A sprained or torn ligament can cause ankle pain. It's possible to injure the ligaments on the inside or outside of your ankle; this can happen when you're running, playing sports, or just walking and land your foot on an unstable ground. The damage to the ligament can be mild or serious, but in all cases, you'll have pain and swelling. Here are some treatments that can help this ankle injury,

Apply Ice To The Injury Right Away

Place ice over the injury as soon as possible. You don't want to put it directly on your skin, so wrapping your ankle in a wet towel first will help the ice be more comfortable. Ice reduces swelling of the ligaments and that can help manage your pain and discomfort. Depending on the degree of the sprain, you may have swelling right away or it might get worse in the hours after your injury. Bruising might continue to get worse over time as well due to bleeding from the ligament. If the swelling is severe, you should see a foot and ankle specialist. It's possible to also injure the ankle joint or fracture a bone at the same time as spraining a ligament and you need a proper diagnosis and care.

Stay Off The Foot

Even if the sprain is mild and you can walk with pain, you should stay off of the foot until the pain goes away. Bearing weight on your ankle when it hurts could cause further injury. You may need to have crutches for several days so your ankle can heal. The specialist may also recommend that you elevate your foot as often as possible throughout the day. This is a good time to place ice on your ankle. When you have a more severe sprain, you may need to learn specific exercises that help with healing. The podiatrist will instruct you on when to begin exercising your ankle and what kind of moves you can do. Don't start running or playing sports until you have approval from the doctor or you may sprain your weak ligament again.

Wear A Compression Bandage Or Brace

The podiatrist may show you how to wrap your ankle in a compression bandage to help with swelling and to support your ankle. If your joint is unstable because of a weak and injured ligament, you're at a higher risk of further injury. You might have to wear an ankle brace or some other form of support while you heal.

Recovery from a sprained ligament can take weeks. How long it takes depends on the degree of your injury. Even a mild sprain can take a couple of weeks to get better and a more serious one could take a couple of months. More serious ligament injuries and those that involve joint or bone damage too may require surgery. However, most sprains will heal on their own as long as you rest your foot and allow your body to heal itself over time.

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