Emergency treatment and four stages of recovery for ankle sprains

Life lies in exercise. Many people like to exercise. However, accidents are inevitable during strenuous exercise. Ankle sprain is a common sports injury. So what are the four recovery stages of ankle sprain?

Acute stage

During this phase the injured limb should be protected, rested, iced, compressed, and elevated. Protection is to prevent excessive movement; rest can reduce swelling and bleeding; ice can constrict surrounding blood vessels, reduce blood flow and reduce swelling; compression can combat swelling. Elevating the injured limb helps reduce swelling in the joint and tension in the injured ligaments.

Subacute phase

Once you enter this stage, you need to do some reasonable exercise. This will reduce muscle atrophy, maintain range of motion, and reduce the chance of scar tissue formation. The initial purpose of the exercise is to stimulate the recovery of torn ligaments. You can do forward and backward flexion and extension exercises, bilateral exercises from the inside to the outside, and isometric contraction exercises in turn. During exercise, the principle of "multiple repetitions within a comfortable and painless range" should be followed.

Recovery period

When you can stand normally without pain and walk without limping, you have entered the recovery stage. This is the time to restore strength and lost range of motion. You can use rubber bands, dumbbells or barbell plates, and strength training equipment to do resistance training for the ankle muscles.

Functional training period

At this point, you can move as usual, but you should continue to do regular ankle strength and proprioception exercises. In addition, it is recommended that you use tape or bandages when exercising to limit the range of motion of the ankle and reduce the risk of injury. Keep your feet elevated, and remember: cold compresses need to be applied for 20 minutes at a time.