3 Effective Tips To Help You Treat A Sprained Ankle Successfully
Posted on: 30 August 2016
If you fail to treat your sprained ankle in good time, the injury can escalate leading to other complications, such as extreme swelling. So soon after incurring an ankle sprain, make sure you do the necessary therapies needed to treat the ankle. Below are some effective tips that you can use to care for a sprained ankle.
Protect Your Ankle from Further Injury
After incurring an ankle sprain, it's crucial to avoid activities and things that can worsen the injury or cause too much pressure on your ankle. Alcohol, heat, running and massage are among the top things and activities to avoid.
Moreover, supporting yourself with a walking stick is also a good idea that helps lessen the chances of worsening the injury. It's also advisable to wear shoes that offer great support to your foot, such as the lace-up type. Allowing your injured leg to rest for about 48 hours also helps protect your foot from further damage, advises National Health Service.
Bandage the Ankle
Wrapping a bandage around your sprained ankle will compress the area. Compression helps protect your leg from further injury and also controls the pain. You will need a tape and an elastic bandage to wrap your ankle. Remember that you should not tighten the bandage too much as it can hamper proper blood flow.
When wrapping the elastic bandage, make sure you use even pressure to wrap your foot from the toe area up to the mid-calf region. After that use the tape to fasten the bandage into position. You should use the bandage throughout the day and remove it before going to bed. Most pharmacies will have the elastic bandage and tape in stock, so you may want to visit a pharmacy nearby and buy the items.
Visit Your Therapist
It's advisable to visit a physiotherapist to examine your ankle and identify the extent of your injury. A physiotherapist will be able to determine the ankle tissues that have been damaged. As a result, you will get ideal therapies that address your problem directly.
Physiotherapy for the sprained ankle helps lessen the stiffness of the joint and you can achieve a wide range of movement easily after the therapy. As a result, you will be able to move with ease and carryout your daily chores more comfortably. Also, your therapist can teach you exercises that will help you strengthen the ankle muscles during the healing period.
A sprained ankle doesn't have to become a total nightmare for you. The above-mentioned tips and guidelines can help you treat your sprained ankle easily and effectively.
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