What happens if I don't treat a sprain properly?
What Happens If You Don't Treat a Sprained Ankle Properly? A sprained ankle may seem like a minor injury at first (as long as you didn't severely sprain it), but if you don't take good care of it, complications may develop. The most common is a chronic condition that continues to plague your ankles, making activity difficult and painful.
What is the healing time for a sprain?
“A first degree sprain is a mild tear of the ligament, causing mild swelling and pain, and tends to recover quickly,” says Sampsell. First degree sprains often take 3 weeks to heal. But some people can recover in less time, while some need 4 or 5 weeks.
What are the treatment options for a sprain?
Treatment Options. Treatment of acute sprains is done normally with one or more of the following methods: A) Ice Treatment. This is the most common form of treatment used for acute injuries. Ice packs help in minimizing the swelling around the injury, especially if applied frequently within the first 48 hours.
When does a sprain require medical treatment?
People with a more severe ankle sprain — characterized by extreme bruising or swelling and an inability to bear weight on the foot without significant pain, or when there doesn’t seem to be any improvement over the first several days after the injury — should seek medical attention, Drs. SooHoo and Williams say.
What is the most common treatment for sprain and strain?
The main treatment (first aid) for all sprains and strains is RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Home remedies may include over-the-counter pain relievers. Physical therapy or massage may also be prescribed.
What is the first treatment for sprain?
Rest the patient and the injury. Apply an icepack (cold compress) wrapped in a wet cloth to the injury for 15 minutes every 2 hours for 24 hours and then for 15 minutes every 4 hours for 24 hours. Apply a compression elastic bandage firmly to the injury that extends well beyond the injury. Elevate the injured part.
How do you treat a sprain at home?
Self-careRest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort.Ice. Use an ice pack or ice slush bath immediately for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat every two to three hours while you're awake. ... Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the ankle with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. ... Elevation.
What is sprain and how sprain are treated?
A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments — the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together in your joints. The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle. Initial treatment includes rest, ice, compression and elevation. Mild sprains can be successfully treated at home.
Should you wrap a swollen foot?
Ice is best, especially for the first 48 hours after injury. Compression -- Wrapping a stretchable elastic bandage around your foot and ankle can help minimize swelling after injury. If you're going to wrap your ankle, it is best to put the bandage on first thing in the morning, and then take it off at bedtime.
When should I stop icing my sprained ankle?
After an acute injury, ice should be used to minimize swelling for the first two to three days. After this period, heat can be used to increase blood flow and assist the natural healing process. Applying heat too early may cause additional swelling by increasing blood flow to the injury.
Should you wrap a sprained ankle?
Proper initial care of your sprained ankle is critical. A compression wrap helps decrease swelling. If swelling is kept to a minimum, it may help your ankle feel better. Applying a compression wrap is easy and can be done at home.
Should I wrap a sprained ankle at night?
Most experts recommend that you only wrap your ankle during the day for support and protection, while you continue to ice, elevate and rest the injury. While some people feel a sense of comfort from a compression wrap at night—unless it provides pain relief, you shouldn't have your ankle wrapped while you sleep.
Is heat good for sprains?
Treatment for a Sprained Ankle So, typically, ice decreases blood flow to an area, which causes less swelling, whereas heat will bring blood flow to an area which can cause more swelling. Usually, in the first two to three days after an injury, we would recommend ice only.
How do you wrap a sprained foot?
Place the loose end at the edge of your foot, at the ball of your foot near the base of your toes. Hold the loose end in place. Apply some tension and wrap the rolled bandage around your foot and over the loose end. Continue to wrap around your foot, overlapping about half of the width of the bandage as you go.
How do you wrap a sprained ankle?
Wrap the bandage around the ball of your foot once, keeping it somewhat taut with a light pull. After this, slowly start circling your way around the arch of the foot. Pull the bandage diagonally from the bottom of the toes across the foot's top and circle it around the ankle.
How can you reduce swelling?
You can use ice packs, cold therapy systems, ice baths, or cryotherapy chambers to deliver cold to the affected area. Apply cold several times a day for 20-30 minutes at a time to help keep swelling down, especially in the first several days after an injury.
