what do i do if i have a sprained ankle??
479846
A sprained ankle happens when the ligaments have been damaged by the joint being twisted.\n\nWhen you twist your foot or ankle, it usually twists inwards damaging the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Outward twists damaging the inside ligaments are rare.\n\nThe majority of cases are sports injuries but a sprained ankle can also happen in everyday life.\n     Injuries of this kind should receive first aid treatment following the RICE principle, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Cooling the injury as fast as possible will reduce the swelling and pain.\n\n\nRest\n\nThe injured foot must be rested for the first 24 to 48 hours to prevent any further injury.\n\n\nIce\n\nThe damaged area must be cooled by using an icepack or a packet of frozen peas. The ice must never have direct contact with the skin or the patient could get frostbite. A cloth should be placed between the ice and the skin. Ice can be laid on the affected area for up to 20 minutes every hour, but for no longer than three hours in all. Ice treatment has been known to be effective for up to 24 hours after the injury occurred.\n\n\nCompression\n\nThe compression must be firm but not too tight. It must not be allowed to affect the blood circulation. An elasticated bandage from the toes to the middle of the lower leg would be ideal.\n\n\nElevation\n\nThe foot must be elevated above heart level. It is most comfortable to lie down and elevate the limb with a few pillows. If you are sitting down, the legs can be raised on a chair or a table. This elevation should be maintained for a few days.
1063283
ice,  elevate your hand and watch it...if it just happenned you have to expect swelling...if the injury happened a few days ago u should get it looked at in case it has a clot   and the ice should b on for first 24 hrs,  like a half hour at a time every 2 hrs,  then warm soaks next couple days   the point is to increase the circulation to reabsorb the blood...u broke blood vessels in there
7539
Talk to your doctor about what exercises you can do.  You don't want to injure your ankle or disrupt the healing.
1049303
yeah---tie a anchor to your ankle --then tie a plastic bag over your head!!!!----then jump right in !!!---lots o luck to ya !!--let us know how ya do
893240
In 1996, I broke my tibia and fibula, and dislocated my ankle. When I was finally out of the cast, I couldn't move my ankle and had to learn to walk again. I hope you have seen a physiotherapist, as they can provide you with a list of exercises to do that will help. They are really fantastic, and got me on my feet again.\n\nHere are some exercises that helped me get going again:\n- raise yourself up and down on the balls of your feet. Do this holding a bench or the like if you need some stability, and work towards doing it without the bench. \n- do the same exercise again, but do it on a stair. You will probably need a stair rail or something similar for stabilisation. This exercise is really good for regaining flexibility.\n- you need to create a small seesaw. I did this by getting the top of a small side table and an old drink bottle (600ml bottle, not a big one!). Sit on a chair with your feet resting on it, and move the see saw with your feet. If you have one that is really strong, you could stand up and use it. If you are really strong, there are these exercise things that have a ball in the middle, and wobble around\n- some simple - just bend your foot. This can also be done with your knee in a seated and standing position\n- use a towel or stockings, and wrap it around your foot. Extend your leg out straight. Pull the towel/stockings towards you, but push away with your foot\n- hold onto a bench, and do some small squats. Try to keep your back straightish.\n- do circles with your ankles\n- use some heat to warm up your joints before doing your exercises. I bought a wheatbag, which I heated up in the microwave. I still use this today when my joints are playing up\n\nAs I had problems with the sending of messages to my injured limb, I often had to do the exercises with my good ankle, and then do them with my bad ankle.\n\nRemember - the best way to regain strength is to do these exercises regularly.\n\nIf you have access to a pool, then definitely do exercises in there. You can do some of the above exercises, walk around, swim, etc. The pool will take pressure off your joints, yet allow you to move around.\n\nGood luck
89613
Rest. Sometimes taking it easy a day or two can help with recovery.\n\nApply ice if it gets very painful. This helps keep any inflamation down.\n \nPerform rehabilitation exercises (low-impact) regularly. Swimming and cycling are excellent activities for an individual with shin splints. Try to avoid excessive impact while recovering.\n\nWear shock absorbing insoles in shoes. This can prove helpful when getting back to a running routine if the shin splints still hurt.\n\nI know what you're going through...shin splints are a pain. x.x Hope these help.
1159741
Have you gone to a doctor yet?  It might be a sprain or a strain.  That can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year to heal.  I would stay off of it, and use ice if it starts to hurt too badly.  20 minutes with the ice, and 1 hour without it.  Do not keep the ice on for too long, because that can cause damage in and of itself.  I hope you heal up soon, babe!
