Ligament Injury: Especially at The Knee & Ankles
Ligaments are a tough band of tissues that connect our bones together. They play a significant role in facilitating smooth movement of the bones, as their function is to give a buffer when moving that safeguards the joint from any kind of damage. They are made of collagen fibres and they look like bundles. A ligament forms the joint of two bones, unlike tendons, which join bones with muscles. Ligament injury is very common; especially at the knee and ankles. This is one of the most common sports injuries, meaning there are a number of specialised clinics in London that can provide treatment for this.
What is a Ligament Injury?
Ligament injuries are quite common and can happen to anyone anytime, though athletes are prone to it. Sometimes a joint is stressed beyond its level of sustenance. This may cause it to snap. A direct heavy contact, like sudden twisting of a joint or landing in awkward posture can cause ligament injury. The knee and ankle joints bear the weight of our body and are always under high pressure. This makes them highly susceptible to injury.
There are three grades of ligament injury:
- Mild range tear
- Moderate range tear
- Complete tear
Symptoms of a Ligament Injury:
In the case of a severe trauma where a joint has been overstressed beyond its capacity, you may experience a ligament injury with the following symptoms:
- Sudden pain with swelling
- Unstable joint
- Joint functioning is hindered; manifesting as an inability to walk, run or make any movement.
Treatment of Ligament Injury:
There are world class clinics and facilities in London for treatment of ligament injury’s. But before going to the doctor, you should follow the basic rules when dealing with any kind of sprains, strains and tears. You can remember these rules using the acronym, RICE:
- R stands for rest, where you have to give rest to the affected area
- I is for ice, which means apply an ice pack in the injured part for 30 minutes every three to four hours
- C means compression, where you need to wrap the affected area with elastic or crepe bandage. This bandage will give warmth, which is needed for a quick recovery
- E which means elevation. The injured joint is given elevation with the help of traction.
These procedures are to be followed while you wait for doctor’s appointment. If the pain gets worse, you can use a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pill like asprin or ibuprofen.
In case of a mild to moderate grade of injury, medicines, self care and physiotherapies will be recommended. However, in severe cases ligament injury clinics may recommend surgery.
There are two kinds that are most common:
- Arthroscopy
- ACL reconstruction
Whether or not you undergo surgery, rest is very important when recovering from such injuries. The more you rest, the less time it will take to heal. Proper care and therapies are very important to get back the same posture and gait.
