Running, including marathons, is popular these days. Not long ago , on the MBC entertainment show ‘I Live Alone’, Kian84 attracted attention by attempting the full marathon course, and actor Ryu Jun-yeol revealed that he had completed the full course with a sprained foot the day before the competition.
According to the National Marathon Association, there are more than 60 marathon competitions held in October, and dozens of competitions are also held in November. If you run something like a marathon, you need to be especially careful about ankle injuries.
◇Sprained ankle, if left untreated, can cause ankle instability
Ankles can easily get injured because they have to withstand more than three times their body weight. In particular, when running, the ankle must bear 5 to 6 times the body weight, so a sprained ankle may occur. The number of patients visiting hospitals with ankle sprains has decreased due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but has been steadily increasing due to the recent lifting of social distancing and increased leisure activities.
Seok Hyun-sik, director of the Hand and Foot Center at Barunsesang Hospital (orthopedic specialist), said, “Ankle sprains are the disease most frequently caused by trauma, and the largest proportion of patients visiting the hospital with ankle pain are injuries caused by sports activities. “These are patients with ankle sprains caused by , and there are also many patients with ankle instability who chronically sprain their ankles,” he said.
An ankle sprain is a disease in which ankle ligaments are damaged and is caused by trauma, commonly referred to as ‘sprained ankle.’ Sprains are divided into three stages depending on the degree of ligament damage.
Stage 1 is a case in which the ligament is stretched or accompanied by a small tear, causing mild pain, but walking is possible. Stage 2 is a condition in which a partial rupture of the ligament occurs, causing extreme pain and severe swelling and bruising in the ankle, but walking is possible to some extent. .
In such stage 1-2 ligament damage, the ankle can be protected with a splint for 1-2 weeks depending on the degree of pain, and then recovery is possible through conservative treatment such as wearing a light ankle brace and muscle rehabilitation.
Stage 3 is a state in which the ligaments are completely ruptured, causing extreme pain, severe swelling and bruising in the ankle, and walking is almost impossible. In stage 3 ligament damage, conservative treatment or surgical treatment is selectively performed depending on the patient’s situation and condition.
If highly active athletes or young men want to quickly return to their daily lives, surgical treatment may be necessary first. In particular, in stage 3, there is a high possibility of accompanying injuries such as ankle fractures or tendon damage, so a detailed examination such as magnetic resonance토스카지노 도메인 imaging (MRI) may be necessary for an accurate diagnosis.
Director Seok Hyun-sik said, “Ankle sprains are a common trauma experienced in daily life, so rather than going to the hospital, we often treat them ourselves with patches or compresses,” adding, “However, if an ankle sprain is left untreated and not treated in time, it can be used in daily life even if there is no special trauma.” “It can lead to a chronic ankle sprain where the ankle continues to be sprained, which can then worsen into ankle instability where the ankle is habitually bent, and in severe cases, it can lead to arthritis,” he said.
◇Ankle instability where the ankle habitually bends
Ankle instability, in which the ankle is habitually bent, is a disease in which the ligaments do not function properly and the ankle can easily be sprained even when walking on level ground. Many people visit the hospital with pain and other symptoms, but often do not know that they have ankle instability.
If you sprain your ankle again before the ankle sprain recovers, the ankle ligaments become weaker and more loose, causing the bones connecting the foot and ankle to collide, which can cause ankle instability, which causes the ankle to bend habitually.
Ankle instability may cause pain while walking, a stiff feeling when turning the ankle, or psychological atrophy, making normal walking or exercise difficult, leading to habitual ankle sprains.
If chronic ankle instability occurs and frequent injuries occur repeatedly in the same area or treatment is neglected, the symptoms worsen into osteochondral lesions (a condition in which cartilage is damaged and torn when shock is applied to the joint), and can even lead to arthritis. You can.
For ankle instability, rehabilitation treatment (strengthening muscles, balance exercises, etc.) is given priority, and it is common to choose non-surgical or surgical treatment after observing the progress. However, if the patient is active a lot, such as an athlete, surgery may be performed immediately.
When undergoing surgical treatment, daily activities are possible after one month and exercise is possible after three months.