Sprained Ankle - Best Home Care Tips

Your ankle is a complex junction of three different bones. This joint is held together with strong bands of fibrous tissue. The tissue can only bend up to a certain degree. When the ankle gets bent in an awkward manner, it causes great stress on the tissue and the joints. This is the cause of an ankle sprain.

Lateral ankle injury is the most common kind of sprain. Research suggests that women and children are at greater risk of suffering from a sprain than men and adults. People who play sports (whether indoor or outdoor) are also at risk of ankle sprain.

Causes of ankle sprain

• A fall that causes your ankle to twist
• Landing awkwardly on your foot after jumping or pivoting
• Walking or exercising on an uneven surface 

Types of Ankle sprain

• Grade I: Mild stretching of the ligament without joint instability.
• Grade II: Partial rupture or tear in the ligament but without joint instability.
• Grade III: Complete rupture of the ligament along with joint instability.

Is home treatment possible?

Taking care of a sprained ankle within the first 30 minutes of the incident can make a big difference in the recovery process and time. Such care can also reduce the intensity of the pain and stiffness. Providing instant care is recommended by doctors worldwide in order to control the level of inflammation and tissue damage.

Treatment goals

• To control inflammation and swelling
• To reduce pain and stiffness
• To return the affected ankle to its original condition as soon as possible.

Home treatment procedure

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in United Kingdom has suggested PRICE as the first line of defence against injury. This treatment is applied within 48 hours of the injury.  

The PRICE treatment consists of 5 parts:

1. Protect: Do everything you can to prevent further injury to the affected ankle.

2. Rest: The affected ankle should be given complete rest for at least 72 hours. You can use crutches while walking. Use a bandage to wrap the joint in order to keep it stable.

3. Ice: Apply ice to the area for 20 minutes. Wrap the ice with cloth. Or you can apply a sock filled with ice cubes. This helps to limit pain, inflammation and bruising. Apply ice for 15 minutes every 2 hours for the first 48 hours.

4. Compression: Apply a bandage in order to control the swelling and help the joint rest. Don’t tie the bandage too tightly as this will cut off blood circulation. Remember to remove the bandage before going to sleep or taking a bath.

5. Elevation: Keep the foot on a chair above the hip level. When you go to sleep, rest your injured foot on a pillow. This will help reduce the sensation of pain.

What to avoid

1. Heat: Keep your ankle away from heat. Don’t apply hot packs or take hot showers. This will intensify pain and inflammation.

2. Alcohol: Don’t drink alcohol. While it may reduce the sensation of pain, it also slows down the healing process and may increase bleeding.

3. Pressure: Avoid putting pressure on the sprain. So don’t walk or run with the injured joint.

4. Incorrect massage: Since massage may increase the swelling, it is better to avoid it completely until at least 72 hours have passed. 

We at Zilaxo Advanced Pain Solution are confident of our unique treatment plan. We have received thousands of enthusiastic reviews and testimonials from our patients that Classical Homoeopathy, Ayurvedic-Unani Formulations and Internationally Acclaimed Advanced Physiotherapy work together to rid one of pain in an effective and affordable manner. To avail of our services or to give your valuable feedback, call us at 1800 419 6607 (Toll free) or message us on WhatsApp at +91 98304 26607.

Courtesy - Zilaxo Advanced Pain Solution

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