Anybody can experience a sprained ankle at some point in their lives. Even if you have the fittest and healthiest physique, a second of clumsiness can cause you an injury as an ankle sprain often occurs when you accidentally twist your ankle - making the ligaments that support your feet get torn or stretched. This often leads to pain and swelling.
It may take a couple of days to several weeks for a sprained ankle to heal. Typically, the more severe the case is, the longer it takes to recover. But with the right techniques, you can actually speed up the process and improve your home treatment plan.
First and foremost, you must always give your ankle time to heal completely so that you do not hurt them again as quickly as you did. To ensure this would not happen again, or anytime soon, there are some essential tips you need to do. Here are some of them below.
1. To reduce swelling, you can prop up your foot using multiple pillows for the next three days.
2. Always follow your doctor's advice and instructions on wearing an elastic ankle wrap or a splint. Check your foot from time to time and adjust the ankle brace if needed. Make sure it's not too tight to too loose.
3. Use an ice compress every 10 minutes for the next 2 hours. This will help tone down the swelling. Moreover, it also addresses some of the pain. Do not forget to use a cloth in between the ice compress and your skin.
4. Ask your doctor if you still need to continue wearing the ankle brace when you go out for a walk or when you exercise. Ankle braces and wraps are not just used to treat ankle sprains, and they can also be used as a preventative measure for a possible recurring injury.
Take these tips above to hear so that you will know what to do at home when you injure your ankle. If the pain is too much to bear, go to the hospital immediately to seek proper treatment. Better yet, call your doctor even if it feels like you only have a minor injury.