What to do if your ankle is swollen and painful

When people walk and exercise in their daily lives, they must pay attention to protecting their ankles, because the joints on the ankles are prone to sprains. After a sprain occurs, you must go to the hospital for correction in time. However, most people's ankles will swell after a sprain. The ankle will not only swell, but also feel painful. So what should I do if my ankle is swollen and painful due to a sprain?

Methods/Steps

1. Stop exercising or walking, and do not let the injured ankle joint bear weight, otherwise, it will only cause greater damage to the joint.

2. Use cold and hot compresses correctly. In the early stage of sprain, the ruptured small blood vessels are bleeding. At this time, cold compresses can be used to make the blood vessels contract and clot. You can put some ice cubes in a plastic bag and apply it to the injured area. After 24 hours, the bleeding from the ruptured blood vessels stops. At this time, hot compress can be used to promote the dissipation of blood stasis around the sprain.

3. Massage the sprained area correctly. In the early stage of sprain, it is better to apply continuous pressure on the hematoma; after 24 hours, kneading should be performed, rubbing in the surrounding areas with the swollen area as the center.

4. Carry out appropriate activities. In the early stages of a sprain, you should stop activity and elevate the injured limb; after 24 hours, as long as it is not very painful, you can gradually increase the activity of the foot and ankle.

Precautions

If you feel severe pain when moving your ankle, are unable to stand or move, and swelling appears quickly after the injury, then you most likely have a fracture and should go to the hospital immediately to get an X-ray.

If the swelling does not improve after treatment at home, you should go to the hospital immediately for an X-ray to see if there is any fracture.