First aid for an ankle sprain starts by getting off your injured joint. Use someone’s arm, railings, whatever is handy to hobble over to a place to sit. Then, evaluate the injury.
Does your ankle look a funny shape or is the skin broken? Numb feet? Blue or cold toes? Can’t stand any weight on it? You should get medical help right away for these symptoms. Otherwise, go home and start the following treatment:
Locate a pair of crutches or a cane so you can avoid putting weight on the injured ankle. Use Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation (RICE) therapy to keep the swelling down and reduce your pain. Use any medication we prescribe for pain and swelling. Then, phone us to set up an appointment so we can X-ray the ankle for fractures or provide splints, boots, or taping to immobilize it during healing.
If you follow these steps, the pain should begin to subside in a day or two. We will tell you when it’s safe to return to weight-bearing and help you recondition the ankle to avoid re-injury. Call Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center in Colorado today at (303) 423-2520 for more information.
By Dustin L. Kruse, DPM
