Medically Reviewed by Dr. Rachel N. Verville
May 15, 2017
Ankle sprains are inconvenient. They prevent you from playing your favorite sports, doing your daily workout, and even make it tough to do your regular errands around Frisco. Many times, after Dr. Verville treats a patient with an ankle sprain, one of the first questions the person asks is, “Okay, so when will I be able to get back on my feet and recover from this injury? Can I speed up the process?”
As with any type of injury, you don’t want to rush recovery after an ankle sprain. If you try to do too much before your ankle is fully healed, you’re at a much greater risk of hurting yourself even more and potentially spraining your ankle again.
That being said, there are certain methods that, when followed religiously, can aid in making recovery as quick and painless as possible. It’s all about being consistent and following your podiatrist’s treatment recommendations.
Ways to Help Your Ankle Sprain Recovery
Your foot doctor in Frisco will give you an individualized treatment plan, but in general, these methods can be extremely effective in ankle sprain recovery:
See a foot doctor immediately. Don’t walk around on your injury or try to see if the pain goes away—the sooner you get to a foot doctor, the better your chances are of a full recovery.
Rest. You’re probably anxious to get back to moving around freely, but the fastest way to get there is to rest. Relax and let your body heal your ankle.
Elevate. Keeping your foot propped up prevents too much blood flow to the injury site and helps reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain.
Ice. Put an ice pack on your ankle sprain to reduce swelling and pain, but only do it in 20-minute increments to avoid injuring your skin with too much cold.
Take ibuprofen. Once your body’s natural inflammation process kicks in after about 48 hours following the injury, it’s a good time to begin taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen to relieve pain and prevent swelling.
Compress. Apply a compression wrap to provide support to the injured ankle. Start the wrap just behind the toes and then spiral up, around the foot and ankle, overlapping by a bout half the width of the wrap. Keep going until you’re several inches above the injury.
Ease back into exercise. Once your Frisco foot doctor says that your injury is healed, or almost healed, you may be tempted to jump right back into an active lifestyle. Don’t rush it! Ease back into your regular workout slowly to give you body a chance to adjust. If you try to do too much at once, you could sprain your ankle again and have to go back to square one with your recovery.
Give Yourself the Best Chance for a Full Recovery
At RNV Podiatry in Frisco, Dr. Verville takes ankle sprains seriously. She will fully evaluate your injury, and make a treatment plan based on your unique needs. Contact RNV Podiatry today to make an appointment and begin your ankle sprain recovery by calling (214) 385-8822.
