Ankle Pain Chicago, IL

If you think chiropractic care was only for back pain and spinal issues, you aren’t alone. And, yes, chiropractic does often focus on the back and the spine. But there are two reasons why chiropractors can help with pain and injuries in a variety of other areas of your body:

1. Your spine being out of alignment can cause problems in other areas of your body, including hands, arms, legs, and feet. Once a chiropractor adjusts your spine properly, the associated problem can often be eliminated.
2. The basic principles that guide chiropractic care for your spine – the proper alignment of bones – transfers to other areas of your body, like the complex ankle bone. Simple adjustments to these complex areas can often make a world of difference, without the need for medication or invasive procedures.

As chiropractors, we have special concerns about the proper functioning of your feet and legs because if you are experiencing trouble in those areas, it can cause your spine and back to “get out of whack” pretty easily. Problems with ankles are very common and can lead to problematic walking and standing patterns that will deteriorate your spinal health over time.

Ankle sprains are the most common cause of ankle pain and ankle sprains are incredible common. In most cases, an ankle sprain happens when your ankle is twisted or “rolled.” If you were to rotate your feet so you were resting on the outer edges of your feet, but then allowed that movement to continue farther than the tendons and ligaments normally allow, this would cause an ankle sprain. People with high arches are especially susceptible to this kind of ankle sprain. Conversely, people with flat or collapsed arches are most likely to experience the opposite kind of ankle sprain, where the ankle bone collapses inward instead of outward.

In both cases, ankle sprains usually over-stretch or even tear the many tendons and ligaments that normally support your ankle but it is rare that an ankle sprain results in a bone fracture. However, if you have experienced an ankle sprain, your first step should be to get an X-Ray to rule out the possibility of a fracture.

Don’t make the mistake of judging the severity of the sprain or whether or not there is a fracture by the amount of swelling, bruising, and pain. Some fractures cause less swelling, bruising, and pain than more minor sprains do.

Possible Long Term Affects of Untreated Ankle Sprain and Ankle Pain

• Untreated or improperly healed ankle sprains make the ankle more susceptible to more serious sprains down the road.
• Untreated or improperly healed ankle sprains can cause long-term discomfort and ankle pain, especially as the patient ages.
• Ankle pain can cause patients to become less physically active, which, over time, will deteriorate their overall health.
• Discomfort or pain in the ankle can cause imbalanced walking and standing, which can cause back, shoulder, and neck pain, as well as other health complications.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Ankle Pain

If you are experiencing ankle pain, whether or not you believe it is the result of a sprain, a chiropractor can adjust your ankle to encourage the ankle bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to align properly. In many cases, patients find that after a few adjustments, their ankle pain is reduced considerably.

If you have recently suffered a sprain, a physician may have told you to ice the area, keep your ankle elevated, and take anti-inflammatory painkillers. What many physicians neglect is that a sprain, even after the pain, swelling, and bruising has subsided, may leave ankle bones out of alignment. Once the major swelling and bruising has subsided, a chiropractor can begin gentle adjustments to your ankle in order to nudge things back into alignment.

Furthermore, gentle movements and stretching can actually encourage healthy healing in a sprained ankle. While serious sprains may require the ankle to be immobilized at the outset, once it is safe to move, it is actually important to perform exercises and rotations so that the muscles, tendons, and ligaments remain pliable as they heal. This can keep scar tissue from building and making the ankle less mobile and therefore more likely to suffer a sprain again in the future.

If you are experiencing ankle pain or suffering from a recent or long-past ankle sprain, call our offices today to arrange an appointment with one of our chiropractors. We will listen to your concerns, do a short and gentle physical examination of the area in question, and map a route to your future pain-free living.