Conditions > Ankle Sprain
Ankle Sprain Treatment
Ankle sprains are very common injuries and most heal on their own within a few weeks. If you can properly rehabilitate your ankle, you should make a full recovery and avoid problems later on in life.
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Did I sprain my ankle?
A good indicator that you have an ankle sprain is pain and swelling. If you cannot walk on the ankle and also have numbness and tingling, you may also have an ankle fracture.
Ankle sprains are very common and most heal on their own within a few weeks. If you can properly rehabilitate your ankle, you should make a full recovery.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to help diagnose your ankle sprain, determine when you should see your doctor, and treat the injury as naturally as possible.
What happens when you sprain your ankle?
In an ankle sprain, a traumatic force is brought down upon the ankle that causes tearing of the ligaments and tendons in the ankle. When this tearing occurs, your body responds by sending inflammation to the area. Your ankle swells up, it may bruise, it may become stiff and hard to move, and it may feel hot.
When your ankle becomes inflamed, your body has activated its natural defense mechanism. Inflammation breaks down damaged tissue and stimulates the production of new tissue to strengthen the ankle. Inflammation is an important part of the healing process, and should be allowed to take place.
Ankle sprain symptoms
The most common symptoms you may experience during an ankle sprain include:
Swelling of the ankle
Sensation of heat and burning
Bruising of the ankle
Pain when stepping on the ankle
Sensitive to touch
Difficulty moving the ankle
Popping sound during injury
What to do when you sprain your ankle?
First, realize that most treatments, including RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), actually suppress your body’s natural healing response. The inflammatory response is actually a good thing.
It is an indication your body is breaking down damaged tissue and stimulating the growth of new, healthy tissue. This is important because it strengthens the ankle and helps return it to where it was prior to the injury.
Continue reading to see how I recommend you treat your ankle sprain.
Ankle sprain natural treatment
- Apply ice to the ankle for only the first couple of hours following the injury.
- Use Tylenol if necessary to help with the pain. Avoid Advil or other anti-inflammatory medications.
- Use arnica cream, such as Traumeel, to naturally manage pain and inflammation.
- If you cannot walk on the injured ankle, see your doctor immediately. You may have an ankle fracture.
- Continue to move the ankle regularly to help circulate fluids in the foot and reduce swelling. I recommend tracing the ABCs using your foot.
- Return to your normal activities slowly by slowly increasing your activity level each day.
Do I need to see my doctor?
The answer is most likely! It is always difficult to tell whether your ankle also has a fracture. It is a good idea to have a physician look at the ankle to make sure there isn’t damage to the arteries, blood vessels, or nerves.
Improperly rehabilitated ankle sprains can actually cause a lot of problems later in life. So it’s important that we properly rehabilitate ankle sprains!
Ankle sprain recovery time
Recovery time can vary for ankle sprains and depends on how severe your sprain is. Mild sprains often times can be recovered from in about a week while more severe sprains can require at least 2-3 weeks.
Avoid returning to your activities too quickly. If your ankle feels strong at 25 percent effort, don’t try to go back to 100 percent effort within the next day or two. Slowly start to increase your activity over a week to make sure your ankle joint is ready to return to full activity.
References
Acute ankle sprain overview https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459212/
Athletes and ankle sprains https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4780668/
Diagnosing an ankle sprain https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3348693/
Reducing long term ankle joint problems https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3781861/
Arnica for ankle sprain https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195812/ and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23889885
Rehabilitative exercises for ankle sprain https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5332988/
Written by: Dr. Dan Williams, DO
Last edited: April 21, 2019
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