Can Chiropractic Care Help Ankle Pain?

While chiropractors are often thought of as practitioners who only deal with spinal pain and issues related to the spine, they are incredibly effective in addressing pain in all areas of the body. For instance, chiropractic care can help significantly with shoulder pain, knee pain, and ankle pain.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at chiropractic care with regard to ankle pain. The skilled hands of your local chiropractor can have you up and running again in no time, regardless of what injury has affected your ankle. 

Common Ankle Injuries

The ankle joint is a connection between the lower leg and the foot. Within this key joint, we find many different ligaments and a few important bones. Because of the unique shape of the ankle, this joint is at risk for a few very common injuries.

Sprained Ligaments

One of the most common ankle injuries (and one of the most common bodily injuries overall) is the ankle sprain. To start, it’s important to understand that a sprain refers to an injury that affects a ligament, while a strain refers to an injury that affects a muscle.

Ligaments are the strong, taut structures that connect one bone to another. On the outside lateral portion of the ankle, we have a few sturdy ligaments which maintain the stability of the joint. However, the ligaments found on this side of the ankle are incredibly feeble when compared to the very strong deltoid ligament found on the inside (medial) portion of the ankle.

For chiefly this reason, lateral ankle sprains are much more common than medial ankle sprains. These issues vary in severity, with some low-grade ankle sprains healing within a few weeks and some high-grade sprains taking months or longer to heal.

Ankle Fractures

Because of the ankle joint’s role in supporting our body weight, broken ankles are a somewhat common phenomenon. Ankle fractures occur in many different ways. For instance, one could suffer a trimalleolar fracture, in which three separate parts of the ankle are broken. Also, one could suffer a bimalleolar fracture or a break in just one area of this joint.

Ankle fractures take a very long time to heal, as it can be very painful to rehab this joint. Often, patients will be on crutches for an extended period of time while the ankle heals. Unfortunately, this leads to weakness throughout the entire leg due to inactivity.

Muscle Strains

While not necessarily directly related to the ankle, a few important muscles can suffer strains in this area of the body. One muscle that is often strained due to athletic participation is the gastrocnemius. This is the big calf muscle located on the back of the lower leg.

When the gastrocnemius (also known as the calf) is strained, it can be very hard to walk or participate in many of the activities we do on a daily basis. 

How to Get Rid of Ankle Pain with Chiropractic Care

Each of the conditions above can lead to pain, weakness, and dysfunction throughout the lower body. Luckily, your chiropractor can help you overcome these issues through the use of spinal adjustments, which is one of the most effective ankle pain remedies.

A spinal adjustment, when performed in the correct area of the spine, can encourage communication between the brain, spine, and the painful ankle. This improved connection leads to better blood flow and, thus, better healing of the injured tissue. 

Don’t let your ankle pain hold you back. Many people suffer debilitating ankle injuries every year, and it can take them months or even years to fully recover. With the help of your local Noblesville chiropractor at Anchor Health Chiropractic, you’ll be up on your feet, with less pain, in no time. Book your first appointment now!

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