Sprain on leg

Sprain on the leg is one of the most common injuries of the musculoskeletal system.

Often, ligament sprains and their complete and partial rupture are observed in people involved in sports, as well as in women who prefer shoes with high heels (an ankle suffers). The load on this joint is strengthened due to the fact that it has to load the entire weight of a person. A large percentage of ankle injury occurs during the movement, when the heel is tucked. In addition to the ligaments of the lower leg and the foot, knee ligaments - the outer and the side group - suffer in the process of this trauma.

The first symptoms of stretching are pain in the joint, swelling, bruising. During the movement, the pain only increases, and with more complex ligament damage, independent movement is impossible. If the sprain of the ligaments is accompanied by a crunch or snap, this indicates a severe trauma. This can be a complete or partial rupture of ligaments, as well as fracture of the bone. The first thing that can be done in this situation is to immobilize the limb and apply cold to the stretch, and then fix the articulation with a special bandage.

If after an insignificant time from the moment of injury, the swelling and pain increase, and the movements in the joint are even more limited, then you need to seek help from a doctor.

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Causes of sprain

The causes of sprain may be different. At the heart of the mechanism of injury is an increased tension of the deeply located layer of connective tissue. In those places where the ligaments are the thinnest and weakest, stretching occurs and their rupture. With the help of ligaments, the muscles join the bone formations, and also connect the bone articular processes. The shoulder, ankle, knee ligaments and ligaments of the fingers are most often stretched.

Stretching of the ligaments occurs mainly with the twisting movement of the half-bent articulation. Overstretch and partial rupture of the ankle ligaments is very common in athletes engaged in basketball, football. In weightlifting (powerlifting, bodybuilding), stretching and ligament rupture are also common, especially when lifting the bar. In this position, the whole load is on the knee, which is fraught with trauma. The only way to prevent - holding a warm-up at the proper level and bandaging the knee joint, as well as smooth squatting with the load.

The first pre-medical help with stretching is immobilization and cold on the place of injury. If the moment of traumatization was accompanied by a crunch or a crack, and within a day the swelling only increases, the pain increases, then you need to contact the emergency department as soon as possible.

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Symptoms of sprain

Symptoms of ligament sprains are edema in the area of the injury site, hemorrhage, pain and limb in motion. There are three degrees of sprain, depending on the degree of damage to the tendon.

At the first degree of stretching, a small part of the fibers is damaged, but the overall structure and integrity are preserved, hematomas are not present in the injury site. The site of the lesion is slightly swollen, a small swelling is maintained, the pain syndrome is weakly expressed. This is the easiest form of damage, recovery usually takes no more than 2 weeks.

At the second degree of stretching, more fibers and an articular capsule are damaged. There is a hematoma and swelling of the affected joint, movement in it is limited and accompanied by pain. If the joint capsule is damaged, the manifestation of pathological mobility in the joint articulation is fixed. Recovery with this type of damage occurs in 4-6 weeks.

At the third degree of tension, a complete rupture of ligaments occurs. At the site of damage, a strong puffiness, subcutaneous hematomas, the joint is unstable (a manifestation of pathological mobility is fixed), the pain at the injury site is clearly pronounced. The recovery takes 6-8 weeks, without medical intervention, recovery does not always come.

When stretching the ligaments, it is better to consult a doctor to prevent the development of complications and to exclude the possibility of rupture of nerve fibers.

Stretch of the ligament of the toes

Stretch of the ligament of the toes occurs quite often, as well as stretches of the ankle, knee. Most often, the ligament of the toes is injured when:

• sports;
• active entertainment;
• Overvoltage and load during operation.

A high degree of risk of sprain in those who engage in sports associated with jumping or the often changing direction of the joints (occurs in football players, basketball players, choreographers, gymnasts). In children, the sprains and lacerations are especially dangerous, as they are accompanied by partial damage to the growth plate of the bone.

Stretch of the ligament of the toes as an independent and combined trauma occurs in old age. This is preceded by the development of osteopenia and muscle weakness. In general, trauma of this nature does not require specific treatment and surgical intervention, and recovery requires 2-3 weeks, depending on the age. Stop at the time of rehabilitation should be immobilized and apply the first time the cold to remove swelling and reduce pain. In the future, you can use special ointments - Ibuprofen, Deep - Relief, Troxevasin, etc. Exceptions are children - to exclude the probability of a defect growth plate and further pathologies associated with this, you need to show the child to the doctor.

Strong sprain on leg

A strong stretching of the ligaments on the leg is manifested by pain in the place of injury, increasing edema, bruising and redness. Movement in the joint is impossible because of severe pain, there is lameness. At the second-third degree of stretching, tendon damage is more severe, in addition to partial and complete rupture of tendons, bone tissue is damaged in the place of attachment.

The first thing to do when stretching is to limit any movement of the limb. It is best to lie down and put your foot in an elevated position.

To the place of injury you need to apply something cold - this will help to remove puffiness and slightly reduce pain.

If, at the time of injury, a crash or a crunch was heard, it is necessary to apply as soon as possible in order to exclude the possibility of damage to the joint capsule, ligament rupture and partial bone loss and fracture. Injuries of this nature require prompt intervention and sustained recovery.

Strong sprain on the leg does not respond to self-treatment and requires medical intervention. Otherwise, refusal of treatment or violation of prescriptions of the doctor is fraught with protracted rehabilitation and complications from the musculoskeletal system.

