You step off the curb and just hit the ground wrong. Your ankle twists and you feel an excruciating pain that knocks you off your feet. At First Coast Foot & Ankle Clinic, we know that the next steps you take will have long term ramifications for the health of your ankle.

Most patients then start thinking about whether or not they should call the podiatrist to have their injury evaluated. The correct answer is, “Yes!” The problem with ankle injuries is that what you see on the surface doesn’t give you a full picture of what’s going on inside your foot and ankle. Most ankle sprains exhibit these common symptoms:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Difficulty bearing weight on the injured ankle

However, the severity of the injury may not be evident from these symptoms. In addition to overstretched ligaments, ankle sprains can also cause fractures, torn ligaments, joint damage, and bruised cartilage. Failure to have an ankle injury evaluated promptly and aggressively treated from the outset can result in the following issues:

1. Chronic Pain—although initially, the pain may subside or even disappear, without proper rehabilitation you are likely to experience ongoing pain and limitations to your physical activities.
2. Weak Ankles—failing to complete a full course of physical therapy and other treatments means that the surrounding muscles that support the ankle may not be sufficiently retrained and strengthened to prevent future sprains. A bad cycle of repeated strains creates an ever-increasing weakness and chronic instability in the ankle.
3. Increased Fall Risk—if you are experiencing ankle pain and weakness, it can cause you to alter your gait or the way you walk. This, in turn, causes balance issues and increases your chances of falling and possibly sustaining an injury to another part of your foot or body.

Don’t take a chance. If you’ve injured your ankle, follow the RICE regimen (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Then make an appointment at our Duval County office in Jacksonville, FL, by calling: 904-739-9129 for our podiatrists, Dr. Vimal A. Reddy and Dr. Jeffrey Brimmer to evaluate your ankle.