A sprained ankle can happen to anyone at any time. It could be because you stepped wrong, your footing was off, or maybe you slipped and fell. No matter the reason, a sprained ankle can feel slightly painful to extremely painful depending on the severity of the sprain. If you have a sprained ankle, it's best to get to urgent care to rule out an actual break. An urgent care physician can have x-rays taken and inspect your ankle to rule out a break and offer you treatment to help your ankle heal. Read on for information that can help treat and heal your sprained ankle and get you back to your day-to-day activities.
Elevate Your Ankle
You should elevate your ankle to help reduce swelling and to also ease the pain that comes with the sprain. Put pillows under your ankle and elevate it so it's above your heart. You're going to want to rest your ankle as much as possible, so when you're home and resting, be sure the ankle is elevated and you are sitting comfortably.
Ice Your Ankle
Use ice to also reduce swelling and to help with pain. Use an ice pack that can conform to your ankle and ice the ankle all the way around if needed. Use the ice pack while you are resting your ankle. Be sure to prevent the ice pack from burning your skin by using a towel in between the pack and your skin.
Take an Over-the-counter Pain Reliever
Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever can help reduce pain and may also help to reduce swelling in your ankle. Pain medication such as Ibuprofen can help you treat the pain. If your urgent care physician gave you a prescription for pain medication, be sure to take this medication according to the instructions given by the physician and provided with the medication bottle.
Keep Weight Off Your Ankle
If you have a sprained ankle, you're going to need to keep weight off of the ankle. You're going to need to use crutches, a scooter, or a wheelchair in order to keep weight off of the ankle. If you put weight on the ankle, you could end up worsening the sprain. Doing too much too soon can also cause a problem for you.
If you have sprained ankle, you should get to urgent care for a checkup to be sure you don't have a broken ankle. Listen to the instructions given by the physician to help heal your ankle.