{"id":24633,"date":"2022-01-26T15:16:19","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T07:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/?p=24633"},"modified":"2022-03-20T22:47:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-20T14:47:11","slug":"4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Home Remedies for Ankle Sprains"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Jump to<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #5ec9bf;color:#5ec9bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #5ec9bf;color:#5ec9bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#how-to-treat-an-ankle-sprain-at-home\" >How To Treat An Ankle Sprain at Home<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#ankle-sprain-first-aid\" >Ankle Sprain First Aid<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#1-avoid-putting-pressure-on-the-foot\" >1. Avoid putting pressure on the foot<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#2-ice-compress-elevate-ice\" >2. Ice, Compress &amp; Elevate (I.C.E.)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#3-lymphatic-massage\" >3. Lymphatic Massage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#4-mobility-work\" >4. Mobility Work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#5-gentle-assisted-stretching\" >5. Gentle Assisted Stretching<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/#treat-your-ankles-with-care\" >Treat Your Ankles with Care<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-to-treat-an-ankle-sprain-at-home\"><\/span>How To Treat An Ankle Sprain at Home<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Physiotherapy for ankle sprain focuses on 4 stages of sprain healing, which is<br \/>\n1) reduction of pain and swelling,<br \/>\n2) increasing mobility,<br \/>\n3) strengthening muscles, and<br \/>\n4) improving balance &amp; joint stabilisation to prevent future injuries.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>What happens if you\u2019ve just injured your ankle and can\u2019t get to your physiotherapist anytime soon?<\/h4>\n<p>There are ankle sprain first aid tips that you can try to help reduce the swelling in your ankle and increase mobility until your appointment with your physiotherapist. Before taking on first aid, remember to check whether you have in fact sprained your ankle or fractured. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/understanding-ankle-sprains\/\">Read more about differentiating ankle sprain and fracture<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to begin the stages of healing as soon as possible. Swelling and bruising are normal in the initial period of ankle sprains (right after injury to about 7-10 days post-injury), but prolonging care may cause chronic (long-term) swelling and pain which lasts beyond the normal healing time.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ankle-sprain-first-aid\"><\/span>Ankle Sprain First Aid<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1-avoid-putting-pressure-on-the-foot\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">1. Avoid putting pressure on the foot<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Take some rest to protect the injured ankle. This means staying off your feet, or using an assistive device (e.g. a cane, or crutches) while you walk to reduce the pressure off the injury for a couple of days.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2-ice-compress-elevate-ice\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>2. Ice, Compress &amp; Elevate (I.C.E.)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Compression-Bandage.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-24634 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Compression-Bandage-1024x683.png\" alt=\"Picture showing how to use compression bandage\" width=\"680\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Compression-Bandage-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Compression-Bandage-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Compression-Bandage-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Compression-Bandage.png 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This acronym may be very familiar to those of you who have a history of sprained ankles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Ice<\/strong> around the sprain helps to reduce the acute pain you may be feeling after the injury. It also helps to reduce the swelling by causing the blood vessels to constrict (become smaller) and prevents too much fluid from accumulating. Apply an ice pack to the area for 5-10 minutes every 2-3 hours, 1-2 days after the injury.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Compression<\/strong> involves wrapping an ankle sprain bandage or tape around the ankle to form a figure-of-eight ankle bandage support.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Elevation<\/strong> means keeping your foot elevated above the heart<\/p>\n<p>Both compression and elevation help to assist the circulation of accumulated fluid away from the injured joint, and reduce swelling. All these can be done while applying ice (<strong>remember, I.C.E.!<\/strong>) during the first few days of injury!<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3-lymphatic-massage\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>3. Lymphatic Massage<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lymphatic massage is a slightly different form of massage than what we are normally used to. Instead of applying strong pressure to the area to release muscle tension like a normal massage, lymphatic massage relies on gentle sweeping motions to help move the fluid in the swollen joint away from the injured area, and reduce pain. This is usually best done if there is someone to assist you with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MLD-leg.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-24636 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MLD-leg.jpg\" alt=\"lymphatic massage for ankle sprain\" width=\"725\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MLD-leg.jpg 725w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MLD-leg-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 725px) 100vw, 725px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perform a <\/span><b>lymphatic massage <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while lying down or sitting with your injured leg elevated. Use your fingers to apply a light pressure around the injured area (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tip: it should only go about 3-5mm deep<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). Maintaining that pressure, stroke upwards and away from the swelling and towards the back of the knee. Continue this for about 10 to 15 minutes, only moving upwards from the ankle to the knee. There shouldn\u2019t be any pain, so stop if there is.