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Treating A Sprained Ankle
4 Smart Recovery Tips
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Sometimes you take a misstep or lose your balance while walking or playing sports.
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When this happens, you may notice only momentary pain and simply continue your life. However, at other times, you may experience severe pain and have difficulty walking or standing. You may even feel a pop when this happens.
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This occurrence is a sprained ankle. It is a very common injury (statistically, about 25,000 people experience it every day). If you recently sprained your ankle or do so often, taking care of the problem is paramount.
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To help you take better care of yourself, Health Sifu put together some information on a DIY how to treat a sprained ankle.
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Sprained Ankles
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When you sprain your ankle, it means that one or multiple ligaments on the outer part of the ankle were torn or stretched too far. This isn’t a terribly serious problem. However, if you don’t treat it properly, you could end up dealing with long-term problems further down the road.
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Sprained ankles usually happen when you’re walking and your toes are on the ground while your heel is up. When you’re in this position, the ligaments in the ankle are tense and more vulnerable than when the foot is flat. Landing wrong from this position causes the ankle sprain.
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While most ankle sprains don’t require a doctor’s attention, it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between a sprain and a fracture.
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If you’re in a lot of pain and can’t put weight on your ankle after the injury, you should go to a doctor for an x-ray to make sure nothing is broken. Similarly, if you’re experiencing extreme swelling or notice a deformity in the ankle, seek medical treatment.
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Once it’s been determined that you did sprain your ankle and didn’t break anything, your sprain will then be classified as a Grade I, Grade II, or Grade III sprain. The grade of the classification depends on how many ligaments are damaged from the sprain. While the severity is different for each, the information below on how to treat a sprained ankle can still apply.
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4 Tips for Treating a Sprained Ankle
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You may be trying to figure out how to treat a sprained ankle. It’s important to know that most sprains can be treated without a doctor, especially if they aren’t severe.
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Use your best judgment. If you see that you aren’t swelling a lot, don’t notice any deformities, or if you can put some pressure on your ankle, you most likely won’t need a doctor.
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If that is the case, follow the popular RICE treatment method below.
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The RICE Treatment:
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1. Rest
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It’s best to rest your ankle and keep pressure off it. This can be done by using crutches while walking or staying off it as much as possible by resting at home.
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2. Ice
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When you sprain your ankle, it’s best to apply an ice pack for about 10 minutes every hour to two hours for the first 48 to 72 hours after the sprain until the swelling goes down. This can also help with any superficial pain that you may be feeling from the sprain.
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3. Compression
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If you have to walk around after your injury, it’s best to wear one along with a protective ankle brace.
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The brace will support the ligaments as they heal and allow you to be more mobile than you would be able to be without the ankle brace.
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When you wrap your ankle, don’t wrap it too tightly. If you are experiencing numbness, pain or tingling, you should loosen the wrap.
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4. Elevation
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Ideally, you want to keep it above the level of your heart for about two to three hours a day. This will decrease the swelling and any bruising, if present.
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The RICE treatment method
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is the most common way to treat a sprained ankle and should be used on your own. You may also consider taking over-the-counter pain relievers. In extreme cases, take prescription pain relievers prescribed by your doctor.
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Ibuprofen can help with pain and relieve swelling. If you do decide to take any kind of medication, remember to follow all instructions from your doctor or from the packaging.
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You may find that wearing supportive shoes after the sprain can help, too. Hiking boots or other high-top shoes can help. However, if your ankle is swollen or is giving you a great amount of pain, stay off your foot. Additionally, never force it into a shoe.
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Conclusion
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The information above shows you how to treat a sprained ankle at home. If you follow these ideas, you should be back on your feet in a few days.
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However, if you are still experiencing pain or swelling and can’t bear weight on the ankle, go see your doctor. You might have more damage than just a sprained ankle.
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Guest Contributor:
Anna Smith, chief editor at Healthankering.com
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I’m a proud mother of three. I’m passionate about health tips, beauty and ways to live healthier with more energy ! I started Healthankering to provide advanced material about not only the best ways to get healthy, but also to entertain and create a great community.
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anna.healthankering@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/healthankering
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