Ankle injuries are one of if not the most common type of injury we see at our practice, and for good reason. We use our feet for thousands of steps each day, and if the supportive ankle limits that help our feet balance and move become overloaded, the ankle can sprain or other soft tissues can become damaged. And while no two injuries are ever exactly the same, there are some standard ways to help treat a mild or moderate ankle injury. We explore the best practices for ankle injuries in today’s blog.
Best Practices For Treating Ankle Injuries
Remember, this is just some general guidance for non-emergency ankle injuries. If you believe you have a more serious ankle injury, or you want individualized advice for your specific injury, reach out to an orthopedic specialist in your area.
1. Rest – The first thing you’ll want to do after an ankle injury is to protect the area from further harm, and the best way to do that is to limit stress on the area. Get off your feet and avoid putting more strain on an already injured body part. Continuing to stress the area can lead to more damage and an even more severe injury. Don’t try to push through the pain. Put your long-term health first and rest the area as best as possible for 24-48 hours.
2. Ice – After an injury, your body goes into protection mode as the body works to bring white blood cells and fluids to the injury site. Unfortunately, too much fluid in the area can restrict movement and prolong your recovery. That’s where icing comes in. Icing an area will help constrict blood vessels and limit fluid pooling in the area. It’s often helpful to ice an ankle sprain right away to limit swelling in the ankle region.
3. Compression – Compressing the area has the same goals as icing. Compression works to limit fluid buildup in an area where an injury occurred. Compression socks or a mild wrap around the area will limit swelling, which can decrease function and range of motion. You don’t want the compression to cut off circulation, but a modest wrapping can help preserve more function as the body works to heal the injured structures.
4. Elevation – Elevate your feet and let gravity go to work. Elevating your legs above your heart makes it easier for fluid to drain away from the injury site, once again preventing problematic swelling and helping to retain normal joint function.
5. Gentle Range Of Motion Exercises – Finally, after a day or two, you want to start moving the area to increase blood flow and help expand your range of motion. Simple stretching or flexion exercises will help healthy blood move in and out of the area, bringing vital nutrients and oxygen to the injured structures. After initial rest, these therapy exercises and gentle movements will actually help you recover faster than if you had just rested the area for an extended period.
So if you’re dealing with an ankle injury, grab a bag of ice or some compression socks, head to the couch and elevate your leg for a bit. Do this throughout the first 24-48 hours, then carefully start moving and exercising the area so that circulation increases and tissue start strengthening.