What is the treatment for a sprain?
Initial treatment for a sprain or strain includes R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Other treatment options may include: Physical therapy (to stretch and strengthen the injured muscles, ligaments, and tendons)
How to determine if a sprain is a sprain?
Specific treatment for a sprain or strain will be determined by your physician based on: 1 Your age, overall health, and medical history 2 Extent of the injury 3 Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies 4 Expectations for the course of the injury 5 Your opinion or preference
What to do if you have a torn ligament?
Surgery (especially if the injury is reoccurring or if a muscle, tendon, or ligament is badly torn) Be sure to consult your physician if there is a prolonged, visible deformity of the affected area, or if severe pain prevents use of arm, leg, wrist, ankle, or knee.
Can a sprain heal quickly?
Contusions, sprains, or strains may heal quite quickly, depending on one's age. It is important that the patient adhere to the activity restrictions and/or stretching and strengthening rehabilitation programs to prevent re-injury. Most sports injuries are due to either traumatic injury or overuse of muscles or joints.
How to reduce swelling after a sprain?
Ice the area. Use a cold pack, a slush bath or a compression sleeve filled with cold water to help limit swelling after an injury. Try to ice the area as soon as possible after the injury and continue to ice it for 15 to 20 minutes, four to eight times a day, for the first 48 hours or until swelling improves.
How to fix a sprained ankle?
Follow the instructions for R.I.C.E. 1 Rest the injured limb. Your doctor may recommend not putting any weight on the injured area for 48 to 72 hours, so you may need to use crutches. A splint or brace also may be helpful initially. But don't avoid all activity.#N#Even with an ankle sprain, you can usually still exercise other muscles to minimize deconditioning. For example, you can use an exercise bicycle with arm exercise handles, working both your arms and the uninjured leg while resting the injured ankle on another part of the bike. That way you still get three-limb exercise to keep up your cardiovascular conditioning. 2 Ice the area. Use a cold pack, a slush bath or a compression sleeve filled with cold water to help limit swelling after an injury. Try to ice the area as soon as possible after the injury and continue to ice it for 15 to 20 minutes, four to eight times a day, for the first 48 hours or until swelling improves. If you use ice, be careful not to use it too long, as this could cause tissue damage. 3 Compress the area with an elastic wrap or bandage. Compressive wraps or sleeves made from elastic or neoprene are best. 4 Elevate the injured limb above your heart whenever possible to help prevent or limit swelling.
What is the most common type of sprain?
Ankle sprains are the most common type of sprain. Wrist, knee and thumb sprains are also common. Sprained ligaments often swell rapidly and are painful. Generally, the greater the pain and swelling, the more severe the injury is. For most minor sprains, you probably can start initial injury treatment yourself.
What to do if you have a swollen shin?
As the pain and swelling improve, gently begin using the injured area. You should feel a gradual, progressive improvement. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), may be helpful to manage pain during the healing process.
How to treat a swollen limb?
If you use ice, be careful not to use it too long, as this could cause tissue damage. Compress the area with an elastic wrap or bandage. Compressive wraps or sleeves made from elastic or neoprene are best. Elevate the injured limb above your heart whenever possible to help prevent or limit swelling.
What is the best way to restore strength and stability to an injured limb?
A physical therapist or other sports medicine provider can provide you with the appropriate strength and stability exercises to optimize healing and minimize the risk of repeat injury .
How long should you rest a sprained limb?
Rest the injured limb. Your doctor may recommend not putting any weight on the injured area for 48 to 72 hours, so you may need to use crutches. A splint or brace also may be helpful initially. But don't avoid all activity.
What to do if you have a broken bone?
The doctor may need to immobilize the limb or joint with a splint, cast, or other device until healing is complete. Physical therapy can often be helpful to bring an injured joint back to normal.
How to treat a swollen limb?
Ice for 20 minutes every hour. Never put ice directly against the skin or it may damage the skin. Use a thin towel for protection. Compress by wrapping an elastic (Ace) bandage or sleeve lightly (not tightly) around the joint or limb.
