Running and ankle sprains often go hand-in-hand. And while many runners can properly treat their ankle sprain without the need of a podiatrist, there are many who don’t.
By ignoring your running injury, you may suffer from other potential injuries down the road, including the following:
- Knee Injuries- When suffering from ankle pain, your body may try to compensate for your ankle pain, which may put more stress on your other, non-injured leg and foot, often leading to ligament or cartilage damage in the knee.
- Back Problems- Back pain often occurs due to an ankle sprain, especially if you are shifting your weight to compensate for an ankle injury, causing your spine to bear more stress, which can cause back problems such as pinched nerves or disc issues.
- Hip Pain- With ankle pain one tends to alter their stride, which can displace pressure to your hips, throwing off your mechanical rhythm, which causes hip pain.
- Injury From A Fall- When you suffer from a sprained ankle, you are putting yourself at risk for falling, especially if you elderly. Since sprained ankles weaken the ligaments that support the ankle, it is critical that you allow them to heal through rest and the appropriate exercises or physical therapy.
- Unstable Ankles- Ankle injuries that have been ignored can lead to ankle instability, not giving your foot the necessary support, which leaves you susceptible to future sprains. If your ankles tend to roll easily or often, then you may have experienced a past ankle injury that has caused damage to your ligaments, no longer offering your foot the necessary support.
If you have questions or need help with your foot or ankle concerns, contact the Foot and Ankle Specialists of Illinois today.
