Treating a Sprained Ankle

Sprained ankles can be very painful; sometimes more so than an actual break. Be sure that you do in fact know that you are only dealing with a sprained ankle and not a broken one. Chances are if you have sprained your ankle before like I have, you know the difference. While you should still go and see your doctor for x-rays here are some things that you can do at home to treat the ankle. For fast recovery and less painful symptoms take care of your ankle as soon as possible.

 

Make sure that your ankle is protected. You are going to want to take it easy for a couple days not putting a whole lot of strain on your ankle. Walking on it should be avoided until the swelling and pain starts to subside. While you have your ankle on sick leave you need to reinforce the rule of staying off of it and protecting it. Apply a splint or brace to your ankle. Both of these items as well as an Ace wrap or two can be picked up from any pharmacy if you don't already have them on hand.

 

Get comfy and elevate your ankle once you have it in a splint or brace using the Ace wrap for compression only when your ankle is not elevated. With your leg and ankle fully supported and up higher than the rest of your body apply some ice. You can apply ice several times throughout the day but be sure not to have the ice on your ankle for more than 20 minutes at a time. More than 20 minutes will actually start to cause more damage. Keeping your ankle iced and elevated appropriately will help keep the swelling down as well as help to reduce some of the pain.

 

When using an Ace wrap for compression on your ankle remember that you do not want it wrapped too tight. If you wrap it too tight it will decrease circulation and reduce your healing time. The Ace wrap should be snug fitting and can be removed or loosened further when you have it elevated.

 

Oral medications that you can take to help with pain and swelling can be found in your medicine cabinet or first aid kit. Ibuprofen and Motrin is generally what most doctors will prescribe for a sprained ankle though with their prescription you will get pills that have a higher milligram content per pill than what you can get over the counter.

 

Instead of taking a normal dose with your sprained ankle call you local pharmacist to figure out how much you should take in accordance with your weight. To just say to take double the recommended dosage isn't a good idea and could result in a major upset stomach and heart burn in addition to your ankle woes, as that amount could be too much for you.

 

Remember that even though ankle injuries can be simple to fix at home and will heal just fine over time, yours may not be. You can never be 100% sure that your ankle isn't broken or have something more complicated going on with it unless you seek medical care. If it is something more serious than a sprained or twisted ankle you may need much more in depth care to heal properly.