How to treat swelling in finger?
Follow Up. 1. Control Swelling With RICE Therapy. RICE stands for: Rest the sprained or strained area. If necessary, use a sling for an arm injury or crutches for a leg or foot injury. Splint an injured finger or toe by taping it to an adjacent finger or toe. Ice for 20 minutes every hour.
What is the best medication for pain and inflammation?
Manage Pain and Inflammation. Give an over-the-counter NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) like ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin ), acetaminophen ( Tylenol ), or aspirin. Do not give aspirin to anyone under age 19. 3.
How to treat a sprain?
6. Treat your injury with over-the-counter pain relievers. These can help with pain and inflammation caused by your sprain. However, avoid aspirin, as this promotes bleeding and can therefore cause complications and extreme discoloration of the skin.
How to treat a sprain in the first aid?
Article Summary X. To treat a sprain during first aid, apply ice wrapped in a towel or a bag of frozen vegetables to the injured area as soon as possible to reduce swelling. Then, compress the sprain by wrapping a bandage around the joint, which will help protect the area from further damage.
How to heal a swollen joint?
Spread the herbal arnica salve or cream (available at pharmacies) on the injured joint to reduce inflammation and swelling as well as increase circulation; wrap with a bandage after application. ...
How to get a sprained arm to rest?
Sit or lie down with the injured knee or ankle propped up on a cushion. Use a sling for wrist or arm sprains to bring the limb above the heart. Sleep with your injured arm or leg propped on 1-2 pillows if you are able to.
What is a sprain in a sprain?
A sprain involves tearing the fibers in the ligaments holding the bones of your joints in place . [1] Sprains can cause severe pain, swelling, discoloration, and lack of mobility. Ligaments in joints heal quickly, and a sprain does not usually require surgery or other intense medical care.
How to treat a swollen ear?
Using an ice pack or cold compress, apply pressure to the injury for up to 3 days until the swelling goes down. Use any form of frozen compress such as ice cubes in a plastic bag, reusable chemical ice packs, a frozen towel, or even bags of frozen vegetables in a pinch.
How to sleep with a numb arm?
Sleep with your injured arm or leg propped on 1-2 pillows if you are able to. Raise the injured part to the same level as your heart if more elevation is impossible. Beware of any feelings of numbness or tingling and reposition your injured joint if you do; consult a doctor if this continues. ...
How to heal a sprained ankle?
To help your sprained ankle heal, you’ll need to ease the pain and bring down the swelling. Make an appointment right away for any ankle sprain, mild or severe. Your doctor will examine you and let you know if something more serious is wrong with your ankle.
What to do if your ankle is swollen and painful?
If your ankle is painful and swollen, remove ankle bracelets or toe rings right away. Then try the “RICE” method to ease your symptoms. RICE stands for “rest, ice, compress, and elevate.” Here’s how it works:
What is the most important therapy for injuries?
Perhaps the most important therapy for all injuries is rehabilitation. This may be a home exercise program that your doctor outlines, or it may be a formal physical therapy program. You should have an understanding before leaving the office or hospital of what work is expected to rehabilitate the injury.
What to do if you have a tear in your tendons?
In some cases, operations are required to fix complete tears of muscles or tendons to allow complete return of function and to allow those muscles to do their job of moving the body.
How long does it take for a knee sprain to heal?
The time frame for recovery depends on the severity of the injury. It may take just a few days for a slight sprain of an ankle to heal, or it may take months for a knee to heal that has to be surgically reconstructed. Perhaps the most important therapy for all injuries is rehabilitation.
What is the best way to rest a leg injury?
Sometimes, resting the injury requires some help. Slings for arm injuries or crutches for leg injuries can be used, in addition to a variety of removable splints to protect the injured area from further damage and movement. Resting also helps relieve some of the muscle spasm associated with the injury.
Why is stretching important?
Muscles need to be warmed up before exercise and work. A stretching program is helpful in minimizing the risk of injury. Even simple tasks at work can cause painful strains if the body is not ready to do the work.
Which is better, ibuprofen or naproxen?
