Winter sports are here, and whether it’s on the basketball court, the slopes, or the ice rink, ankle sprains may happen. An ankle sprain is the most common sports-related injury, accounting for 40% of all sport injuries. The good news is, most recoveries can get you back in the game in six to eight weeks.
We put our ankles under quite a bit of stress during athletics. When we run, our ankles support up to five times our body weight. Much of our stability is maintained by the boney architecture, in addition to ligaments and tendons which help control our ankle. Two ligaments primarily stabilize our ankles, and when you sprain your ankle, you have injured at least one of these ligaments.
Typically, it results in immediate pain and you may even hear or feel a ‘pop.’ The ankle may swell and occasionally bruise. If you are able to ‘walk it off,’ you generally don’t need an x-ray. If you can’t walk on it or have significant pain over the boney portions of the ankle, consult your medical provider, as an x-ray may be needed to ensure it’s a sprain and not a broken bone.
Initial treatment for an ankle sprain includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation, or ‘RICE.’ Immobilization with a brace, boot, secure taping, or wrapping should be utilized for the first three weeks. Immobilization is important to ensure the ligaments heal in the correct position. A sprain can just be a slight stretch on the ligament, but it can also be a tear.
Ankle sprains are graded I-III; a stretch, a partial tear, and a complete tear, respectively. The initial treatment for all three injuries is the same: RICE, followed by a brace for three weeks. After three weeks, if you feel ready to return to sport, you generally can (typical for a grade I sprain).
If you still feel apprehensive or are having pain, physical therapy is recommended to “retrain” the ankle. When a ligament is torn, the nerves that supply the ligament are also injured, contributing to apprehensiveness. Therapy will focus on balance and proprioception (an awareness of where your foot is in space). Once you regain your proprioception, your therapist or trainer will work on range of motion, strength, and return to activity.
If your ankle doesn’t recover after this treatment, an orthopedic surgeon will check the stability of your ankle to evaluate the length of the ligaments. Occasionally, the ligaments heal elongated, or stretched. Some patients can be treated with continued bracing or taping, other patients may require surgery to return to sport. While recovery can take some time, most athletes (both professional and recreational) are able to return to sport within six months after surgery.
Dr. Paul Ryan is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Tahoe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. He is a foot and ankle specialist treating patients in Carson City, Zephyr Cove, and at the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Dr. Ryan will host a free Wellness Webinar on Thursday, December 9 at 5pm. Register in advance, or view previously recorded webinars at BartonHealth.org/Lecture.
To learn more about foot and ankle services, call 530.543.5554 or visit BartonOrthopedicsAndWellness.com.
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RENO — With wildfires devastating mountain ecosystems across the western United States, their successful forest revegetation recovery hinges on, among other factors, an adequate lasting snowpack, according to research by the University of Nevada, Reno and Oregon State University.
Native American student enrollment is growing at Western Nevada College with a 22 percent increase within this demographic over the past year. At WNC, 2.14 percent of the college’s 3,528 students are Native American. That’s actually above 2020 state census data that shows that 1.7 percent of all Nevadans are Native American.
As the holiday season approaches and sparkling lights, seasonal inflatables and other temporary electrical installations are assembled, NV Energy recommends the following holiday lighting tips to help customers save energy and decorate safely.
Carson City Fire Department responded Wednesday night to a structure fire in the 4100 block of Pheasant Drive where a male subject had barricaded himself inside when sheriff's deputies responded to a domestic battery call at the residence.
Law enforcement agencies including the Carson City Sheriff's Office were called to an officer involved shooting Wednesday afternoon involving a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper north of the Old 395 Exit in the parking lot of the Chocolate Factory.
It's a Holiday Treat for all, a feast of seasonal and holiday entertainment. The Carson City Symphony and Carson Chamber Singers, joined by the Victorian Dancers, and Joyful Noise Carson Children’ Choir, present the 38th annual Holiday Treat concert on Sunday, Dec. 12 at the Bob Boldrick Theater in the Carson City Community Center.
Carson City Health and Human Services is providing the Quad-County community with a weekly update for the week starting November 18 and ending November 24, 2021.
The first Homestead Holidays arrived in 2019 at Silver Saddle Ranch in Carson City, bringing a free, community evening event to the capital city that was filled with old-fashioned Christmas charm.
With the holidays approaching, NV Energy reminds customers to be aware of potential utility scams. Common utility scams include individuals falsely representing themselves as NV Energy on the phone, via email or in person and threatening immediate disconnection while demanding immediate payment.
Two Carson City men were arrested Tuesday for suspicion of burglary and other alleged offenses, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report.
I’m not a numbers person, but sometimes numbers add up in such a way as to make an impression, and now that I’m slightly older than Smokey Bear, I figure I’d better start doing something socially redeemable before it’s too late.
Wilber Martinez Guzman, the man who admitted to killing four people in Northern Nevada back in 2019 pled guilty to all remaining charges Tuesday in Carson City.
Epic Rides, organizers of the Carson City Off-Road mountain bike event and music festival, announced Tuesday that it has postponed the 2022 event for the capital city.
On Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at approximately 12:47 p.m., Troopers with the Nevada State Police, Highway Patrol Division, responded to an injury crash involving several vehicles on US-50 at the intersection with South Carson Street in Carson City.
