Ankle pain is a common issue that can happen due to excess strain on ankles or jerky movement of the feet. You may get ankle pain sprained even if you haven’t gone for rigorous activities. It can also be due to wearing high heels or tripping and landing on your foot incorrectly, causing pain in ankle when walking.
Read the following blog to learn how to alleviate the pain of a sprained ankle.
Types of Ankle Pain After A Sprain
Ankle sprains can be of different types based on the extent of the injury. The three significant types of sprains that lead to painful feet and ankles are:
- Grade 1: It is a mild ankle sprain due to the slight stretching of ligament fibers. There is minimal swelling, tenderness, and mild ankle joint pain.
- Grade 2: It is a moderate ankle sprain due to the partial tears in the ligament, causing moderate ankle swelling and pain.
- Grade 3: In this severe ankle sprain, the ligament completely tears, leading to a swollen ankle joint and intense pain in ankle when walking.
Medical Data
As per a paper published in the National Library of Medicine, upto 40% of ankle sprains result in chronic symptoms, such as pain and swelling, that may last for at least 12 months after injury.
Refer to the remedies for ankle pain in the following section.
How to Relieve Ankle Pain?
Any sprain heals with time. You cannot wake up one day to find your ankle miraculously back on track. Healing will require patience, proper care, and sufficient rest for your sprained ankle. Here are a few home remedies you can try.
1. The PRICE Or RICE Method
The PRICE protocol (Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) is a well-known method of managing an ankle sprain. Now that the injury has already occurred, you are left with RICE, i.e., Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
If you sprain your ankle, you require full rest during the first 72 hours. You can support and stabilize your ankle by securing it with an elastic bandage or using an ankle brace. This will help keep your ankle compressed and alleviate the pain from the swollen ankle joint.
How to Wrap A Sprained Ankle
- Use a 6-inch bandage so that it is wide enough to provide support.
- Wrap around the base of your toes. Make it snug and tight, but do not cut off the circulation.
- Now, gently wrap it toward your ankle in a figure-eight pattern.
- Repeat this until your ankle feels well-supported and snug.
- Close the last bandage with the clips furnished or a safety pin.
Keep your ankle elevated as long as possible to minimize some of the ankle swelling and pain caused by the injury.
2. Apply an Ice Pack or Hot Pack
An ice pack will help lower the temperature of injured tissues and the metabolic rate of the muscles, which may further help reduce swelling and pain inside ankle, minimize muscle spasms, and promote recovery.
A towel covering ice cubes is advised for cold therapy. Alternatively, you may gently wet a towel in ice water and massage the area or apply it to the injured area. If you cannot apply ice to the affected area, topical essential oils such as peppermint, menthol, or camphor may also contribute to the alleviation of swelling.
Applying warmth to the affected area alleviates muscle stress, tension, and stiffness. It has also been found to minimize ankle joint pain and spasms of the muscles. You can also use a hot water bottle or a towel soaked in hot water. However, although heat packs feel good, never apply heat within the first 48 hours of injury, as the area is already inflamed.
Hot and cold therapies are applied to musculoskeletal injuries around the bones and muscles. You can use either of the two practices or use the two together to achieve the best result. They can be used together by carrying out 20 minutes of heat and 20 minutes of cold. Use them alternately.
3. Take Medication
Some of the readily available over-the-counter drugs that can be used to relieve pain include diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen, among others. Besides NSAID tablets, you could even use pain relief sprays, gels, and creams on the site of foot and ankle pain. It reduces inflammation through topical application. It can also be taken orally to manage pain inside ankle in case you prefer a natural pain reliever.
When the foot and ankle pain is too much, you might need to take medication. But before you start popping painkillers or using natural medicines, it’s best to consult your doctor.
To Sum Up
While all of the above tips and tricks can help a sprained ankle heal faster, you have to take precautions so that the ankle pain does not aggravate. Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes or putting too much strain on the ankles. First aid, rest, and proper support are vital to treat an ankle sprain. You can apply hot and cold compresses, try the RICE method, and take anti-inflammatory drugs. If the pain does not subside, visit a doctor for better treatment.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560619/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2228299/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4517661/