Sam Sam 
Signs And Symptoms Of Ankle Sprain
A sportsperson or someone indulging in regular physical activity is prone to injuries such as an ankle sprain. It can be discomforting and painful and hinder your regular jobs. In this case, you should know how to treat a sprained ankle if you have one.
Ankle sprains are frequent injuries affecting people of all ages and levels of activity; they are the main cause of lost athletic participation.
What Is An Ankle Sprain?
Ligaments are tough cords of fibrous tissue that connect your bones, providing them with structural support and stability. They have a range of movement, albeit limited, that allow you to move your limbs during any physical activity. Sudden or prolonged awkward movements can overtax your ligaments and stretch them beyond capacity, causing them to sprain or even tear.
When this happens in the ligaments that surround your ankle (those that attach your leg bones to your feet), it is called an ankle sprain. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may need professional help from specialists at a sports injury centre.
Signs And Symptoms Of Ankle Sprain
You can sprain your ankle by any sudden movement, such as a slip or a fall, which causes your ankle to twist, roll, or bend in a way that is out of its normal range of movement. The symptoms also vary widely depending on the seriousness of the injury.
Your chances of suffering an ankle injury increase if you are a sportsperson, participate in any physical activity like dancing, wear high heels, or have the misfortune of falling or slipping on an uneven or slippery surface.
Apart from the throbbing pain that you may instantly feel after spraining your ankle, other signs and symptoms that point towards an ankle sprain include:
1. Swelling, Tenderness and Bruising
Your overstretched or torn ligament and any damage to surrounding cartilage, tissue, and blood vessels can cause your ankle to swell, bruise, and discolour.
2. Pain
You may also find walking difficult and painful as your injured ligament will not support your body weight adequately.
3. Limited Movement
You may experience some stiffness in your ankle joint as your injured ligament cannot support your leg movements.
Treatment Options For A Sprained Ankle
At a sports injury centre
If your injury is bad or you cannot manage the pain, it is best to consult a sports injury centre specialist. Such a facility is well-equipped to diagnose your condition and suggest appropriate treatment options.
At home
If your pain is manageable, you may be able to treat it at home by wrapping your ankle in bandages, using an ankle brace or crutch for better stability when you walk, taking mild NSAIDS like paracetamol to help with the pain, and, most importantly, staying off your feet to help your ankle heal faster.
How To Wrap A Bandage To Treat A Sprained Ankle
Bandage wrapping, or applying compression, is one way to help your sprained ankle heal faster. Correctly wrapping a bandage on your damaged foot immediately after an injury can protect it from further damage requiring additional treatment. Elastic bandages are most commonly used to stabilise sprain injuries in the body joints.
Following is a set of guidelines you can follow to wrap a bandage on your sprained ankle:
● Wash and dry your feet before you begin so that you have a clean area to work with
● Sit comfortably and keep your feet in an upright position
● Begin by wrapping the bandage around your foot’s ball twice, ensuring that it is secured well.
● Then, starting from the ball of your foot, start wrapping up your feet by repeatedly taking the bandage around your foot and ankle in a figure-eight pattern.
● Alternatively, you may wrap your feet a couple of inches above your ankle and then work your way downwards in a figure-eight pattern towards the ball of your feet and toes.
● Secure your wrapped bandage with a pin provided
● Applying the correct amount of pressure when doing this is important. Wrapping too tightly will disturb your foot’s blood supply which will slow down healing, increase the pain, and cause tissue damage. Conversely, wrapping your bandage too loose will not provide your injured ligament with the support it needs to rest and heal.
● If you feel marked discomfort in your wrapped feet, remove the bandage and try again.
Conclusion
Taking sprained ankle can be dangerous; therefore, you should not avoid it. If ignored, a damaged ligament that has not healed properly could have long-term consequences that cause recurrent pain and discomfort and possibly interfere with your performance as a sportsperson or in everyday activities. Following the guidelines outlined above, you can attempt to heal your sprained ankle at home by applying compression bandages or you can contact any best orthopaedics hospital in Delhi.
