When you suffer from an ankle sprain in Austin, TX, our podiatrists at Capital Foot and Ankle offer complete foot and ankle services to help you to manage your ankle sprains. It is important when you have a sprained ankle that you begin some sort of treatment as soon as possible.
Ankle sprains involve injuring one or more of the ligaments in the ankle. It may be stretched, torn, or a partial tear. How serious it is depends on how many ligaments are involved and how they are hurt.
A Simple ankle sprain can mostly be treated with RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). This is phase one of recovery and should last about a week.
Rest
Get off of the injured ankle as quickly as possible so as not to aggravate or cause further injury. After about 48 hours you can test how much pressure you can place on your food. Gradually increase the pressure but try not to exceed your pain threshold. Pain tells you that you still have an injury.
Ice
Use an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes every hour while you are awake the first day. After the first day, you can apply ice three or four times during the second and third days. The swelling should have resolved itself by this time. After that, apply heat to get the circulation to increase in the area.
Compression
Using a compression wrap can also help to bring down any swelling. It is not however a support so keep that in mind as you start to put pressure on your ankle again.
Elevation
While you are resting, icing, and compressing, you can also keep your angle elevated off of the floor. Keeping it at heart level helps to contain the swelling.
After phase 1 is complete it is time to go to phase 2 which is getting back, strength, flexibility, and range of motion. This is done through targeted exercise and physical therapy. This second phase should last a week or two.
Medication
If the pain is a problem, NSAIDs may be recommended. If that doesn't relieve the pain, prescription medication may be required.
Surgery
If all conservative treatments have failed to provide the needed relief, it may be necessary in more severe cases to perform surgery to repair the damage done to the ligaments. After surgery, rehabilitation will be necessary to get back to where you were pre-injury.
Our podiatrists of Capital Foot and Ankle are here to help when you are in pain from an ankle sprain in Austin, TX. Give the office a call at (512) 474-6666.