The sprained ankle injury often causes severe pain, making it difficult to walk or carry out daily activities normally. It’s important to note that people of all ages can be prone to this injury for various reasons. That’s why experts have shared some methods to help anyone learn how to heal a sprained ankle fast.
There are many home remedies for sprained ankles that experts recommend, and most of them have emphasized the importance of following the RICE strategy, each letter of which refers to an important treatment procedure: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. If you are wondering how to heal a sprained ankle fast, these methods, along with other supportive treatments, can make recovery quicker and more effective.
After an ankle sprain, you must rest completely for the first 72 hours to try to reduce swelling and control pain as much as possible. Use crutches while walking, if possible, to control pressure on the ankle. After that, you can begin walking carefully and slowly, gradually.
Applying ice to the ankle for 10 to 15 minutes every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day is one of the most important ways to relieve pain and reduce swelling. However, there must be no underlying conditions that prevent this, such as diabetes, vascular disease, or nerve damage or weakness.
When you get injured, your body automatically begins an inflammatory response, which involves flooding the area with fluid to remove damaged cells. This can be accompanied by excruciating pain. However, you can try to control this swelling and pain by wrapping your ankle with a medical bandage, sports tape, or something similar.
Elevating the ankle above the level of the torso helps eliminate fluid and swelling around the ankle. This should be done within the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury as much as possible.
In light of the discovery of how to heal a sprained ankle fast, taking non-prescription pain relievers, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), helps alleviate a significant portion of the pain, especially immediately after the injury. But try to loop in your doctor before taking any new drug, especially if you are suffering from any chronic disease.
Sometimes, when an ankle injury is severe, especially in athletes, it’s a good idea to seek out physiotherapy rehabilitation programs, as the benefits of physiotherapy lie in its effectiveness in relieving pain and restoring mobility more quickly.
Suppose home remedies for sprained ankles don’t relieve pain and improve your condition. In that case, you should visit a doctor or request a specialized Doctor at Home service from Lana Life Care to properly diagnose the condition and determine an appropriate treatment plan.
Also read: Types of Pediatric physiotherapy
To know how to heal a sprained ankle fast, you must understand what this injury is. It is a stretch or tear of the ligaments surrounding the ankle, which may occur as a result of a fall or twisting the foot while climbing or descending stairs or while exercising. Statistics indicate that ankle sprains are very common among athletes, but they can affect anyone, whether they are athletes or not, at a high rate as well.
The symptoms of a sprained ankle vary in severity depending on the grade of the injury. The most common symptoms are:
Doctors and experts classify ankle sprains into three different grades based on the recovery time, as follows:
Also read: Shoulder pain physiotherapy treatment
As we know, an ankle sprain occurs when a sudden movement causes the ankle to move beyond its normal range of motion. Therefore, the most obvious causes of this injury are the following:
While risk factors that increase the chances of developing an ankle sprain include:
An orthopedist or physical therapist uses various diagnostic methods to accurately diagnose and assess the severity of an ankle sprain, as follows:
If the patient suffers from a mild ankle sprain, recovery will not take more than 14 to 21 days. If the injury is moderate, recovery will take about one to two and a half months. However, if the condition is severe and grade III, recovery may take four months or perhaps more.
You can avoid ankle sprains by following these tips:
Also read: Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Through the services of Home healthcare in Dubai by Lana Life Care, we provide you with the necessary care and health support for all cases of ankle sprains and sports injuries.
The degree of injury is determined, and whether the patient needs physiotherapy at home or not, with the development of an appropriate treatment plan by one of our expert orthopedic doctors, to ensure a quick recovery.
We also provide a skilled and DHA-licensed home nursing team to provide all aspects of home healthcare necessary to ensure a speedy recovery.
It is preferable to use a crutch until the ankle is fully healed.
If the pain and swelling increase even with home remedies and pain relievers.
By using compression, compresses, and ice regularly, while elevating the foot.
Yes, by using a medical bandage or sports tape.
Rest for at least the first two days after the injury, using compresses, ice, and pain relievers.
After the first 3 days of rest and treatment, you can gradually begin walking using a crutch to maintain muscle flexibility that may be reduced due to lack of movement.
If the ankle sprain is mild, using ice, compresses, anti-inflammatories, and pain medications may help achieve a high rate of recovery from the first day.
