No amount of advice can take the place of what a doctor will tell you when you have ankle injuries, however, there are some simple things that you can keep in mind to help your injury heal faster. If you do not take the time to care for any injury in the right way, things could get worse and you can delay healing. The ankle is tricky because it needs to be healthy for you to stand, walk, and run. Without use of either ankle, you are pretty restricted in what you can do and where you can go. Proper care will help you get your life back sooner.
Most ankle injuries occur by accident. Sometimes, you can use and abuse your body and it takes it, and other times it takes one small turn or twist to cause a lot of pain and damage. It doesn't seem fair but that is some times how ankle injuries happen. If you feel that you have done something to your ankle, even if you do not yet feel any pain, stop what you are doing and sit down. Take off your socks and shoes to examine your ankle. Look for any signs of color change or swelling. If you do not see any, and you do not develop any pain, you are probably okay, even if you think you twisted it pretty hard.
Most of the time, ankle injuries will swell up pretty fast, and you will notice some bruising. This usually comes with pain. If you can not step on your foot without feeling pain, do not walk on it any longer. You may be tempted to ice it or to put heat on it, but this is good for some ankle injuries and not so good for others. Before you do either, talk to your doctor about what you should and should not do. You can elevate the ankle and rest it, but do not administer any other treatment until you know more about what is going on.
Ankle injuries that are considered to be minor may be made worse if you walk on them before your doctor tells you that it is okay. A sprain usually heals pretty fast as long as you do not rush it. Remember that all of the weight of your body will press on your ankle and putting that on an injury before it is healed can cause a lot of damage and delay your healing significantly. No matter how stir-crazy or bored you feel, stay off of an ankle until the time is right to get moving again.
Sometimes, ankle injuries are more serious and require a much longer healing time. Bones can fracture and even shatter. These are the most painful ankle injuries and the ones that take the longest to heal. At times, they never completely heal. If your doctor recommends you stay off of your ankle for six weeks, do not put any weight on it - even one day early. If surgery is recommended, it is probably because it is necessary for proper healing. Trying to walk when you should not or turning down necessary help can mean a lifetime of painful walking, if you can walk at all.