Ankle Sprain

Spraining your ankle can be very serious or just a small inconvenience. There are various degrees of sprain you could experience, from severe to minor. Also you can either sprain your ankle by 'going over' on the outside or 'going over' on the inside of you ankle. By far the most common is to tip your ankle over on the outside and sprain the lateral ligaments as shown in the diagram on the left. 

You should always rest this and initially use ice to try to reduce any swelling. Elevate your leg and you may wish to wear compression bandages to help. 

If you have a significant amount of swelling and pain and are unable to weight bear it is advisable to get an expert opinion and and X-ray to confirm if there has been any fracture in the area. 

Either way you will require slow rehabilitation to get you ligaments, muscles and tendons recovered and functioning well. This wont happen overnight and you should gradually increase simple exercise over a 6 week period possibly 12 weeks depending on the severity of the sprain.

There are sometimes underlying causes of a sprained ankle especially if this is re-occurring. For example your foot function may be influencing the way your foot hits the floor. Of course walking / running on uneven surfaces can cause the ankle to unbalance and go over easily.

You may feel that a video consultation appointment with a Podiatrist may give more specific help and advice.New paragraph