How to Treat a Sprained Ankle and Preventing it to Worsen
Having a sprained ankle injury is the most inevitable injury one might have. Especially if one is involved in physical activities such as sports, having a sprained ankle would be a common injury.
However, even when you are not into sports, having a sprained ankle injury cannot be far-fetched. You can sprain your ankle by walking in a high heeled shoes or simply by tripping!
Although having a sprained ankle may not be a serious condition, it is still important how to take care and how to treat a sprained ankle. The earlier the treatments would be done, the faster recovery of the injuries would be.
However, it is important to remember that these sprains can heal by themselves, most of the times. Depending on the condition of the ankle, it can last until a week until it can fully recover.
If the injury did not improve after a week, it is best to consult a doctor regarding the condition because it may need a more aggressive approach of treatment. Here are the things you can do on how to treat a sprained ankle.
The basic rule you should bear in mind on how to treat a sprained ankle is simply by immobilizing the affected area. The first step of the healing process of the bones is by limiting or avoiding movement on the injured area. To do so, you will need to put a bandage or cast around the sprained ankle.
Make sure to put wrap the ankle not to too tight because this may impede the circulation of the parts of the foot belong, and not too loose as well, so the purpose of immobilizing the ankle would be achieved.
Aside from immobilizing your ankle, the bandages or splints can also protect your ankle from further injury. For the meantime, avoid using the affected area of your feet too much. This would mean to avoid standing or walking as much as possible.
If you feel like walking, make use of crutches to support yourself, but never out pressure on the sprained ankle as this will only make your condition worse- not to mention the pain you will be feeling.
To minimize the swelling of the sprained ankle, apply cold compress or ice packs over it for 20 minutes for 3 times a day. This treatment can also temporarily numb your sensation from pain and relive you from it.
Elevating your ankle while you are on bed will also decrease the swelling. You can do this by simply placing your foot on top of two pillows. Also, elevating the ankle will help improve the blood circulation on your ankle leading to a faster healing process.
In managing the pain, you can ask for the advice of the physician as to what pain reliever should you take. There are lots of over the counter pain reliever drugs to consider but asking an advice from the physician would still be the best thing to do so you would know what would the effect or side effects of the drug you will be taking in.
