Icheon: If You Keep Spraining the Same Ankle, This Is Why
Icheon: When You Sprain Your Ankle
If You Keep Injuring the Same Side, This Is Why
Hello.
I'm Director Seo Se-wook of Kyunghee Yakson Korean Medicine Clinic in Icheon.
"Doctor, it's the same side again."
I hear this several times a week.
When the exam room door opens,
some people walk in
slightly dragging one foot.
They take off one shoe and
sit with just a sock on,
or they walk in carefully
with the ankle wrapped in a bandage.
But when I ask in detail,
most say it isn't the first time.
AI-generated image
Everyone who comes in
tells me something like this.
"It's the side I hurt before, and I sprained it again.
Why is it always the same side?"
"I just twisted it a little while walking,
and it swelled up again."
"Could it be that
I'll have to live with this ankle
for the rest of my life?"
Even once is upsetting,
and when you hurt the same spot over and over,
the worry grows much greater.
Today's topic is exactly this:
Icheon: when you sprain your ankle,
why you keep injuring the same side.
Many people think,
"I guess my ankle was just weak to begin with."
But in most cases
it isn't an inborn weakness —
it's the result of not properly caring for it
when it was first injured.
A loosened ligament
does not firm up on its own.
As time passes in that state,
the same spot gets injured again even from a small impact.
So today
I want to tell you three things.
First, why the same ankle
keeps getting sprained
Second, how an ankle that has already been injured
many times can be restored
Third, what you need to do
so the same thing doesn't keep happening
Icheon: for those who have sighed,
"Again?" when they sprained their ankle,
I hope this article serves as a small guide.
First, why does it always hurt on the same side?
On the inner and outer sides of the ankle
there are several ligaments
that hold bone to bone.
When you first sprain it,
these ligaments stretch a little
or partially tear.
But when the pain disappears
within a few days, most people
think, "It's all healed."
In reality, only the pain has eased —
the ligament may still be loose.
A loosened ligament can't
properly support the ankle,
and even a slight twist
injures the same spot again.
That's why, at our Kyunghee Yakson Korean Medicine Clinic,
we first recommend
an ultrasound exam to those who come in with ankle pain.
With ultrasound we can check in real time
how much the ligament has stretched
and what condition
the surrounding tissue
is in.
"They may look the same,
but on the inside they're all different."
That's something I often say.
Second, how can an ankle that's already been
injured many times be restored?
Even an ankle sprained many times
can be fully restored.
It just takes going step by step a little more.
[Treatment proceeds in roughly three stages.]
The first stage is
the process of calming
the swelling and pain.
With pharmacopuncture and acupuncture we reduce the swelling,
and together with cupping and physical therapy
we help the injured area settle quickly.
The second stage is
the process of restoring function.
With pharmacopuncture we stimulate the area around the loosened ligament
to firm it up,
and with large moxibustion we release
tightness in the surrounding muscles.
It's the stage of restoring
the ankle's natural position
needed for walking, standing, and running.
The third stage is
the process of preventing recurrence.
With herbal medicine suited to your constitution
we help the damaged tissue
recover firmly from the inside.
The treatment period varies from person to person.
If you've been hurt only once or twice,
you'll improve relatively quickly,
but if it has recurred several times,
a bit more consistent care is needed.
[How is pharmacopuncture given while watching ultrasound different?]
Third, what should you do
so it doesn't keep happening?
"The pain is gone" and
"the ankle has become firm" are two different things.
That's why I
recommend coming in at least
one or two more times even after the pain is gone.
Only by finishing properly
can you prevent twisting
the same spot again next time.
Self-employed people who stand all day,
office workers who often wear dress shoes or high heels,
and those who enjoy hiking and early-morning soccer
should especially take a good look at their ankles.
Our clinic is located
near the traditional market in Changjeon-dong, Icheon,
so many people drop by comfortably
while out shopping.
We operate by appointment,
so you can receive treatment calmly
without waiting long.
Let me sum up today's talk.
First, repeatedly injuring the same ankle
is not an inborn weakness —
it's the result of not properly caring for it the first time.
Second, treatment proceeds step by step in three stages: calming the swelling,
restoring function, and preventing recurrence.
Third, only by staying through to the finish even after the pain stops
can you break free from repeated sprains.
Icheon: when you sprain your ankle,
don't brush it off saying "the same side again" —
please take this chance to look at it properly.
If you catch now what was missed at first,
you can return to a sturdy ankle.
This has been Seo Se-wook of Kyunghee Yakson Korean Medicine Clinic in Icheon.
Thank you.
[Pain treatment — this is how I do it.]
Learn about Kyunghee Yakson Korean Medicine Clinic's approach to care.
[Things you were curious about before getting treatment at a Korean medicine clinic]
I'll tell you everything.
I wrote this for those who have only been told
that it's degenerative and there's nothing to be done.
[Hours]
Mon, Wed, Fri 9:00-20:00 (reception closes at 19:00)
Tue, Thu 9:00-18:00 (reception closes at 17:00)
Lunch (13:00-14:00)
Saturday 09:00-14:00
(reception closes at 13:00, open through lunch with no break.)
Closed every Sunday.
[Directions]
Address: 1st floor, Baeyoung Building, 178 Yeongchang-ro, Icheon-si
Silver Intersection (former KEB/Hana Bank location)
Across from NC Department Store,
the building right next to Davich Optical Icheon Jungang Branch
About 100m toward
Shinhan Bank / Kookmin Bank
[By public transit]
Gwango-dong stop:
Go straight about 200m toward Shinhan/Kookmin Bank
Shinhan Bank stop:
Go straight toward Gwango Market, then
it's across from the Jungang Intersection
[Parking]
When using the Gwango Market public parking lot,
1 hour of free parking is available.
Icheon: When You Sprain Your Ankle
If You Keep Injuring the Same Side, This Is Why
Kyunghee Yakson Korean Medicine Clinic
Kyunghee Yakson Korean Medicine Clinic, 1st floor, 178 Yeongchang-ro, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
Check in at this blog
Other posts about this place
