How To Treat A Sprained Ankle

A sprained ankle is one of the most common injuries that can occur to people of all ages, especially athletes. When a person sprains his/her ankle, the ligaments supporting the ankle get overstretched or torn. This soft tissue damage results in a swollen ankle and ankle pain. A sprained ankle injury happens when there is an unusual twisting motion of the ankle joint followed by a strong amount of force applied to the joint, which results in ligament tear. The sprain can vary from mild to severe and this depends on how seriously the ligament is damaged. The main symptoms of a sprained ankle include ankle pain and swollen ankle. The earlier you treat your sprained ankle injury, the faster you will recover and avoid any ongoing ankle problems in the future. Whether you have hurt that ankle of yours while running to catch the bus or while doing any other activity, relax because we will make sure you get up and get going again. Follow these steps to heal that sprained ankle of yours.

Treatment For Sprained Ankle

First and foremost ice the sprained ankle. Apply ice on the injury immediately after you have sprained that ankle of yours. Keep icing it several times in a day for 15-20 minutes each time, until the swelling has subsided. Remember not to ice the injury for more than 20 minutes at a time. Many people think, the more the better but this is absolutely wrong. Infact overdoing it can have adverse effects on the injury.
Do not wrap or compress the ankle that has been injured. Wrapping or compressing prevents the excess fluid from draining from the damaged area. This will prolong the pain, discomfort and swelling.
Rest the injured ankle as much as possible. Infact, stay off the injured leg as much as possible. It will help greatly in the healing process.
Elevate the injured ankle of yours by placing a few pillows, chair, coffee table or anything else under the ankle that is injured. Elevating the ankle will help in minimizing the swelling that takes place.
Avoid any kind of heat while the injured area is still swollen. Use moist heat over the sprained ankle once the injury has subsided a little.
Begin using the ankle once the pain and the swelling has gone. Remember to do it cautiously though because you do not want to work it 100 percent as soon as it has healed. Do it gradually. This will activate the nerve fibres in the injured area which inturn will help in restoring the lost strength in the muscles and ligaments that were damaged. It will also help in promoting better blood circulation.

Types Of Ankle Sprains

Inversion injury is a type of ankle sprain in which the foot turns inward, which results in the tearing of the ligaments in the ankle joint.
The eversion injury happens when the foot turns outward and the ankle is twisted inwards.
The third type of ankle sprain injury is called high ankle sprain also known as syndesmotic ankle. Although very rare, this sort of ankle injury is very serious and it happens when the ankle is externally rotated.

Treatment of the ankle sprain depends on the severity of the injury. In case of severe sprained ankles, consider getting the ankle reviewed by an orthopedic doctor. The doctor will advise a cream or gel, over-the-counter tablets and bandages for treating the injury. If the doctor suspects it as a fracture, then an X-ray examination will need to be done. Proper physiotherapy treatment is also recommended for sprained ankles. Remember that rest, ice, and elevation will quickly heal a sprained ankle injury.

How to Cite

How To Treat A Sprained Ankle

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Health & Fitness'