About ten percent of emergency department visits are the result of ankle injury. Most of these injuries are simple ankle sprains. These injuries are most commonly treated with RICE therapy. Patients are instructed to rest and ice the joint for 20 minutes sessions. Then, the injury is wrapped in compression bandages and elevated. The Jones compression uses alternate layers of elastic bandages and compression bandages. Finally, patients are instructed to elevate the ankle. To reduce pain, ibuprofen is usually provided. Patients who are ibuprofen-intolerant are given acetaminophen instead. This is the common procedure for ankle injuries.

RICE therapy has been proven effective but it does nothing to prevent future ankle injuries. The RICE technique is used as damage control for the initial injury but, further treatment must be done to prevent future damage. Future injury prevention is important because it is estimated that 25% to 40% of ankle sprains are recurrent injuries. If the original injury is improperly treated, it is likely the patient will suffer from future injury and increased disability. Osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT, may be the much needed solution.

The purpose of this treatment is to focus on the patient’s unique needs. The specific treatment given to each patient varies from person to person. It is the osteopathic physician’s job to examine the patient’s injury and decide which soft tissue techniques would be best suited for the job. There are several soft tissue techniques osteopaths can use to manage ankle injuries. The average session lasts for 10-20 minutes. Studies show that OMT sessions do reduce ankle injury pain and many patients experience improved range of motion as well.

There are many soft tissue treatments. The physician studies the bones, from toe to ankle, and decides where most attention should be focused. Osteopaths have many options for ankle treatment. Sometimes muscle energy and strain-counter strain techniques prove useful. In other situations, lymphatic drainage is the main focus of the treatment. Drainage is an important part of the pain reduction process. The majority of ankle injury pain is the result of the fluid that builds up in the joint areas around the bones. This fluid can severely decrease mobility and slow down the recovery process.

Ankle sprains are serious injuries that require proper treatment. Clinicians strive to ensure proper function of the ankle, increase the range of motion, and reduce the amount of fluid that builds up around the joint. Brief OMT sessions reduce swelling and decrease the level of pain. Even a single OMT treatment in the emergency department can dramatically improve acute ankle injury recovery.

Ankle injury is a serious matter. Damage that appears minor should still be checked by a certified professional. Untreated injuries lead to improper healing which can result in long term disability. Luckily, treatment is easily accessible. RICE (rest and icing of the area, compression wraps and elevation) therapy is the first step. A quick visit with an osteopath results in pain reduction and a much shorter recovery period. Osteopath therapy also helps to prevent future damage to the ankle joint and surrounding bones and muscles.

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