We see a number of patients in our West New York office with ankle sprains but Dr. Marsh our osteopathic medical physician has had a lot of success helping them heal more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can osteopathic treatments & chiropractic care help?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), approximately 25,000 people in the US sprain their ankles every day. As a matter of fact, these injuries make up almost half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.
Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most frequent is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over time, and activities that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have pre-existing ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.
A study printed in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to determine chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. Researchers recruited 33 individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were experiencing tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the area in the previous six weeks.
18 of the subjects were assigned to participate in rehabilitation and the other 15 patients received chiropractic adjustments in addition to rehab. Each person had five full weeks of treatments, with the rehabilitation group receiving therapies seven days a week and the rehabilitation plus chiropractic group receiving care six out of the seven days.
The study found that the individuals who had both rehabilitation and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. Furthermore, no adverse effects were reported, showing that chiropractic is safe.
If you're near our location in West New York and you're suffering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and moving... literally!
Studies
Dr. Marsh
Anthony Marsh DO, who has nearly 40 years of healthcare experience, now oversees operations at the Osteopathic Medicine, Pain, and Rehabilitation Institute as Medical Director. He accepted this role after serving as a chiropractor Anthony Marsh DC for more than two decades and he leverages his unique blend of experience and knowledge to provide leadership as a licensed medical physician.