What to do for a sprained ankle and foot?
613010
Rest Ice Compression Elevation Stabalization-- RICES the old standby regimen. You have to do all of these things or your ankles won't heal. Also use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen or ibuprofen. If the sprains are severe enough, you might even need crutches. You should probably go to an orthopedist or sports medicine doctor to figure out exactly what is best in your situation. Good luck! Don't let this get you down!
806646
Ice first then warm.\nWhats happens when you Sprain your ankle is white blood cells (these fight infections) rush to the spot that was hurt.  You get such an inflow of these cells and that's why you get a swollen ankle.  The ice contracts the blood vessels around the area and slows the flow; therefore, helping the swollen staying down.  Then in about 24 hours you should, you apply a hot pack or heat.  This will dilate your vessels and allow the white blood cells to carry all the waste away, such as the dried up blood etc.  When you sprain something, you actually have small bleeding inside.  You don't have to have the cold on for 24 hours, just long enough where the swollen has stopped and pain has gone down.
696859
RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.  In other words:  don't use the ankle-let it rest & heal; apply ice several times a day; wrap it in an ace bandage or ankle immobilizer & keep it elevated.  \nThe amount of time to heal depends on how badly it was sprained.  It can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
455958
Chances are you didn't tear a ligament.  If you tore a ligament there would be little pain your foot would be very loose.  It sounds as if you have sprained it or that it may be bruised.  If you were hit on the top part of your foot it may be bruised.  If you were playing baseball or basketball and fell on it wrong you may have a sprain.  If you can't remember and it is continually getting worse you may have been bitten by a spider or some other creature.  If ice doesn't make the swellen go down, definitely go to the doctor after a day.\n\nGood Luck\n\nCoach
857554
Not a lady, and never had plates inserted, but I have had an ankle injury that lingered for months. About 10 years ago, I twisted my ankle while running in dress shoes to my commuter bus for work. It wasn't broken; just a bad sprain. However, I found out that a sprain can be worse than a break. It literally hurt me for five months. I couldn't put full weight on it and was limping around the entire time before the pain went completely away. In high school, I had a similar type of ankle sprain from playing football, and again it took a few months before it completely went away. \n\nUnfortunately, ankles are very delicate and heal very slowly because we are constantly putting weight on them. They do get better, eventually, but it's agonizing going through it. Not sure if the discomfort of the plates/screws will ever go away. But tell your friend to hang in there, and do the treatments and therapy as the doctors have prescribed, which should help significantly.
222469
Try a splint with duct tape.
485128
I am an alternative medicinal therapist and believe it or not we go through first aid training. I am also St John Ambulance trained so when i tell you to go to the hospital for an X Ray you should believe me. Many complications can arise from a break that is not treated.If you foot is broken you will have a very large swelling, it will be very painfull and you not be able to move to move your toes very easily.There a 3 types of fractures-open-closed and complicated.If it isn't broken then keep an ice pack on it to reduce the swelling and ease the pain and the inflammation. Wintergreen ointment will not help, you need 'witch hazel' lotion or lavender oil 3 drops in 5ml of olive oil.(unless your skin is broken) And keep the foot up for a few days.\n\nGloria (BSYA)
94435
There are several things you can try.\n\nAnti-inflammatory medications like Ibuprofen or Naproxen may be helpful, taken with food.\n\nFill an empty soda bottle with water and freeze.  With a sock on, roll your heel over the ice bottle for 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times a day.\n\nNEVER go barefoot!  NOt even to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  Always have good supportive shoes on.\n\nStretching your calf muscle may help, particularly if you have a tight achilles to begin with.  Face a wall, and place your plans on it.  With the affected leg further behind you, lean into the wall, keeping your back leg straight and the heel on the floor.  Then stretch with your knee slightly bent.\n\nIf these methods don't work, see your health care provider.  A stronger anti-inflammatory medicine may be prescribed, he or she may evaluate you for orthotics, or supports that go into your shoes.  Physical therapy may be helpful, and some people even have a cortisone injection into the heel.
919495
Ice and rest.  If you are sure it is just sprained just put ice on it for a while--15 min on/15 min off for the first 24 hrs.  rest your thumb by wearing a brace or splint (you can buy at drug store) for a few days.  Take tylenol or advil for any pain.  if the pain increases or it gets to the point where you think it is broken see a dr.
202791
rest, ice, compression (ace bandage) and elevation - RICE\nif the pain persists or gets worse over a few days, follow up with a doctor.
91703
A sprain you can wrap and will heal on its own, a fracture needs to be set.  I thought I sprained my ankle last year and after 6 weeks of it only getting worse, went to the doctor, had an MRI, and found that I fracture my ankle bone and would never heal on its own.  I was in a hard cast, then walking cast, then physical therapy for about 4 months total.  If I had gone to the doctor sooner, I could have cut the hard cast out and my healing time in half.
375651
Depending on the location and severity of the toe fracture, the fracture may need to be reduced (put back into place) and splinted or casted. If there is an open wound near the injured toe, a tetanus shot and antibiotic medication may also be necessary. To decrease the swelling (and the pain), keep the foot raised above the level of the heart as much as possible. Prop the foot up on some pillows, especially when sleeping. Put ice in a plastic bag and apply it to the injury for 15-20 minutes every 1-2 hours for the first 1-2 days. Make sure to place a towel between the skin and the bag of ice to protect the skin. Avoid any strenuous exercise, prolonged standing, or walking.
80336
You need to get the swelling down first. Then you need to start a rehab program that will strenghten your ankles and restore range of motion. \n\nMake certain that your doctor has released you to start rehab before you start any rehab program. \n\nR.I.C.E. is not a rehab program, it is an injury treatment protocol that has nothing to do with rehabilitation. \n\nYour rehab program should include the use of a wobble board. It will help you regain the range of motion that you lost with your injury and will help your brain understand the position your ankle is in so you can avoid or minimize future sprains. \n\nWMake sure that you rehab/strengthen both ankles so you don't doom yourself to recurring and alternating sprains. \n\nThe biggest mistake most people make is they don't rehab both ankles so one is strong and the other is weaker. Then they end up spraining the other ankle and starting the process all over again.
818924
First put an ice pack on it, this will keep the swelling down. If you insist on skating wrap it tight but, you could compound an injury so, I wouldn't. Go see an ER and have an X-Ray, see if there's any permanent damage then follow the doctors directions.
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
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
195214
First you need to get the swelling down. There are several methods available to do this, but putting your ankle/foot in ice is the best way to start. Don't just put ice on your ankle, put your foot/ankle in a bucket of ice water. \n\nWhile you have your foot in the ice water, start writing the letters of the alphabet with your big toe. This will help you relieve some of the stiffness in your ankle and will assist in moving the blood (swelling) out so you can start the rehab process. \n\nThen you need an aggressive strengthening program. R.I.C.E. is slow and really only applies to the initial day(s) after an injury. \n\nAlthough the RICE protocol does help with the pain somewhat, it has nothing to rehab your sprained ankle.\n\nIf you don't properly rehab your ankle, you will very likely experience more serious and more frequent sprains. \n\nDon't fall for the quick fix patches because a large part of the rehab process is mental...you have to believe and know that your ankle is rehabilitated before you will actually be able to return to your normal activities.