While this article is not meant to replace good solid advice from your doctor for dealing with a major injury, there are a few steps you can take to alleviate pain and help the healing process involved with your sprained ankle.
This kinds of injury normally occurs whenever a persons ankle is rolled to far in one direction or the other and the persons tendons as well as their ligaments which provide support and keep it upright are stretched too far. The result is a painful injury that can lead to swelling and immobility. As with any injury, you should immediately ice the ankle. The ice constricts the blood vessels in the affected area, thus restricting blood flow. This restriction in blood flow help to control the swelling. The ice help to numb the pain as well. You should continue to ice the injury for 20 minutes several times a day.
Should the injury show no improvement and is causing enough pain that it prevents you from walking then you may have to visit the doctor for x-rays. Over the counter pain killers are good only if the injury is causing minor discomfort, more pain is a sign that not all is well. Ibuprofen is the best product to take as it will alleviate some of the swelling and inflammation that may be causing the stiffness and it will help to dull the discomfort.
As your ligaments and tendons work to repair and strengthen themselves, you may want to take it easy for a while. Since they have been stretched past their normal capacity, they will be weaker and the probability that you could injure yourself again is higher during the time when your body is rebuilding its strength. One of the ways to assist your body to have a quicker recovery is to give the injured ankle some added support. You can by supportive ankle braces over the counter at many pharmacies or sporting goods stores. These fit tightly over the foot and ankle and offer some support to supplement the natural strength of your ankle, which may be diminished because of the injury. While it is ok to use these supports during the recovery phase, you may want to consult a doctor about prolonged use, as your body can grow to depend on the brace for support and never truly regain its own strength.
If you do try to treat the injury at home and you are still not seeing any improvement after a few days, you should see a doctor. If you tore a ligament or tendon and don’t get it taken care of promptly and properly, you can do permanent damage to your future mobility and stability. Sometimes small fractures can also occur which obviously need to be treated by a doctor. It’s ok to take a little time to asses the severity of the injury, but if it doesn’t get better with ice and ibuprofen, it’s time to go see a doctor.
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