Should I see a doctor about a strained ankle or can I treat it at home?

Question

I have looked on the internet and found loads of advice saying treat it with RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation). Will that be enough? My ankle and lower leg is really swollen and sore.

Type - I meant sprained.

Double typo, jeez. I also meant to add I have no bandages for the compression part is that important?

I'm sure it is not broken as I can walk on it (only a few steps cos of the pain). I'm going to see if any of my flatmates have a compression bandage thingy and if not go and get one. Then if it is still as bad on Monday I will go to the hospital as I will be near one then.

Thanks for all the advice so far!

Answer 1

I would suggest going to the doctor if its really swollen. You may have torn some tendons. There are three big ones that run along the outside of your ankle and from personal experience, if you're ankle is swollen and blue, you probably tore all three of them. Unfortunately with tendons, they don't heal like bones when they break, that is to say, they never fully recover their strenght the way bones do. The best recovery will be through RICE, as you called it, rehabilitation exercises and gentle massaging of the tendons as they heal so as to break up the excess scar tissue.

Answer 2

No one can judge but you how swollen "really" swollen is/how sore "really" sore is. If you can walk on it and you're as sure as you can be that it's not broken, I personally would wait a few days before going to the doctor. Honestly, in my experience all they'll do is say "Yup, it's sprained" and tell you to RICE.

I am pretty sure the compression part is important, though. Take the money you're saving not going to the Dr. and have a friend or family member pick up a brace or Ace bandage for you. If you ask around, someone you know may even have one to lend you for free.

Again, though, listen to your instincts - if it feels like a sharp, scary pain, I'd go to the doctor. If it's sore but not broken or torn, I'd RICE for a couple of days.

If you don't go right away and it doesn't get a whole lot better in 2-3 days, then definitely see a medical professional!

Answer 3

How do you know it's not broken? You should probably see a DR. If it's broken and needs to be set and you don't get it done they'll have to re break it at a later time. Also if it heals improperly it could cause nerve damage.(assuming it's broken). A sprain needs ice to reduce the swelling. Once the swelling is down then use heat. Keep it elavated.(i.e. prop it on a pillow while you lay back and vegetate on the couch) Wrap it with an ace bandage to provide some support and immobilize it, but not so tight that you cut off circulation.a sprain can take a couple of weeks to heal enough to resume normal functions and longer to partake in vigorous activity.

Answer 4

Strains are injuries that affect muscles or tendons, thick bands that attach muscles to bones. They occur in response to a quick tear, twist, or pull of the muscle. Strains are an acute type of injury that results from overstretching or over contraction. Pain, weakness, and muscle spasms are common symptoms experienced after a strain occurs.

Sprains are injuries that affect ligaments, thick bands of cartilage that attach bone to bone. They occur in response to a stretch or tear of a ligament. Sprains are an acute type of injury that results from trauma such as a fall or outside force that displaces the surrounding joint from its normal alignment. Sprains can range from a mild ligamentous stretch to a complete tear. Bruising, swelling, instability, and painful movement are common symptoms experienced after a sprain occurs.

RICE is the acronym used for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. It is used as the best initial treatment of soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, and contusions. The combination of RICE helps reduce inflammation that occurs after acute injury. It is important to remember that the earlier this treatment is put into place, the more effective it is.

Rest: Rest and protect the injured area. If it hurts to bear weight on the injury, use crutches, or a cane.

Ice: Apply ice to the injury. The cold will reduce swelling and pain at the injured site. This step should be done as soon as possible. Apply the frozen object to the area for 20 minutes three times a day for the first 48 hours.

Compression: Compress the injured site. This will decrease swelling of the injured region. Although the wrap should be snug, make sure it is not too tight as this can cause numbness, tingling, or increased pain.

Elevation: Elevate the injured area above the level of the heart as much as possible. This technique will also assist in reducing the amount of swelling to the injured site.

Once the pain and swelling are eliminated, you should start gradual range of motion exercises but not to the point of pain. Each day your range of motion will increase slightly. Continue until you have complete range of motion. Than start gentle strengthening exercises to re-build the strength in the ankle.

The stiffness will go away over time.

Good Luck

Answer 5

Yes, you can treat it at home if you are satisfied nothing is broken. You need to support it with a bandage, especially while putting any weight on it. Ice will help reduce the swelling.
Do not be tempted to massage or manipulate a sprain, it will make it worse and take longer to heal. Rest is the main ingredient for recovery.

Answer 6

I badly sprained my ankle about 3 weeks ago. I was in a hurry going down the stairs, lost my balance and landed on a bad side of my left foot, causing my left ankle to be stretched going on the inside. The first 48 hours were excruciating and the pain was un-believable. I've never had a serious ankle injury before.

So I immediately treated it using the RICE method. The following day, the bruising and swelling were so horrible. I found out that I got a second degree sprain and immediately panicked after that. I had a football game on that week and it been looking forward to it because I've been training for rt. I had teammates that had similar injuries and it took them months to fully recover, some of them stopped playing altogether. So I kinda had a short-term depression because I can't imagine myself not being able to run and play sports anymore.

Because I was so desperate to recover again, I contacted a lot of people that I know who do sports and asked them if they had similar injuries. One friend of mine, from the boy's football team in my university, told me about H.E.M. Ankle Rehab. I got a copy 4 days after I got injured. I immediately read and followed what was instructed and felt improvement on the first day. I was able to walk a bit, but I was in pain.

A couple of days after that, the swelling and bruising were subsid-ing significantly and on the fourth day, I was walking comfortably again. Although I've had felt a bit of stiffness, I continued doing what was instructed. My sister was surprised that I have recovered this fast. I told her about this book and was shocked on how effective the procedures were. I'm just so happy that this book was shared to me and how effective it is.

Heal your ankle fully & fast?

Answer 7

I use arnica for a sprain (it's a homeopathic remedy) and it works very well. I once sprained my ankle badly on a walk and I took some arnica. 15 minutes later I was able to finish the walk.

Answer 8

see a physio to be on the safe side you may only damage it more by moving it wrong

Answer 9

RICE is enough.