
Ankle Injury
I am the coach of an amateur football team. If an athlete sprains the ligaments of the ankle, how would I handle the situation in the first 48 hours? JM
Dear JM
The most common ligaments injured in an ankle sprain are the outside/lateral ligaments.
The sprain must be treated from the moment it happens and the player must be helped off the field without putting any weight on the foot and further injuring the ligaments.
The first aid principles are as follows (RICE):
Note: If you feel that the injury is severe, refer the player to a doctor or physiotherapist.
Latest Tip:
STRAPPING AN ACUTE INJURY
At a recent rugby tournament in Johannesburg, a player was kneed by an opponent and had to leave the field due to severe quadriceps pain and spasm.
She was taken to the first aid area where an over enthusiastic student – not a physiotherapy student – explained to her that acute injuries must be rubbed as often as possible.
The result of this management was extensive bleeding with the formation of a large haematoma.
Although the message of R.I.C.E. has been given over and over again, it seems that many people involved in treating sports men, women and children, ignore this advice.
If tissue is injured, such as with a “Lammie”, there will be immediate bleeding. This bleeding has got to be slowed down and stopped in order to achieve as small a scar as possible. If one rubs the area, the haematoma will be irritated and will not be able to consolidate. This will result in further bleeding and ultimately a larger scar.
If one cools the area, compresses it and elevates the limb in order to promote drainage, the result will be less bleeding into the tissues and a smaller haematoma.
In the case discussed the bandage which should have been used for compression is Co-Plus LF. This is a latex free, flexible, cohesive bandage. It sticks to itself and not to the skin.
Following an injury, a paper towel is placed on the skin and the ice bag is put on top of it. This is kept in place by the Co-Plus bandage. After 20 minutes the bandage is rolled back onto the reel and the ice bag removed. The bandage is then applied as a compression bandage and is only removed every 4 hours to re-apply the ice. At all times the foot is elevated.
After 48 hours the ice is replaced by warmth in order to encourage a good blood supply to the area. This will promote healing. The compression bandage is no longer needed.
Plantar fasciitis is an overuse condition of the plantar fascia at its attachment on the calcaneus. This pathology resembles a tendonosis and it is caused by a foot structure which puts strain on the fascia. Biomechanically, the foot may be flat or high arched with an over pronating gait. Activities which aggravate the condition include running or dancing. Incorrect footwear will also place the fascia at risk. There are many other aggravating factors such as muscle inflexibility and diminished ankle dorsiflexion which must be taken into account.
Leukotape P 3.8cm strapping is used as an essential part of the treatment
The application of the strapping technique is as follows:
Refer to the Leuko Strapping Guide for basic guidelines.
Much has been written about the treatment of a sprained ankle. The Leuko Strapping Guide shows different ways of strapping the ankle, depending on whether it is an acute ankle sprain or an ankle which needs to be taped for “return to play”. It is this “return to play” period which may put the ankle joint at risk if not correctly strapped.
The ligaments which stabilize the ankle joint are the ligaments which are injured in an ankle sprain. It is usually the lateral ligaments but sometimes it is the medial. This in turn has an effect on the subtalar joint.
The talus plays a very important role in gait and the stresses on this bone are enormous. It’s stability depends on strong ligaments. If the player returns to sport when the ligaments have not completely healed the heel lock taping method utilizing Leuko Sportstape Premium 38mm or Leukotape P 38cm.strapping is used for this stability. The heel lock is placed over the normal strapping such as the Figure of Six.
The application of the strapping technique is as follows:
Refer to the Leuko Strapping Guide for basic guidelines.
The ultra-marathon race, the Comrades Marathon is only a few months away. Every year BSN medical, makers of the Leuko products, offer free strapping advice at the Comrades Experience which takes place before the Comrades Marathon. Many runners complain of anterior knee pain and ask for help. A strapping technique for Patella Maltracking has been devised for these long distance runners which:
Three products are used for this taping technique.
The application of the taping technique is as follows:
Please forward any queries or comments with respect to injuries, techniques or Leuko products to askleuko@bsnmedical.com for advice from the Leuko Strapping Panel, who are members of the South African Society of Physiotherapy. Selected questions will be loaded onto the BSN medical website www.bsnmedical.co.za for reference purposes.
Refer to the Leuko Strapping Guide for basic guidelines.
Disclaimer: BSN Medical makes no warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this website and the user agrees, by accessing this website, that it may not hold BSN liable for any inaccuracies or incompleteness in the information. The material contained on this website is for information only and does not constitute medical advice.