Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls superstar and likely leage MVP, had some good news the other day. The x-rays on his injured left ankle came back negative. That is to say that there is no fracture of the bones. The ligaments, soft tissues that hold bones together, can not be seen on an x-ray. The most frequent ankle injury is called an inversion ankle sprain. This is when the foot rolls to the pinky toe side of the foot. Rose suffered this injury coming down on another players foot in a game against the Pacers. Rose continued to play and the Bulls put away the Pacers but now that the Atlanta Hawks have won game one, all of a sudden Rose's ankle is very important. I do respect Derrick Rose's determination, but if the ligaments are truly torn he will be very limited in his lateral movement. This could be very bad for the Bulls. Lucky for Derrick Rose that he has around the clock access to physical therapy on his ankle. For anyone who is not an elite, multi-million dollar athlete, the treatment for ankle sprains is P-R-I-C-E. Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Motrin or Advil will also help with the pain. If the pain lasts longer than a week or if you are unable to bear any weight on the ankle, you should see a podiatrist immedatly to have an x-ray. Often bracing combined with physical therapy will get you back out on the court in a few weeks. Lucky for you, the entire city of Chicago is not counting on you to bring home a championship!
Committed to your health,
Dr. Craig Conti
Sarasota Foot Care Center
www.sarasotafootcarecenter.com
