An ankle sprain is a common injury. In most ankle sprains, the ankle rolls over on the outside, according to ePodiatry.com. People get a sprained ankle all sorts of ways such as running or jumping on someone's foot while playing sports or from walking on uneven surfaces. If you have not rehabilitated properly from a prior sprain, you are more likely to get more sprained ankles in the future.
Types of Ankle Sprains
According to ePodiatry.com, there are three levels of ankle sprain. The first level involves some stretching or tearing of the ligament. There will be little functional loss, mild pain and some swelling.
For second-level ankle sprains, there is a more severe tearing of ligaments, the pain is moderate to severe and there is swelling.
The third level is where the ligament ruptured completely and you have lost motion. There is severe pain and swelling.
What to Do for a Sprained Ankle
Immediately after , practice R.I.C.E., which stands for rest, ice, compression, elevation. The first thing to do is rest. Do not walk on your ankle. Next, ice your ankle for 20 minutes several times a day to keep the swelling down. Wrap a bandage around the ankle to support it and try to keep your ankle above your heart as much as possible for the next 48 hours.
You should see a doctor for second- and third-level sprains.
After the first 48 hours, you can begin some physical therapy. Three types of exercises you should do are range of motion, balance and strengthening.
For range of motion, sit down and use a towel to pull your foot gently toward you. Do this several times a day.
For balance, balance yourself on one foot and hold this for as long as you can. Repeat several times a day.
To strengthen your ankle, push your foot against a wall and hold for three seconds. Repeat 20 times. Do this several times a day.
If you experience chronic pain after spraining your ankle, this may be because you did not rehabilitate properly. You should see a doctor if you are experiencing chronic pain. Another reason could be you fractured your ankle, and it did not heal, according to ePodiatry.com. You may even have arthritis. It can be tricky to diagnose the problem.
If you are prone to spraining your ankle, you may want to continue with the therapy exercises on a regular basis. You may require an ankle brace or surgery to tighten the ligaments.
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