5 DIY Ankle Sprain Treatment Tips

Thousands of people suffer from ankle sprains – and it can happen to anyone. As an athlete, you could land on your foot the wrong way after a jump – you could also twist your ankle while walking down the street. The reason why ankle sprains are so common is because the muscles, joints and ligaments in that region of your leg are extremely vulnerable. Plus, the ligaments can only bend and stretch too far. If your foot extends the wrong way, it could strain the ligament and cause internal tearing. In most cases a sprain can be remedied at home – without surgery. Here are five DIY ankle sprain treatment tips.

1. Stop walking on your ankle. It may be hard to stop walking completely, but the last thing you want to do is exacerbate the injury. In most cases, it is recommended to stay off your feet for at least one week. If you have to walk, you want to be careful and take small steps. You may even want to visit a specialized ankle care center, like Advanced Foot & Ankle, to get fitted for crutches.
2. Immobilize the ankle. On top of not walking on your ankle, you also want to wrap the ankle in gauze. This is important because you want to make sure that your ankle can’t move around. You could also visit a pharmacy to purchase a special ankle wrap that you can put around your ankle. Most doctors will recommend gauze and then a special ankle wrap to ensure that the ankle is completely immobile. If you want your ankle to heal completely – without complications – you don’t want to be able to twist or move your ankle at all.
3. Place ice on your ankle. Another issue that can get in the way of proper healing is swelling. In order to keep the swelling down, you want to ice the ankle repeatedly – up to four or five times a day. Usually, you want to leave the ice on for about twenty to thirty minutes – the perfect amount of time to relax, kick your feet up and watch a television show. When it comes to making sure your ankle heals properly, it is important to relax.
4. Elevate your ankle. If your ankle sprain is particularly bad, you want to elevate it for up to a day – maybe even two days. Elevating your ankle is important, because it will help prevent swelling. Because blood rushes to the ankle to help your body in healing the sprain, swelling may also occur, which can be painful. So, you want to elevate your ankle – above heart level. One of the best ways to do this is to lie in bed and prop your leg up with multiple pillows.
5. Don’t put any strenuous pressure on your ankle for a few months after your sprain. A sprained ankle can become injured again if you put too much pressure or impact on the ankle too soon. One jump or twist could re-sprain your ankle. So, you want to make sure you remain careful and diligent – even after your ankle heals.