Sprained ankles are very common among athletes, kids, and the elderly. The more active you are, the more likely you experience a sprained ankle. This type of injury can be extremely painful and may take months to fully heal, which will affect your daily life in the process. However, fear not. A sprained ankle can be easily remedied if you follow these simple steps:
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Go see a Physical Therapist
Sprained ankles are not easy to handle. Most of the time, it would require a long period before you fully recuperate from your injury. One way to heal your ankle injury is by seeing a physical therapist to help you out.
If you work with professionals, you can be at ease since they are experts in dealing with injuries and mobility. They’ll give you rehabilitating exercises and other therapies to help you heal faster from your physical injury. Go have an appointment for sports injury therapy in North York since they regularly treat sprained ankles due to sports.
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Learn the RICE Method
Some medical jargon can also act as your guide when you try to heal yourself from a sprained ankle. Ever heard of the RICE method? This is an acronym that stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE).
Many doctors would commonly advise this method since this can effectively reduce the inflammation from your injury.
- R, for resting. This means that you should let your foot rest for a bit and avoid any activity, which requires more of your energy. Try using a brace to fully stabilize it as well.
- I, for ice. This is self-explanatory. When you apply ice to your injured area, you’re reducing its blood flow and cell metabolism, thus easing the pain and swelling around the area. While increasing the blood flow is good for injuries, applying ice to reduce blood flow is important during the first stages of the injury.
- C, for compression. Compression also helps reduce swelling and blood flow and will provide support as well. When you wrap a bandage around the area, don’t tie it too loosely or tightly. Too loose and it will defeat the purpose of compression. Too tight and you will end up constricting the blood supply.
- E, elevation. Elevating your injured ankle will help reduce the accumulation of blood around the joint area. Similar to the other steps, it lessens the pain and reduces swelling. You can try using a footrest when you take a nap or sit down in a comfortable position.
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Give Yourself a Good Massage
If you think your injury is severe or too painful, seek a qualified massage therapist. Don’t just ignore the pain so as not to worsen the symptoms of your injury. Get an appointment for massage therapy in Oshawa to help deal with the pain.
Photo by Yan Krukau: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-therapist-massaging-a-foot-5793902/
If the injury is not severe, you can perform gentle massages at home to provide quick relief. It doesn’t have to be an extensive massage; just a soothing massage on the bottom of your foot or heel will provide relief. If you feel pain with just a gentle touch, discontinue right away and consult your therapist or doctor.
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Stretch out Once in a While
Exercise offers plenty of benefits and one of them is increasing the healing process of your injury. When you exercise, this restores your strength and balance, thus lessening the risk of your muscles possibly weakening due to inactivity caused by the injury thetalka.
It doesn’t have to be an extensive series of exercises or your injury might worsen. Just a simple low-step exercise will guarantee a healthy lifestyle and safely reduce swelling while increasing blood flow.
However, if there is pain despite the low-intensity exercise, you should require professional help immediately. Consulting a pain clinic in Kitchener will help you get proper medication and therapy for your physical injury.
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Apply Heat
Applying a heat compact on the sprained area is another effective way in speeding up the healing process. Heat can increase the blood flow around the affected area, which in turn heals the area even faster. It also relaxes your muscles, which reduces tension and pain.
Apply the heat pack for 15 to 20 minutes to let it fully absorb the heat. You can even alternately use heat and ice packs for relief. However, the application of heat must not be done during the first stages of the injury.
Experiencing injuries can truly make you feel helpless, especially if the injury is simply too much to bear. Worry not, because you are never alone. It’s never a bad thing to ask for help from others, especially from the experts if you can’t handle the pain.
Just relax and avoid putting too much pressure on the injured ankle and yourself. Avoid working too much while in your injured state because this can only worsen your injury or delay the healing process celebrow.
