Treatment
When the ligament is stretched, the most important thing is to protect the joint. If the ligament is stretched at the ankle, the foot should not be put under strain, so walking and standing should be avoided. If a ligament has been stretched during sports, all sports activity should be stopped immediately and a break should be taken instead.
To counteract swelling, the ankle joint should be cooled quickly. Either cold water or ice can be used. In the case of ice, however, care should be taken to ensure that it does not lie directly on the skin, but rather that a cloth is placed between it to prevent frostbite.
Cooling leads to increased blood circulation in the ankle joint. Therefore, a compression bandage should be applied afterwards to prevent severe swelling. This can also be achieved by elevation, as this prevents excessive blood from flowing into the injured area.
A doctor should be consulted to rule out a fracture. If the doctor confirms that the ligaments have stretched, the foot can be loaded normally. Walking is therefore possible, but sports should be avoided for the time being.
If, however, there is severe pain under load, the joint, or the overstretched ligament, can be supported with a so-called pneumatic stabilisation splint for six to eight weeks. This is a plastic splint in which air cushions are attached to the inside and thus stabilize the joint. If walking is painless after this period, the splint can be dispensed with and the foot can be gradually reloaded.
It is important to ensure that you start with a light load and gradually increase the load. Further information on the treatment of ligament stretching can be found here. The application of a tape (kinesiotape) can support the stretched ligaments at the ankle joint.
This should be applied by a physician or physiotherapist who has mastered the technique of taping. The tape can be left on the skin until it releases by itself. This is usually the case after about three to five days.
The effect of the tape is similar to that of a bandage. It has a supporting effect on the tapes and provides more hold and stability. However, a tape alone does not protect against a new wrinkling. The tape can also be used if the pain and swelling have subsided and you start to exercise again. In spite of the tape, care should be taken to ensure that the strain is not too great, especially in the first few weeks, because the stability of the stretched ligaments must first be restored by light training before the resilience and functionality of the initial situation is restored.
Duration of an elongation of the ligament
If the foot is spared and cooled immediately after the ligament stretching and further strain is avoided, the healing process should generally not take longer than two weeks. It is important that the joint is protected during this time and that no sports are done. Regular cooling and elevation of the foot can also positively influence the healing process.
However, normal strains such as walking are possible. If the foot is not sufficiently protected and if you start too early with the heavier load and sports, the symptoms of ligament stretching can quickly return. They are often even more pronounced than when they first appear.
Only when the pain and swelling have subsided can you slowly start training again. Depending on the extent of the injury, the full load-bearing capacity of the ankle joint is restored after about 6 weeks. How long does a ligament stretch take?
The upper ankle joint is made up of bones from the lower leg and the foot. The lower leg consists of the tibia (shin bone) and fibula (calf bone), which surround the foot bones like a kind of clamp and thus allow the movements possible in the foot. There are also numerous ligaments that connect and stabilize the lower leg and the foot.
The most important ligaments are the so-called Ligamentum collaterale mediale on the inside of the ankle. It is also known as the Delta ligament. On the outside are the ligaments Ligamentum talofibulare anterius, Ligamentum talofibulare posterius and Ligamentum calcaneofibulare.
All ligaments ensure that both plantar flexion and plantar extension are possible in a stable manner. Furthermore, they ensure that the arch of the foot is held in its actual shape and thus the statics of the human body can be maintained. The structure and consistency of ligaments are only conditionally stretchable. If the maximum elongation point is exceeded, tears or tears will occur.