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4-mobility-work\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>4. Mobility Work<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Mobility work<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means performing movements around the ankle which promote circulation. In the early stages of injury, this may be difficult as swelling around the ankle causes reduced range of motion and the ankle may feel too stiff to move. However, it is important to keep moving it gently so that the ankle joints do not stiffen up and cause further complications in your recovery journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/knee_replacement-fig_4a.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-24638 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/knee_replacement-fig_4a.png\" alt=\"Mobility exercises for calf muscles and ankle sprain\" width=\"320\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/knee_replacement-fig_4a.png 320w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/knee_replacement-fig_4a-300x253.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ankle sprain exercise: point your foot upwards towards your body as much as you can, and then reverse that movement to point the toes away from the body. Then repeat that movement 30 times, every hour if possible. These are what we call <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018ankle pumps\u2019<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Performing these regularly will help to not only reduce the swelling but also to start activating the muscles around the injured ankle joint and prevent stiffness from worsening!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5-gentle-assisted-stretching\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>5. Gentle Assisted Stretching<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Verywell-10-2696048-CalfStretchTowel-1003-598cba640d327a0010ee067b.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-24640 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Verywell-10-2696048-CalfStretchTowel-1003-598cba640d327a0010ee067b-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Lady showing how to stretch her calf with a towel\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Verywell-10-2696048-CalfStretchTowel-1003-598cba640d327a0010ee067b-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Verywell-10-2696048-CalfStretchTowel-1003-598cba640d327a0010ee067b-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Verywell-10-2696048-CalfStretchTowel-1003-598cba640d327a0010ee067b-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Verywell-10-2696048-CalfStretchTowel-1003-598cba640d327a0010ee067b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Verywell-10-2696048-CalfStretchTowel-1003-598cba640d327a0010ee067b-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gentle stretching<\/strong> will help to prevent muscles in the calf from tightening up. After an ankle injury, it is common for muscles that support the ankle to tighten up in an attempt to stabilise the ankle which has become unstable (tearing of the ligaments may cause ankle instability). The calf muscle (gastrocnemius and soleus) is the main muscle which tightens up as it is one of the largest muscles crossing the ankle.<\/p>\n<p>To stretch this muscle, loop a towel around the bottom of your injured foot and<strong> (very!) gently<\/strong> pull the towel towards you so that you feel a stretching in the calf. Hold it for 10 seconds, relax, and repeat 5 times. You may find that you can\u2019t go very far because of the swelling, so don\u2019t push it.<\/p>\n<p>If you notice increased pain or swelling after doing these, stop! It may be too much for your ankle, and go back to <strong>Remedy 2<\/strong>\u00a0(Ice, Compress, Elevate) or<strong> Remedy<\/strong> <strong>3<\/strong> (Lymphatic Massage).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"treat-your-ankles-with-care\"><\/span>Treat Your Ankles with Care<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All these remedies work to achieve one goal \u2013 to reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness that usually occurs right after an ankle sprain. Do them right and you will usually see results in 5 to 7 days! However, <strong>be careful<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/understanding-ankle-sprains\/\">An ankle that isn\u2019t swollen anymore doesn\u2019t mean that it has completely healed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you aren\u2019t seeing results or can\u2019t get back to your normal activities after your sprain, our practitioners are well-equipped to assess your ankles and get you on an effective treatment program right away. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/contact-us\/\">Give us a call<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spinefitchiro.com\/bookings\/\">book and appointment today<\/a> so that we can work together with you to get you back on track!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How To Treat An Ankle Sprain at Home Physiotherapy for ankle sprain focuses on 4 stages of sprain healing, which is 1) reduction of pain and swelling, 2) increasing mobility, 3) strengthening muscles, and 4) improving balance &amp; joint stabilisation to prevent future injuries. &nbsp; What happens if you\u2019ve just injured your ankle and can\u2019t&#8230;  <a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/4-home-remedies-for-ankle-sprains\/\" title=\"Read 4 Home Remedies for Ankle Sprains\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-health"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24633"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24713,"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24633\/revisions\/24713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinefitchiro.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}