How to Heal a Sprained Ankle

Sprained ankles can beseige active people who participate in sports or projects that involve footwork. It is best to prevent ankle injuries by stretching and performing warm-up exercises before becoming active in a sport or physical project. But if you do injure your ankle, be sure to treat it properly and give it lots of time to heal.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit a physician if you injure your ankle badly enough for it to swell. You might have a broken bone that still supports weight or turn black and blue. Only an X-ray can rule out a fracture.

• 2

  Put an ice pack around your ankle. Ice is particularly effective during the first 24 hours of an injury to reduce swelling.

• 3

  Wrap your ankle. Compression will also help keep down swelling, so a good wrap that holds the ankle in place is another good way to help a sprained ankle heal. Do not wrap it so tightly that you cut off circulation or cause discomfort.

• 4

  Keep the injured ankle elevated so blood doesn't pool with gravity.

• 5

  Get lots of rest. Rest is a major component of healing.

• 6

  Take the injury seriously. Improperly treated ankle sprains can develop into chronic ankle instability and create permanent problems.

• 7

  Get back on your feet gradually. Use support wraps, tapes or stockings on healing ankle injuries to help a sprained ankle heal completely.