In the world of sport, getting an injury may rule a player out for months at a time. Serious injuries, including broken bones, are always a cause for concern, but you may be surprised to hear that many players would prefer to break a bone rather than have a ligament injury. The healing rate of ligaments can be much longer than for a bone, particularly if you do not have the help of specialist Darwin podiatrist teams like Swan Podiatry and Orthotics. These injuries can certainly affect how you might play a sport.
Why ligaments heal slowly
Ligaments need nutrients carried by the blood to help them heal, and unlike bones, which have a constant supply of blood, ligaments tend to have less direct connection to arteries, meaning that they get a slower supply of healing nutrients.
Exercise affects healing
If you have a leg injury, such as a sprained ankle, you may be advised to hold back from sports for a while. This is because your sporting activities can take a great deal out of your body, and excessive exercising can mean that your ankle swells up again. This will usually result in the injury failing to heal as expected.
Early return from injury
If you are keen on playing sports, you may be tempted to return early. This can be a serious mistake, and you may suffer from further problems by exacerbating the injury. In fact, your podiatrist at Swan Podiatry and Orthotics may recommend that you do not return to sport until you are fully recovered.
Exercising to limit the chance of reinjury
Once you have experienced a torn ligament, you are more likely to suffer from a re-occurrence of that injury in the future. To avoid this, you need to have extensive rehabilitation including exercises that will help to strengthen the affected area. Heel raises, rotating the ankle in a circle, resistance exercises and performing step ups can assist you in preventing ankle sprains injuries.
Get help from us
If you wish to return to sport as soon as possible after a ligament injury, you need the help of your specialist Darwin podiatrist. Swan Podiatry and Orthotics can assist you with every stage of the recovery process, so contact us today online with your enquiries or call 0428 976 360.
Author
Cable Mills
Cable Mills is the Senior Podiatrist at Swan Podiatry and Orthotics in Darwin.
He studied Podiatry at Charles Stuart University and has worked in busy podiatry practices in Darwin and Melbourne since graduating in 2011. He has a passion for sport and biomechanics and finds it rewarding to be able to make a difference to people’s lives.
Cable opened the first practice of Swan Podiatry and Orthotics at the beginning of 2016. His areas of expertise are sports injuries, orthotic therapy, general treatment, nail surgery, fracture management and diabetic care.
