What causes ligament injuries?
Ligament injuries happen when you overuse, overstretch, or tear your ligament. These types of injuries occur when you:
- Run on an uneven surface
- Miss a step on a flight of stairs
- Trip and fall
- Have a sports injury
- Experience trauma, such as a car accident
You can develop ligament injuries anywhere in your body, but your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in your knee is often most vulnerable. Because an untreated ligament injury can lead to serious joint instability, it’s important to seek medical attention if you suspect you have an issue.
When should I see a doctor for a ligament injury?
When your ligament injury occurs, you could feel or hear a popping or snapping sensation. The discomfort you experience could be sudden, or it could flare up the following day. Within about 24 hours of a ligament injury, it’s common to:
- Have swelling, tenderness, or inflammation
- Feel joint looseness or instability
- Find it difficult to bear weight on the injured area
You might also notice bruising that continues to surface for the first few days after your ligament injury. Before your condition worsens, see how Dr. Rubinshteyn can help.
How are ligament injuries treated?
Treating your ligament injury depends on the severity of your condition, but the goal of ligament treatment is to minimize any current pain and inflammation while working to strengthen and re-stabilize your ligament. To accomplish all of this, Dr. Rubinshteyn suggests:
- Compression wrapping
- Bracing or casting
- Fluid draining with a syringe
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Corticosteroid injections
- Stretching and strengthening exercises
To further reduce inflammation and help you heal, Dr. Rubinshteyn could offer platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. PRP involves taking a small blood sample and processing your blood to extract a high concentration of healing components, known as growth factors. Dr. Rubinshteyn simply injects your PRP into your injured ligament, so these growth factors can stimulate your body’s healing and tissue regrowth process.*
If your ligament injury isn’t improving with these conservative therapies, Dr. Rubinshteyn might suggest arthroscopic surgery. This minimally invasive procedure allows him to reconstruct your ligament to help restore ankle stability.
Book your ligament injury evaluation at the office of Igor Rubinshteyn, MD, today. Schedule online or over the phone.
* Individual results may vary.
