Twisted ankle treatment

Most Common Sport Mishap

Many people who indulge in sports regularly are bound to have experienced a twisted ankle at least once, especially if they are into sports which require running on uneven terrains. Namely, once you are walking or running and you are not thinking about the path beneath your feet, you might be surprised by a bump or something similar, causing your ankle to jerk suddenly and get twisted, leaving you injured. Then, it is best to remain calm and assess the injury before doing anything else. One thing you should not do is take off your shoe since this may allow your injured foot to swell quickly, making it impossible to put the shoe back on. Rather, you are to touch your ankle gently and check for broken bones. Once you have perceived the seriousness of the injury, you may either call for help or manage to walk to where you can rest for a longer period of time, taking care of your ankle injury by following the tips below.

Treatment for a Twisted Ankle

Once you hurt your ankle, you should allow it all the necessary recovery time it needs. This will vary, depending on the severity of your injury. However, you should rest enough for the ankle to recuperate and stop causing you pain and walking discomfort. Thus, walk only when you must, resting the other times, using crutches for walking in order to relieve your ankle from further straining.

In order to relieve yourself from pain, swelling, bruises and discomfort, you are to apply ice on the injured ankle. This is done by wrapping the ice in a piece of cloth and intermittingly for 3 hours, place it on the sore ankle for 20 minutes and off for 10. This should be done during the first three days, until the swelling and other signs of this injury disappear. Moreover, this should remove the pain temporarily.

Another useful part of this treatment involves applying compression on the area, by wrapping it by an elastic material. When you do this, make sure your heels and toes are free. This wrap may cause you additional pain for a while. Nevertheless, it will prove to be very useful since it will remove the swelling, keep your leg well positioned and, eventually, speed up your ankle's recovery.

Finally, you are advised to keep your injured food elevated, several hours each day, during your recuperation process. This will remove the bruising and the swelling by reducing the amount of blood getting to your injured spot. Alternatively, if, during the recovery period, you feel excessive pain and discomfort, you might try and use some over-the-counter painkillers or some anti-inflammatory medications.