Paul Donohue: Ankle sprains could need brace, doctor’s care
Dear Dr. Donohue: I twisted my ankle playing basketball, and it’s still swollen and hurts three weeks later. Shouldn’t it be better by now? I didn’t use crutches. Should I have?
My brother wants me to ask a question for him. He has sprained his ankle three times in the past year and a half. He’d like to know what’s going on.
Dear P.T.: An ankle sprain is one of the most common athletic injuries. A sprain is an overstretched or torn ligament. Ligaments are straps of dense fibrous tissue that span a joint to give it stability. A grade 1 sprain is one in which the ligament has been stretched beyond its capacity to rebound or one in which a few fiber strains have been torn.
