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Condition Treated / Pain Conditions

Ankle Sprain

Contusion and sprain of ankle joint

Contusion and sprain of ankle joint includes medial collateral ligament injury and lateral ligament
injury. It refers to sudden onset of ankle joint damage which makes foot introrsus or valgus. This
injury can be divided into partial incarceration, full fragmentation and avulsion fracture. The
main clinical manifestations are pain of ankle joint, stasis, swelling and restricted movement.
1. Lateral ligament injury of ankle joint
There are three causes of lateral ligament injury of ankle joint:

I) Lateral malleolus is longer
than medial malleolus and lateral ligament is weak, frequently leading to introversion;

2) the muscles responsible for valgus and dorsiflexion movement of foot (the third peroneal muscle) are not as strong as the ones responsible for introversion movement of the foot (anterior tibial);

3) the ankle joint is not firm, the fibers of ligament between the tibia and fibula slant laterally
and inferiorly, and the articular surface of lateral malleolus appears oblique, making it easy for
the lower part of fibia to move upward and outward. It also can be caused by injury of lateral
ligament under strong tension due to sudden change of foot from dorsiflexin to introversion because of falling down when walking on uneven ground or going downstairs. In mild cases, periosteal laceration of ligament attachment and periosteal hemorrhage will be caused. In severe cases, partial or complete laceration of ligament will be caused, often accompanied by avulsion fracture and talar subluxation.

2. Medial collateral ligament injury of ankle joint
The main cause is sudden valgus change of ankle joint. If a person cannot stop stably when running or jumping and leans his body inward, he will inevitably sprain the lateral side of this ankle
joint and lacerate the medial collateral ligament. If the eversion is continuously intensified, the
medial collateral ligament will be avulsed, the inferior tibiofibular syndesmosis will be lacerated, or the lower part of tibia and fibula will be separated, or avulsion fractures of tibial side of the ankle will be caused. Lateral collateral ligament is very common, especially among sportsmen.

Ankle is the pivot of foot where the three Yin and three Yang meridians of foot gather. Improper
movement and overstretching often cause sprain and avulsion, leading to tendons of the Yang
meridians loose and tendons of the Yin meridians spasmodic, extravasation of Qi and blood as well
as stasis and swelling, restricted movement and pain.

Treatment

(1) Primary treatment
Principal points of Ankle: Ashi-point, Shenmai (BL 62), Qiuxu (GB 40), and Jiexi (ST 41) adjacent points along the affected channel can also be selected to treat a sprain on the medial side of the knee over which the spleen channel of the foot-taiyin distributes. Besides the As i-point, Xuehai (SP 10) which is above the sprained area,and Yinlingquan (SP 9) which is below the sprained area, can be selected together for dredging and smoothing the qi and blood flow in the spleen channel.

(2) Alternate methods of treatment
Bloodletting and cupping Select Ashi-points and tap the painful and swollen area with the skin
needle until it is slightly bleeding, followed by cupping. This method is applicable to treat
obvious local hematomas of the new sprain as well as an old injury with prolonged stagnant blood or with the invasion of external coldness.

Acupuncture and moxibustion work well for sprains, along with other methods such as massage and fumigating-washing therapy. In practice, it is necessary to differentiate a sprain from a fracture,
dislocation and ruptured ligaments. The injured area should be kept warm to avoid invasion of the
external wind, cold and dampness.

Pain Care Acupuncture Clinic is your local acupuncture office in Torrance, CA . specializing in treating injuries and chronic pain. Dr. Ming Chen and Dr. Lu Yang, Both acupuncturists who also the oriental medical doctor ( O.M.D. ) can pinpoint the cause of the injury and suggest the best treatment methods for you. You need our doctor to listen to the whole story and examine you, so that you can get started treating on your injuries or chronic pain and get you on the track toward recovery.

Call now for a free health consultation !

310-316-5707

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21320 Howthorne Blvd., Suite 203 Torrance, CA 90503