What is a broken foot?
A broken foot is medically known as a “sprained ankle”. It is an injury in which the muscles, ligaments and even the joint capsule around the joint are stretched and torn by an external force that causes the foot and ankle to exceed its maximum range of motion, resulting in pain, swelling and limping.
The incidence of ankle sprains is high!
Ankle sprains have the highest incidence of all sports trauma disorders! It accounts for approximately 16% or more of all sports injuries, with one ankle sprain in about 10,000 people every day. That’s 5,000 cases per day in the UK, 27,000 cases in the US and 130,000 cases in China!
Causes of ankle sprain injuries
Usually what we call a broken foot is a ligament injury or rupture, in which lateral ankle ligament injury is the main cause and medial ligament injury is less common. The lateral ankle ligaments include the anterior talofibular ligament, the heel-fibular ligament and the posterior talofibular ligament, which prevent the ankle from dislocating forward and backward and from overturning inward. A common cause of injury is inversion of the ankle joint and simultaneous inward rotation of the foot with sprain, with the anterior talofibular ligament being the first to rupture; if the violence persists, the heel fibular ligament will then rupture. Rupture of the posterior talofibular ligament is rare. The sprain is followed by lateral swelling, pain and, in severe cases, ecchymosis, with limited movement and even inability to walk with weight.
Grading of ankle sprains
There are usually 3 grades of ankle sprain according to the severity of the injury.
Grade 1: There is stretching of the ligaments, only microscopic damage to the ligament fibers and mild pain. Weight bearing is possible as long as it is tolerated; no splinting brace is needed; isometric contraction exercises are feasible; full range of joint mobility exercises and muscle strength training can be performed if tolerated.
Grade 2: Partial rupture of ligament fibers, moderate pain and swelling, limited mobility, and possible joint instability. Immobilization with splinting or bracing, physical therapy, and muscle and joint mobility exercises are required.
Grade 3: Complete ligament rupture with significant swelling and pain and joint instability. Braking and rehabilitation are the same as grade 2, but the rehabilitation time is longer and in a few cases surgery is required.
What should I do if I break my foot?
After a broken foot there is swelling around the ankle joint and painful walking.
Remember the common emergency management principles for acute ankle sprains – P.O.L.I.C.E.
P (Protection)
The injured limb should be protected by brace or inflatable brace or plaster cast to avoid further collision, and it should not be put on the ground to bear weight temporarily.
OL (optimal loading)
Under the condition that the ankle is protected, appropriate weight-bearing and early functional exercise should be carried out for recovery (prerequisite: under medical supervision!)
I (Ice)
Ice can be applied to the injured ankle within 48 hours of the injury, for about 20 minutes per hour. Ice can cause vasoconstriction and reduce swelling and pain in the ankle.
C (Compression)
The injured ankle joint is wrapped with a bandage to reduce the bleeding and swelling in the injured area, but when performing this treatment, attention should be paid to the strength and tightness of the bandage, and the circulation of the lower limb should not be affected by too tight a bandage.
E (Elevation)
The injured limb should be elevated, also to reduce the swelling of the ankle, and should be elevated above the heart to reduce blood circulation to the injured area.
Special attention.
Severe broken foot can lead to ankle fracture, and improper treatment after broken foot may leave behind ankle instability and pain. It is recommended to go to the hospital as soon as possible after a broken foot and have it examined by a professional orthopedic or foot and ankle specialist and, if necessary, have relevant imaging tests to clarify the diagnosis.
Early and good treatment is the key to good recovery later.
I. How to make homemade ice pack
Homemade ice bags are not only cheap (almost zero cost), but more importantly, the safety and effectiveness of homemade ice bags are guaranteed!
Materials needed: medium size plastic bags (supermarket purchase, two at a time), ice (refrigerator ice compartment homemade, or to the KFC fate), tap water.
Do ice bag steps are simple, but there are several considerations.
1, generally with 1 part ice + 2 parts water, ice and water mix to account for the ice bag capacity of 1/2 can.
2, sealing, the air above the water surface first, in close proximity to the mouth of the bag knot (A), not close to the water surface knot (B), and not half a bag of air half a bag of water (C). This has three advantages.
① ice bag will not be bulging, placed when it is not easy to slip.
② increase the contact area between the ice pack and the skin.
③ there is no air inside the ice bag, so the ice will not cause the surrounding is ice water in the middle is the case of air, so that the ice is even.
3, after sealing and tying, outside and then a layer of plastic bags, plastic bags of varying quality, make a watery Jinshan is a mess, especially not yet removed the stitches of the affected person, but also contaminated wounds.
Note: Do not take the ice pack direct contact with the skin for ice, to prevent frostbite!
How to properly wrap the bandage
Rehabilitation exercises of the ankle joint
Professional guidance is needed to start functional exercises of the ankle joint. At the beginning of the exercise, there may be some pain or discomfort, if you feel more pain, you can stop the functional exercise and take a short rest. After functional exercise, ice should be applied to the ankle joint for 15 minutes, do not put ice directly on the skin.
Functional exercise of the ankle joint is usually performed 3 times a day.
1.Write
Move the ankle and foot and write each letter of the alphabet on the floor. Keep the lower leg straight and do not straighten the knee and ankle joints. The letter starts small and becomes larger as ankle function improves.
2. Ankle flexion and extension exercises
Move the foot up and down as if depressing or easing the clutch on the car. Repeat 10 times.
3.Ankle lateral movement
Move the foot from side to side and repeat 10 times.
4.Ankle rotation movement
Rotate the foot, first clockwise and then counterclockwise, repeat 10 times.
5.Stretch the ankle joint
Sit and straighten your leg, circle your foot with a towel, pull it backward until the muscle feels tense, not painful, and then relax. Each time to maintain this tense state 20 to 25 seconds, repeat this exercise 3 times a day.
6, toe flexion exercise
Put a towel on the floor in front of you, sit yourself on a stool, put your feet on the towel, flex your toes to grab the towel under the arch, do not move your heels during the exercise, repeat 10 times.
Fourth, the exercise of proprioception
First, standing on a flat surface or a special balance mat, stand on one foot, hands on the chest, look ahead (3-5 minutes, rest 30 seconds 2-3 times per group, 1-2 groups per day).
Second, upgraded version: close your eyes to complete the above actions.