You step wrong coming down a hill or a stairway, feel your ankle go sideways, and experience pain. You’re pretty sure you’ve sprained your ankle. What should you do next?
Take ankle sprains seriously. Without the right treatment, you could find yourself dealing with increased ankle instability and a higher chance of reinjury.
Our experienced podiatry and foot-and-ankle care team at Town Center Foot & Ankle knows what to do for ankle sprains. Dr. Stephen G. Eichelsdorfer (“Dr. Ike”) treats new and existing patients with this type of injury at our office in Kingwood, Texas.
Here’s what he wants you to know about the do’s and don’ts of caring for an ankle sprain.
Your ankle joints need lots of support in order to function fully. For that reason, the joint in your ankle isn’t just made up of bones. Bands of connective tissue called ligaments support your ankle joints.
In case of a sprain, your ligaments are the part of the joint that’s damaged.
Ankle sprains occur when your movement causes the ligaments around the joints to stretch too far or even tear. Situations that can result in sprained ankles include falls, missing a stair, or rolling your ankle when crossing uneven terrain.
Typically, you know when you sprain your ankle. It may take some time for bruising and swelling to appear, but pain usually appears right away. And as soon as you suspect you might have sprained your ankle, you need to see a medical professional for proper care.
When you sprain an ankle (or suspect you have) and you contact a podiatry expert like Dr. Ike, your treatment outcome improves.
Earlier intervention is better when it comes to ankle sprains. Even if you aren’t sure you’re dealing with a sprain, contact Dr. Ike for professional evaluation as soon as possible.
Right after the injury, use the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) protocol on the affected ankle. Take weight off your ankle and elevate it above the level of your heart. Ice therapy reduces swelling and pain.
A compression bandage can help keep you comfortable while you seek treatment for your sprained ankle.
Treatment for ankle sprains focuses on managing your uncomfortable symptoms during healing and ensuring that your ankle joint heals with fully restored stability. Overstretched ligaments may not hold your ankle joint together as well as they used to, leaving you vulnerable to repeated sprains.
Ankle sprains vary in severity. Your injury may be mild or may be more serious. In severe cases, you may need ankle surgery to repair a badly torn ligament.
Dr. Ike may recommend:
At Town Center Foot & Ankle, we offer physical therapy in our office, and most of our patients continue their physical therapy program at home.
With the right response, you can help the sprained ankle heal in a way that keeps your ankle joint strong. If you’re concerned about loss of ankle stability, you could benefit from custom orthotic inserts, which may help you avoid reinjury and repeated ankle sprains.
For sprained ankles in teens and adults, contact Dr. Ike and our Town Center Foot & Ankle team as soon as possible. Call now or request an appointment online.