417524
Best thing you can do is the old standard ICE treatment: \n\nIce - cool the area down to prevent increase swelling of the area and bruising\n\nCompress - wrap the area with a flexible pressure bandage, like an ace wrap, but not too tight\n\nElevate - elevate the area above the heart to prevent increased swelling into the area and to take weight off of it.\n\nSymptoms of the sprain are not much different from a strain.  The sprain is a overstreatching of a ligament, and a strain is a overstreatching of a muscle.  A break of the bone in the area may not hurt much at all, in fact, many people break bones and don't have symptoms until the next day.  For me, a strain or a sprain is ever so much more painful than a straight break.  The problem with a strain or a sprain is that unless you allow them to heal properly, the area will forever remain weak and prone to reinjury.  Best to stay off the foot for the evening, see how it goes tomorrow.  I C E it and that should help you.  \n\nIf you are having problem with feeling any parts, loss of sensation, then see your doctor because increased pressure on a nerve after a serious injury can cause permanent loss of sensation.  For this reason alone, elevating it, resting it, compressing it and icing it down for 72 hours should help.
334161
u can do special exercises for ur ankles e.g turning them every 10 mins i did them and it worked 4 me also drink plenty of water and put ur feet up when u sit down
1076170
Acupuncture. I play tennis proffecionally . trust me, I know it sounds illogical, but it realy helps. It also helped me heal faster and completely recover from a full ankle replacement
988969
Get a clue, your body is trying to tell you something. You need to see your doctor.\n\nTreatment may include:putting ice packs on the injured area for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days or until the pain goes away, taking anti-inflammatory medications prescribed by your doctor and doing rehabilitation exercises to help you return to your activity.\n\nWhile you are recovering from your injury, you will need to change your activity to one that does not make your condition worse. You may need to swim instead of running.
723474
It takes a month to heal. You should put an ace bandage on it and if you have crutches use them while your around your house and try not to walk on it. I have sprained my ankle hundreds of times. i currently have a broken finger. lol\n\nKeep ice on it for a while and try to keep it from swelling. If your ankle still hurts alot you should wait until after your birthday and then go and get x-rays\n\nYou might not be able to tell if its broken . Ive broken my ankle and I didnt think i did because i handle pain very well.\n\nfeel better and HAPPY BIRTHDAY =]
195174
ice 20 mins if its swollen, heat 20 mins for pain.  if your knee is giving out you should have an MRI to make sure nothing is torn.\n\nyes, you will get crutches if you go to the er. even if nothing is wrong. and a full leg brace with velcro straps.
149785
RICE approach:\n\nRest--You may need to rest your ankle, either completely or partly, depending on how serious your sprain is. Use crutches for as long as it hurts you to stand on your foot. \n\nIce--Using ice packs, ice slush baths or ice massages can decrease the swelling, pain, bruising and muscle spasms. Keep using ice for up to 3 days after the injury. \n\nCompression--Wrapping your ankle may be the best way to avoid swelling and bruising. You'll probably need to keep your ankle wrapped for 1 or 2 days after the injury and perhaps for up to a week or more. \n\nElevation--Raising your ankle to or above the level of your heart will help prevent the swelling from getting worse and will help reduce bruising. Try to keep your ankle elevated for about 2 to 3 hours a day if possible. \n\nWhat is the best way to use ice?\nPutting ice on your ankle can be very helpful, but you also need to be careful. The cold can damage nerves if the ice is left in place too long. \n\nIce can be left on your ankle for up to 20 minutes at a time. When your skin feels numb, it's time to remove the ice. Use ice treatments every 2 to 4 hours for the first 3 days after your injury. Ice treatments can consist of ice packs, ice slush baths or ice massages. \n\nTo use ice packs, partly fill a plastic bag with crushed ice. Wrap a thin, wet cloth around your injury. Place the ice pack over this and then wrap an elastic bandage around the ice pack to hold it in place. \n\nFor ice slush baths, fill a large bucket with water and ice. Place your ankle in the bucket until the skin gets numb.\n\nIce massages can work well for small areas. Freeze water in 4- to 8-ounce styrofoam (coffee) cups. Tear the top part of the cup away from the ice. Hold the covered end and slowly rub the ice over the sprained area with a circular motion. Don't hold the ice on one spot for more than 30 seconds.
127863
I have weak ankles. First, before you do anything strenuous, make sure you stretch. I see this is under football, so make sure you tape your ankles before you play!! It will help!
855368
If it is getting worse, a return visit to the doctor is in order, and you should ask him for more effective pain medication.  Meanwhile, JUST as a relief measure while you wait to see the doctor, keep your leg elevated to relieve the swelling and pressure, and wear soft slippers to minimize the pain.
175468
Ice, regular anti-inflammatory tablets (ibuprofen), and rest.......try and work out what movement has strained them and try to avoid it. If it doesn't get better within a month, see your doctor for referral to physiotherapy.