When you get a sprained ankle, there will be all kinds of damage. The ligaments in the foot, ankle and calf will be negatively affected. There may be swelling, bruising, pain and difficulty walking. It may seem like a minor injury, but we will explain why it is so important to make sure you heal that ankle properly…
Sprained ankles are graded on a scale of one to three, with a one being the most mild and a 3 being the most severe.
If you have a grade one sprain, you should be able to walk, probably with a limp and the ligaments might have some slight tearing. The damage will not be too severe, but can linger on for a long time if not dealt with properly.
A grade two sprain is much more serious and there will be a lot of ligament tearing. You may not be able to walk for a fat least a few days and of course, this means, there is a lot more damage. It is even more critical that the ankle is properly rebuilt to get back to full health.
If you have a grade three sprain (the most severe sprain), the ligaments may have completely ruptured and it is very unlikely you will be able to put any weight on your ankle for a at least a week, if not longer. There will be significant damage to the entire ankle complex and again, must be properly rebuilt to fully recover.
In terms of healing a sprained ankle, it doesn’t matter whether it is a grade one or grade three, the process is the same. You must use a good ankle rehab program or it may never fully recover. If you simply rely on rest and ice, studies show that the ankle heals MUCH slower and never regains its original strength, stability and range of motion.
For example, up to 33% of people who get a sprained ankle still have pain one year later! (Evid Based Med 2008; 13 (6):187. Margo KL.)
So, here’s the big problem with NOT healing a sprained ankle… your feet are what come into contact with the ground, so if you change how you walk or move, then it will affect ALL the joints above it.
And that’s why we always see people who get a sprained ankle and then a few weeks or months later, have many other issues, like knee, hip, and/or low back pain, etc…
And to make matters worse, they now have weak ankles, which means they are MUCH slower in general and continue to re-injure them in a never ending cycle.
So, it is very important that you take a little time and properly heal a newly sprained ankle. Instead of taking months to heal, you can expect to heal much faster (usually in a week).
But, it’s not just about the speed of healing, it’s also about the quality of the healing process. You want to make sure that your ankles get back to full health. It’s critical that your ankles are stable and strong and can move in a full range of motion.
This will make you faster, more agile and balanced, while also protecting your ankles from re-injury without needing ankle braces, wraps or tape.
We developed HEM to fully and quickly heal a sprained ankle. It works by combining the most effective rehab techniques into an easy to use system. You don’t need any equipment and you can just follow along with the step by step videos at home.
You can expect to have strong and stable ankles that are protected naturally. If you would like to learn more, please click: HEM ANKLE REHAB
How to Fix Weak Ankles
As you can tell, healing a sprained ankle correctly is a big deal.
For example, the NY Times recently reported that people who suffer a sprained ankle and do not fully heal take up to 2,000 less steps a day, for the rest of their life! (***New York Times, 2015. Don’t Just Walk Off a Sprain. Reynolds G.).
But, if you are one of the people who have an older injury that never healed properly, you are NOT alone. Most people who ask about H.E.M. Ankle Rehab want to know if it works for older injuries and weak ankles.
You may have to wear ankle braces, which continues to weaken your ankles worse and limit their range of motion, and this can set you up for even more problems…
The main problem with ankle braces is that they are a crutch that limits mobility in your ankle joint and continues to weaken the ankles over time. This can lead to many more problems, including knee injuries and even more ankle sprains (read more about how ankle braces increase sprains >> and knee pain and ankle braces >>).
The good news is that HEM works incredibly well for older injuries and weak ankles.
H.E.M. quickly rebuilds, strengthens and stabilizes your ankles and also makes sure you have healthy range of motion. Whether you are an athlete that has been limited by weak ankles or if you’ve been suffering from an old ankle injury that never fully healed and may still be painful, our system will be of immense help.
H.E.M. will show you how to break down old knots, adhesions, scar tissue and remove any old waste that has been trapped in the ankle joint. Then, it will take you, step by step to strengthen those weak ankles and regain that lost mobility. Your balance, agility and overall movement will significantly improve.
It is so important to heal a sprained ankle properly and we hope you will take the time to do it, because the results are life-changing. If you would like to learn more about our system, please click: HEM ANKLE REHAB