Acetaminophen ( Tylenol) is helpful for pain, but ibuprofen ( Mot rin, Advil) or naproxen ( Aleve) might be better because these medications relieve both pain and inflammation. Remember to follow the guidelines on the bottle for appropriate dose of the medicine, especially for children and teens.
Can you use a nonremovable splint?
Occasionally, if the injury is especially severe, the physician may want to use a nonremovable splint made of plaster or fiberglass. Although the splint may look like a cast, it doesn't have plaster or fiberglass completely encircling the injured area.
What is the most common treatment for muscle strains?
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the most common and effective treatment for muscle strains is the RICE method . The individual letters of RICE stand for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. In particular, RICE involves the following:
What is the best treatment for a torn muscle?
Anti-inflammatory pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil) or aspirin can help reduce swelling and pain. Physical therapy may also be needed. Surgery is the typical treatment for torn or ruptured muscles. You and your doctor will discuss all surgical or nonsurgical options available to repair your muscle.
How to prevent muscle strains from recurring?
There are several ways you can prevent a muscle strain from recurring, including: allowing for proper time to heal from an injury. stretching your muscles daily. cross-training for sports by weightlifting or choosing another activity to strengthen your muscles. warming up before exercise or intense activity.
What is a muscle strain?
A muscle strain, or pulled muscle, occurs when your muscle is overstretched or torn. This can be minor and like soreness after an intense workout, or it can be so severe that it needs surgical repair. Muscle strains are a very common injury. Most people who participate in sports have experienced it at some point in their lives.
How to reduce swelling in a muscle?
Compress your muscle by applying a steady, gentle pressure on it. This prevents swelling and inflammation, which delay healing. Wrapping an elastic bandage around the affected muscle is best. Elevate the injury above your heart to reduce swelling. Use pillows or other devices to raise an affected limb while you rest.
How to heal a strained muscle?
This can help strained muscles and other injuries. Ice your muscle by using cold packs with a barrier between them and your skin four to eight times per day for 20 minutes at a time.
What is the best way to treat muscle strain?
Properly treating muscle strain requires the right supplies and a comfortable place to rest. You may need the following supplies: Depending on the muscle affected, you may need assistive devices to help stabilize the muscle, especially if it affects one of the limbs. These can include:
How to treat a sprained knee?
To treat a knee sprain, firmly wrap the injured knee with an elastic bandage or band to help reduce swelling and prevent your knee from moving around too much. Next, stay off your knee and rest it in an elevated position as much as possible.
How to reduce swelling in knee after a sprain?
To help reduce swelling, you should compress you knee in the days after your injury. You need to wrap your knee with an elastic bandage or band. Wrap the bandage tightly enough to support your knee and keep it from moving. However, make sure you do not wrap it so tight that it cuts off your circulation.
How long does it take for a knee sprain to heal?
Unfortunately, as you get older your body heals more slowly. It may take a minimum of three days to get back to normal, but it can also take longer, depending on the severity of the sprain. Thanks!
How does a knee sprain affect the ligaments?
A sprain can affect many of the ligaments in your knee by tearing the fibers of the tissues, which usually causes pain, swelling, and bruising. [1] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to source. If you have been diagnosed with a knee sprain, you can follow a few simple steps ...
What is a knee sprain?
This article has been viewed 576,701 times. A knee sprain is an injury to the ligaments in the knee, which are the tough, elastic-like bands in the knee that connect your bones together and hold your joints in place. A sprain can affect many of the ligaments in your knee by tearing the fibers of the tissues, which usually causes pain, swelling, ...
How to get a sprained knee to stop swelling?
Try to keep your knee above the level of your heart to decrease the blood flow and swelling to your knee. Sit back or lie down on your back. Place two or three pillows underneath your sprained knee to elevate it above your heart. The amount you need to elevate your knee will depend on your environment.
How to get rid of a swollen knee?
Ice your knee. In the first few days, you should ice your knee to help relieve inflammation and pain. Put ice cubes or crushed ice in a sealed plastic bag or take a bag of frozen veggies from the freezer. Wrap the bag in a towel or cloth. Place the ice pack on your knee for 20 minutes at a time.