Travel during the Thanksgiving holiday will be busy at Reno-Tahoe International Airport with passenger numbers rebounding to pre-COVID levels as families continue to reunite.
The next Carson City School District School Board meeting will take place tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 23 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Robert ‘Bob’ Crowell Board Room within the Carson City Community Center.
Items up for discussion at the school board include essay competition winners, statewide performance reviews, pay budgets and more.
After a weak cold front passes, bringing gusty winds and chilly weather overnight, sunny skies and seasonable daytime temperatures will prevail for the Carson City region through the remainder of the week, good news for motorists as they prepare to make their Thanksgiving holiday destinations over the Sierra.
CARSON CITY — The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Carson Ranger District has issued the final decision for the Clear Creek Extension and Jacks Valley Loop Trails project. The proposed action includes building approximately 8.1 miles of new non-motorized single-track trail, decommissioning around 4.65 miles of user-created trails, and installing trail signage.
Calling all artists and graphic designers! Visit Carson City is looking for your help to capture the essence of Carson City, Nevada through graphic representations that can be used on new merchandise like clothing, water bottles, stickers and more.
On Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division in collaboration with the Reno Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshalls conducted a sex offender compliance check in Carson City.
Support your local small businesses this Saturday!
The man suspected of killing five people and injuring 50 others after allegedly plowing through a Christmas parade Sunday in Waukesha, Wis., was convicted in Washoe County in 2006 of felony statutory sexual seduction, according to a Nevada sex offender database.
DAYTON — Lyon County’s industrial development is about to welcome its largest commercial project thanks to WebstaurantStore. Miles Construction, a Carson City based diversified general contractor, is working with the restaurant equipment supplier on an expansion of their Dayton distribution facility with construction of a new 620,000 square foot building, making it the largest such project in the county.
CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is asking walk-in customers to use online services or kiosks this coming Monday or to delay visiting an office until later in the week.
The Monday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the department’s busiest day of the year, leading some of the staff to call it “Black Monday.”
CARSON CITY — The pandemic has been a challenging time for all, and the healthcare world has been no different. Carson Tahoe Health has remained dedicated to the community and its staff has worked tirelessly to be a resource during this turbulent time. The organization is now asking for your help to Sponsor Your Caregivers’ Calm.
A 63-year-old Carson City man was arrested Sunday for suspicion of DUI second offense, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report.
The Nevada Highway Patrol has identified a Reno resident involved in a fatal crash that happened on Tuesday, Nov. 16 on State Route-431, Mount Rose Highway.
The construction duration for the Curry Street project has extended longer than originally planned. The project has run into delays due to material shortages, underground obstructions (old oil tanks and challenging utility crossings), hazardous air quality from our fire season, and early season rainstorms which hindered construction.
Learn how you can reduce the risk of a wildland fire damaging your home at the next Rotary Club of Carson City meeting. Carson City Fire Department Wildland Fuels Officer Rodd Rummel will give a presentation on Fire and Fuel Reductions to Rotarians and guests. The public is welcome to attend the meeting which takes place Tuesday, Nov. 23 at noon in the Brewery Arts Center’s Grand Ballroom.
Over the past few months Capitol Quilters and Clear Creek Quilters combined their efforts to make more than 450 placemats for the Carson City Meals on Wheels Program. The colorful placemats, made to cheer home-bound clients, will be distributed to the Meals on Wheels clients during the coming holidays along with their delivered meals.
Twinkling lights, hot chocolate and hot cider, Christmas cookies and candy canes, gift bags and magical memories will be waiting for the lucky passengers on the Virginia Truckee Railroad Holiday steam trains in Virginia City, Nev.
The Department of Public Safety will hold an open testing event on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Carson City. The event will include a presentation, physical fitness test and written examination. There are approximately 160 sworn officer positions available statewide with the State Police, which includes the Highway Patrol, Parole and Probation and Capitol Police.
Bring your furry friend for their own festive portrait to celebrate this holiday season. Santa will be at Benson's Feed on Dec. 4 from 9:30-3:00 to take pictures with his furry friends.
The Carson City Board of Supervisors is seeking applications from local community members to serve voluntarily on a number of local commissions and committees. Seats are open on the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Cultural Commission, Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee and 9-1-1 Surcharge Advisory Committee.
Have you ever wanted to learn more about what being a foster parent is like? Have you ever been curious about the challenges foster kids often face and how you can help?
Saturday wrapped up the third and final two-hour Intro to Pickleball Class at the Robert “Bob” Crowell Multi-Purpose Athletic Center (MAC) in Carson City. Around 40 new players attended each of the three sessions, held on 6, 13 and 20 November. It was amazing and gratifying to see how much improvement the new players demonstrated in such a short time.
CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation announces that with just over $300 million in the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, there is a typical years’ worth of unemployment benefit payments in reserve.
Thanksgiving 2021 is here. Dear Friends, this school year has already been one for the books. Early on, it became evident the new school year would again be dramatically different. Little in our collective educational experiences prepared us for the changes caused by the worldwide pandemic.
Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Nov. 22-28, 2021. Closures are expected at the following locations due to road and utility work:
A beautiful Bald Eagle allowed photographer Edward Howell to take its portrait this morning along the Carson River.
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