Ankle Injuries and Prolotherapy
Twisted Ankle
Acute ankle sprains are typically treated by immobilization, presumably to help the injured ligaments heal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Immobilization is the quickest way to cause a dramatic decline in ligament function and strength. Anti-inflammatory medications are often given after an acute injury, but should definitely be avoided during this time. Anti-inflammatory medication may actually prevent the body's own healing process from occurring. 

Chronic Ankle Pain in a Female Athlete
Jenny was, however, open to receiving Prolotherapy on her ankles, but not to correcting the multiple factors that were related to her systemic connective tissue deficiency problem. She had multiple signs, or symptoms, that confirmed this diagnosis such as non-healing sports injury with no overt trauma causing the original pain; multiple tender points in other parts of her body especially about the knees and hips; dry skin; brittle nails and hair; menstrual problems; improper diet for her metabolism; and finally, her taking synthetic estradiol.

Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains are a common and often aggravating injury. Although most sprains are generally minor and heal quickly, a recent study conducted at the orthopedic department of the University of Basel Switzerland showed that in 20% to 40% of patients, sprains lead to chronic ankle instability, and that 70% to 80% of this patient subset eventually develops osteoarthritis in the affected ankle. The basic mechanism in a sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament which helps hold bones together and which prevent excessive movement of the joint. The most common method of injury is when the foot comes down on an uneven surface or on its edge rather than flat down. The most common ligaments that are injured are those on the outside of the ankle. Failure to obtain complete healing in torn ligaments is not uncommon because of their poor blood supply. When this happens, ankle instability that permits an abnormal side to side motion, and ultimately arthritis in the joint are the result.

Ankle Fusion
It is common for Prolotherapists to see people with continued pain complaints after surgery. This is a very common occurrence in our office in Oak Park, Illinois. Often overlooked causes of this post-surgery pain are that the surgery itself may cause ligament injury or the surgery may not repair the ligament injury. When performing surgery, the ligaments are stretched and pulled in order to gain access to the joint.

Golf, Prolotherapy and Weak Ankles
The goals are simple for the average golfer. Hit the ball far and hit it straight. Golfing could be defined, in a mechanical sense, as a coordinated movement between the upper body (torso, arms, and shoulders) and the lower body (feet, legs, and lower back). The most basic objective in this sport is control. Control the body segments, and you can control the physical impact and the end trajectory of the spherical object with dimples (the ball).

Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability
Most Ligament injuries do not totally heal. Even if the pain resolves, the ligament will not be as strong as it was prior to the injury. Since ligaments stabilize the joints, ligament injury then produces a loose joint. If the ligament never heals, chronic joint looseness or instability results.

Ankle Instability
The foot and ankle structures are amazing. A unique complex unit composed of 26 bones can bear the full body weight on standing and is able to transport the human body at amazing speeds. It is frightening to think of the forces placed on these structures during athletic events. The peak impact force produced by a basketball player during a landing from a jump may exceed seven times the athlete's body weight!

RICE, Taping and Bracing an Ankle
Because most sporting events involve running, it is inevitable that an athlete will suffer from an ankle sprain some time in his/her athletic career. Because of the poor blood supply to the ligaments, ligament injuries often linger, even though a great deal of the initial pain subsides. The athlete eventually goes through physical therapy, exercises, and NSAIDs but continues to experience ankle pain and clicking in the joint. Athletes are often told that the ankle pain will respond well to cortisone injections. The athletes proceed to get a series of these shots. Because the cortisone shots cause a decrease in the pain, the athletes then return to their athletic events, not knowing that the cortisone is making the ligaments weaker. Playing on a ligament that is ever-decreasing in strength is not the best idea.

No Support for Ankle Taping
Whether you are watching wrestling, gymnastics, karate, or soccer, you see athletes with their ankles all taped up. Some are hoping to prevent injury from starting, others are hoping that their current injuries do not worsen. Both are dreaming if they think the ankle taping is going to help them.