We see a lot of patients in our Overland Park, KS office with ankle sprains but KC Spine and Sport has had a lot of success helping them get relief more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic treatment help?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), an estimated 25,000 men and women in the US sprain their ankles every day. As a matter of fact, these injuries make up practically half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.
Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most frequent is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over a period of time, and activities that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have pre-existing ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.
A report printed in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to identify chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. Researchers enrolled 33 people between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were experiencing tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the area in the previous six weeks.
18 of the people were assigned to receive rehabilitation and the other 15 individuals received chiropractic adjustments in addition to rehabilitation. Each person had five full weeks of therapy, with the rehab group receiving therapies seven days a week and the rehab plus chiropractic group receiving therapy six out of the seven days.
The authors found that the individuals who participated in both rehabilitation and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. Furthermore, no negative effects were reported, showing that chiropractic care is safe!
If you're near our clinic in Overland Park, KS and you're recovering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and moving... literally!
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Dr. John McNeely holds a Bachelor's in Organismal Biology and a Doctorate of Chiropractic, with extensive training in various therapeutic techniques. After practicing in Europe and specializing in athletic rehab in Arizona, he founded KC Spine and Sport in Kansas City to provide top-level care for all.
