot slowly outward as far as you can. This works the supporting muscle on the sides of your ankles. Hold this position for 10 seconds . Do 3 sets of of 10, then reverse the cord and twist you foot inward. Repeat the exercise with your left foot.

> Calf Raise: Stand with your feet flat on the floor, then rise up on your toes. Hold for a count of five, lower slowly, and repat. Do two sets of 10 using both feet, work up to one – footed raises.

One Bad Turn Deserves…
Okay, let’s say that despite your training, you land on your dentist’s new Air Vinces during a practice game.
First, forget everything you’ve seen on ESPN. You know, those moments when Kobe Bryant twists his ankle, and, while you’re watching the replay, he hobbles to the sideline, then five minutes later he’s back in the game. Remember, that’s TV Land, where Jim Belushi is married to Courtney Thorne – Smith.

When a player is being paid a hundred thousand a game and there’s a guy one notch behind him on the depth chart, he’ll play through pain.
There’s also more than money motivation at work. The team trainer will tape ankle tight. But when they unwarp it later, it’ll swell up like a ballon. So unless you’ve got a guaranteed contract, stay off your sprained ankle and start the classic RICE remedy – rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Ice it at 20 – minute intervals for 48 hours.

Sprain, Strain, or Break?
A sprain is a ligament tear, while a strain involves the muscle or tendons. But the first aid and rehabilitation are similar.

How To Rehabilitate.
Write with your toes. The time to stretch your injured ligaments is when your ankle is still tender. Do this three times a day: Stand and trace the alphabet on a rug with your big toe.

Connect your foot to your brain. “When the ligaments tear, the nerve endings are also damaged. The brain doesn’t have as good an idea anymore where the ankle is in relationship to the body, and that can cause you to misstep.

Retrain that circuit by standing on one foot, barefoot, on a flat surface with your eyes closed. (Stand near something to grab.) Sound simple? Try it for 30 seconds at a time, three times a day. You’ll need a series of small corrections to keep your balance; these will help strengthen your foot ang ankle.

A Bigger Question: Is it broken? People try to go by the swelling, but that’s totally unreliable. Fractures may not swell at all, while sprains can be hugely swollen. Grab your calf at its widest point with both hands and squeeze hard. (This puts pressure on the fibula and tibia, which are connected to the ankle joint.) If you feel a sharp pain in your ankle, it’s probably broken. See a doctor to confirm.

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