Most Common Foot and Ankle Injuries In Football
Ankle Sprains in Football are among the most common injury.
With football being the most popular sport in the world that also comes with being associated with a high injury rate in both professional and amateur levels.
The lower limb is most affected, with the ankle accounting to a third of all injuries. Ankle injuries are a regular occurrence in popular sports such as football because of the ankle absorbing high levels of force. When landing in an unnatural position or landing suddenly that produces excessive strain on the ankle joint.
Among one of the most common ankle injuries is the lateral ankle sprain.
The lateral ankle sprain makes up about 90% of all ankle injuries, this occurs when the ankle rolls inward producing a stretch of the ligaments in the joint.
The ligaments help to hold the bones together within the ankle joint. As well as forming the structure of the joint the ligaments help to stabilise the joint to prevent excessive movement. When an ankle sprain occurs, this causes the ligaments to become forced beyond their normal range of motion.
Due to the mechanism of injury for an ankle injury being caused by twisting or cutting motions it is important to correctly identify the injury as it can be easily mistaken for a fracture over a sprain. Due to the quick nature when playing football incorporating the quick change of direction this puts all players at risk of injury no matter the playing level or ability.
Mechanism of Injury
An ankle sprain occurs when your ankle is forced into a rotated position which causes the ligaments to stretch. For example, in football, a player could suffer an ankle sprain when landing after jumping for a header.
If the player lands awkwardly when contact is made with the ground, that could produce excessive load through the ankle causing it to go into an over stretched position.
Other examples of when an ankle sprain could occur is stopping suddenly and/or making a quick change of direction, for example a centre midfield player position is required to change direction quickly during a game.
Symptoms of Lateral Ankle Sprain
- Pain especially when weight bearing on the affected leg
- Tenderness on palpation
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Restricted range of motion
- Hearing a popping sensation at the time of injury
Treatment
There is no specific time frame for the recovery of a sprained ankle, this can be dependent on the degree of ankle sprain.
Ligament injuries can take up to 6 weeks + to heal, however muscular strength, range of motion, proprioception (balance) and return to function can vary especially when returning to a sporting environment such as football.
A mild sprain can take 3-6 weeks, or a moderate sprain could be up to 6-12 weeks. Your progression through rehabilitation exercises will be closely monitored, attempting to progress and return to play too quickly can lead to re injury occurrence adding to a prolonged recovery time.
Some early exercises that may be included in your training programme could include ankle movements with a resistance band, calf raises and single leg balance. These exercises would slowly be progressed as you move through your recovery.
Prior to returning to playing football a specific training programme will need to be performed. This will include sprints, agility and plyometrics as these are key elements included within a football game.
How can Physiotherapy help with an Ankle Sprain?
- Injury prevention
- Regain full range of motion through manual therapy techniques
- Strengthen your calf muscles and other muscles around your ankle joint
- Restore proprioception and balance
- Sport specific skills and drills
Returning to Play after an Ankle Sprain
After you have completed your rehabilitation programme, including sport specific training and you are able to perform with no pain, have full range of movement, full strength, and complete sport specific movements at full speed, you are able to return to playing.
Further ankle injuries can be prevented with continued training which incorporates sport specific exercises. In the first 6 months of returning to sport following ankle sprain there is a 50% chance of re-injury, after 2 years that percentage has decreased to 4% which is equal to a non-injured ankle.
If you are suffering from either a sprained ankle or a reoccurring injury one of our therapists at Physio-logical would be happy to help and discuss treatment options for your presenting condition. You can book your appointment easily via phone 023 9435 0270 or via our website.