Sprain of the big toe

Stretch of the ligament of the big toe occurs with excessive rear or sole bending of the thumb. Externally, the sprain of the ligaments is manifested by the swelling of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, the pain in it during movement, the attempt to step on the foot or stand on tiptoe.

Stretching of the tendons of the big toe is combined with stretching and detachment of the plantar and dorsal ligaments, damage to the metatarsus, the base of the phalanx of the big toe, the sesamoid bones.

With a strong stretching of the ligaments of the thumb, the pain has a diffuse character, spreads to the entire foot, swelling and bruising are noticeable at the injury site, the movement of the finger is very painful, it is impossible to step on the foot. To diagnose complications in such trauma (rupture of tendons, detachable bone fractures of phalanges and metatarsals), an X-ray or MRI scan should be done. Treatment in severe cases combined - appoint complete rest, cold to the site of injury, painkillers ointments and ointments that remove puffiness. On the damaged joint also necessarily impose a bandage or use special elastic fixatives. With a complete rupture of ligaments and a tearing fracture on the limb, a plaster langete is applied for a period of 7-10 days with further rehabilitation, including massage, exercise therapy and physical therapy.

Diagnosis of ligament sprain

The diagnosis of sprains on the leg is based mainly on the examination and questioning of the patient - severe pain in the joint articulation, limited movements, swelling, hematoma in the joint area already speaks of stretching the tendons. With pronounced puffiness and bruising in the joint area, limited movements, it is necessary to make a rug of the limb. If, according to the victim, the moment of injury was accompanied by a crash or a crunch, the conduct of X-ray inspection is mandatory. According to the X-ray image, it is possible to assess the degree of damage, confirm or disprove the rupture of ligaments and the joint capsule, the detachment of bone tissue together with tendons, fractures or bone fractures. It is especially important in the process of clarifying the diagnosis to exclude the possibility of rupture of the nervous tissue, which in the future can cause chronic pain or limb sensitivity disorders.

Based on the examination, X-ray or MRI, the doctor makes a conclusion and prescribes further treatment. At the first second degree of stretching, the treatment is conservative, mainly based on resting the injured limb. When ruptures of ligaments, in severe cases, an operation is performed on suturing the ruptured tendon, the limb is fixed with a gypsum langete.

Treatment of sprain on leg

Treatment of sprain on the leg depends on the degree of damage to the tendons. In case of damage of the first-second degree, medical intervention is not required. It is enough simply to provide the most favorable conditions - to immobilize the limb in a raised position, apply a cold compress or ice on the joint, fix the joint with the help of a tight bandage or a special bandage-retainer. To relieve pain and swelling three times a day in the damaged area, rub anesthetizing and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Trovksivazin, Lyoton, Ibuprofen, Indovazin, heparin ointment. In no case in the first days after getting injured you can not massage the damaged joint or make warming compresses and baths!

When stretching the third degree ligament, which is accompanied by a partial or complete rupture of the tendon fibers, as well as a partial detachment of bone tissue, medical intervention is necessary. With complete rupture of the ligaments, surgical treatment is shown, including the stitching of broken fibers, the joint joint capsule. After restoring the integrity of the ligaments, the diseased limb is immobilized with a plaster bandage (gypsum langs). This is necessary to maintain the physiological position of the foot and speedy healing. After removing the gypsum, the stretching is treated as in the first-second degree. In addition, for the further positive dynamics of the rehabilitation process, it is not necessary to neglect the thermal procedures and the complex of physical exercises. Complete recovery of motor activity occurs in 6-8 weeks.

Prevention of sprains in the leg

Prevention of stretching of ligaments on the leg consists in observance of simple rules. Warnings of stretching and ligament rupture are possible if:

• To go in for sports in special footwear, providing a stop and an ankle sufficient fixation, to use elastic knee pads.
• If not completely, then partially abandon uncomfortable shoes with high heels, which violates the physiological position of the foot.
• Control weight. Extra pounds give a high load on the joints, which increases the risk of injury.
• Before strength training, you must thoroughly warm up to warm up muscles and ligaments before intensive exercise.

To prevent stretching of the ligaments of the ankle, several times a week to do simple exercises that increase the elasticity of muscles and tendons. This is the rotation of the sock inward and outward, stretching the sock to and from yourself, walking around the room on your toes and heels. Also, to maintain the tone of the foot and ankle muscles, calf muscles, it is good to practice with a rope or just jumping in place, jumping forward and backward.

But do not forget that the prevention of sprains on the leg should not be too intense, a sharp transition to a high load can cause injuries. It is better to gradually increase the load and training time to gradually strengthen the muscles without damaging the ligament.

Prognosis of ligament sprain

The prognosis of sprains on the leg is generally favorable, but depends on how the injured person will comply with the medical prescriptions. At the first-second degree of stretching and at observance of all points of treatment, full recovery comes in 2-4 weeks. With timely treatment, even with the third degree of stretching, the motor function is completely restored. If, within 48 hours after the trauma, the edema and hematoma only increase, and the pain disturbs even when at rest, you should immediately seek help from a traumatologist.

Neglect of medical care significantly prolongs the period of rehabilitation with rupture of ligaments - recovery of motor activity can last for 6-10 months, in addition, ligament rupture is often accompanied by rupture of the tendon capsule of the joint, partial detachment of bone tissue and rupture of nerve fibers. Damage to the nerves is especially dangerous - in the future this leads to chronic pain, loss of sensitivity or hypotrophy, and "drying out" of adjacent tissues. With timely detection and concomitant treatment, it is possible to exclude the development of such dangerous complications and accelerate the restoration of normal activity after stretching the ligaments on the leg.