Tips to a faster sprained ankle recovery

A sprained ankle can be very painful and inconvenient, it can restrict your ability to move freely or do your daily chores. It causes great discomfort but it is bound to happen at some point in your life as it is one of the most common injuries that can occur to your body. You may sprain your ankle while exercising, doing any sport, or even while simply walking. So, it is important to know the proper management of sprained ankle recovery. This blog discusses the sprained ankle treatment, through different exercises and home remedies that you can try. 

How to Treat a Sprained Ankle?

Here are some strategies for sprained ankle treatment at home that can assist you to heal your ankle, decrease pain and prevent further injury;-

Adopt the RICE Regimen

Every athlete knows this classic, age-old remedy to recover quickly from any ligament injury. Though, having very simple steps, it does wonders for your pain and discomfort. The RICE regimen includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

• Rest:- It is recommended to rest your ankle as much as possible for a few days after straining it. Also, avoid putting any weight on the affected foot. 
• Ice:- Apply an ice pack to the affected area continuously to relieve pain and swelling. 
• Compression:- To support the injured area, use any compression bandage to limit swelling. Ensure a snug yet not too-tight bandage to provide stability to your ankle. 
• Elevation:- Keep your affected ankle elevated above the heart to reduce the flow of blood to the injury.

Other Things You Can Do 

• Other steps to aid in the ankle recovery process include taking pain medications. This will help with the discomfort you feel and aid in reducing inflammation. 
• Try natural remedies like turmeric, garlic, or olive oil. Gently heat these ingredients, then apply them to your affected area and keep it bandaged for several hours. These ingredients are anti-inflammatory and promote healing. 
• Try sprained ankle exercises. Once you can put a little weight on your foot then try some exercises to strengthen your ankle. You can perform these while lying down, all you have to do is perform circles with your foot, rotating it anti-clockwise and clockwise. 
• Another exercise you can try is to move your ankle through a full range of motion and trace the letters of the alphabet with your toes. 

Getting Back On Track 

Sprained ankle recovery time can vary on how severe the injury is or how the person managed it. In general, it takes a minimum of 1 week to 3 weeks so that the torn ligaments can properly recover. A few people want a quick recovery and want to know how to heal a sprained ankle overnight. That is highly unlikely, the injury will take its recovery time and these above-mentioned steps can aid the healing process.

Therefore, it is essential to try these above methods for at least 3 weeks. More severe injuries can take up to a month to recover fully. Also, if the pain does not stop with these remedies then you should visit a doctor or get an X-ray.