Back to Health A to Z. Sprains and strains are common injuries affecting the muscles and ligaments. Most can be treated at home without seeing a GP. For the first couple of days, follow the 4 steps known as RICE therapy to help bring down swelling and support the injury:.
To help prevent swelling, try to avoid heat such as hot baths and heat packs , alcohol and massages for the first couple of days. When you can move the injured area without pain stopping you, try to keep moving it so the joint or muscle does not become stiff.
Speak to a pharmacist about the best treatment for you. It's impossible to prevent all ankle sprains. But these tips can make another one less likely: Stretch regularly to keep your ankles flexible.
Do ankle range of motion and strengthening exercises to keep your muscles strong. Always warm up before playing sports, exercising, or doing any other kind of physical activity. Watch your step when you're walking or running on uneven or cracked surfaces. Don't overdo things. Being tired can make an injury more likely.
Use tape, lace-up ankle braces, or high-top shoes to support the ankle. Wear shoes that fit well. Tie any laces and close any Velcro or other straps to make the shoes as supportive as possible.
Don't wear shoes with high heels. If you sprained your ankle while exercising or participating in a sport, talk to your doctor about when you can resume your activity. Your doctor or physical therapist may want you to perform particular activity and movement tests to determine how well your ankle functions for the sports you play. In rare cases, surgery is performed when the injury doesn't heal or the ankle remains unstable after a long period of physical therapy and rehabilitative exercise.
Surgery may be performed to:. Schedule an appointment or get emergency medical care for suspected sprains that don't respond to self-care strategies or that cause continued pain or instability. If your sprain is severe, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in sports medicine or orthopedic surgery.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis During a physical, your doctor will examine your ankle, foot and lower leg.
Considerable instability, loss of function and range of motion. Unable to bear weight or walk. The first goal is to decrease pain and swelling and protect the ligaments from further injury. This usually means adopting the classic RICE regimen — rest, ice, compression, and elevation. If you have severe pain and swelling, rest your ankle as much as possible for the first 24—48 hours.
During that time, immerse your foot and ankle in cold water, or apply an ice pack be sure to cover the ankle with a towel to protect the skin for 15—20 minutes three times a day, or until the swelling starts to subside.
To reduce swelling, compress the ankle with an elasticized wrap, such as an ACE bandage or elastic ankle sleeve. When seated, elevate your ankle as high as you comfortably can — to the height of your hip, if possible. In the first 24 hours, avoid anything that might increase swelling, such as hot showers, hot packs, or heat rubs.
Unless your symptoms are mild or improving soon after the injury, contact your clinician. He or she may want to see you immediately if your pain and swelling are severe, or if the ankle feels numb or won't bear weight. He or she will examine the ankle and foot and may manipulate them in various ways to determine the type of sprain and the extent of injury.
This examination may be delayed for a few days until swelling and pain improve; in the meantime, continue with the RICE regimen. X-rays aren't routinely used to evaluate ankle injuries. Ligament problems are the source of most ankle pain, and ligaments don't show up on regular x-rays. To screen for fracture, clinicians use a set of rules — called the Ottawa ankle rules, after the Canadian team that developed them — to identify areas of the foot where pain, tenderness, and inability to bear weight suggest a fracture.
To recover from an ankle sprain fully, you'll need to restore the normal range of motion to your ankle joint and strengthen its ligaments and supporting muscles. Studies have shown that people return to their normal activities sooner when their treatment emphasizes restoring ankle function — often with the aid of splints, braces, taping, or elastic bandages — rather than immobilization such as use of a plaster cast.
Called functional treatment, this strategy usually involves three phases: the RICE regimen in the first 24 hours to reduce pain, swelling, and risk of further injury; range-of-motion and ankle strengthening exercises within 48—72 hours; and training to improve endurance and balance once recovery is well under way.
Generally, you can begin range-of-motion and stretching exercises within the first 48 hours and should continue until you're as free of pain as you were before your sprain.
Start to exercise seated on a chair or on the floor. As your sprained ankle improves, you can progress to standing exercises.
If your symptoms aren't better in two to four weeks, you may need to see a physical therapist or other specialist. Rest the heel of the injured foot on the floor.
Pull your toes and foot toward your body as far as possible. Then point them away from the body as far as possible. Repeat as often as possible in the first week. Ankle alphabet.
With the heel on the floor, write all the capital letters of the alphabet with your big toe, making the letters as large as you can. Press down, pull back. Loop an elasticized band or tubing around the foot, holding it gently taut A.
Press your toes away and down.
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