​What to do if the joint is swollen after spraining your foot

Many friends often sprain their feet when playing football or doing other sports. Women wearing high heels also often experience this when going downstairs. So what should you do if your joints become swollen after spraining your foot? At this time, you need to confirm whether the bones are injured. If the bones are not injured, you can take appropriate physical therapy on your own, rest more, and do not exercise.

1. What to do if your ankle is sprained and swollen

Some people sprain their ankle and feel that the pain is mild and it is not a big deal, so they continue to force themselves to exercise or walk. This is a very wrong practice. This will not only prolong the recovery time, but may also cause sequelae. Therefore, if you sprain your ankle, you should stop exercising or walking immediately and rest more.

If small blood vessels rupture and bleed after a sprained ankle, you should immediately apply ice to the injured area to cause the blood vessels to contract when exposed to the cold, thereby controlling the amount of bleeding. It is best to continue applying cold compress to the injured area for half an hour, and apply cold compress every hour. This can reduce the amount of bleeding in the injured area, reduce internal bleeding or congestion, and effectively relieve pain.

If the ankle sprain is severe, you can use a bandage to fix the injured area, but be careful not to tie it too tightly to prevent swelling, and try to reduce walking and exercise as much as possible.

If possible, it is recommended to go to the hospital to take an X-ray to see if the bones are injured. If the bones are not injured, just rest at home and apply bandages, cold compresses, and anti-inflammatory drugs. If the bones are injured, you need to follow the doctor's advice for treatment.

Once the foot injury has improved significantly, appropriate recovery exercises can be performed. This can promote blood circulation and joint repositioning, thereby promoting recovery.

2. Precautions

Try not to move as much as possible to avoid further injury and swelling.

If it is an acute sprain, it is best to apply cold compress within 72 hours of the sprain. When applying cold compress, do not put ice directly on the injured area. Instead, wrap it with cloth and then put it on the injured area to avoid frostbite.

Generally, 72 hours after the injury, the pain and swelling have stabilized, and hot compresses can be used to dilate blood vessels and dissipate blood stasis.

When sleeping, keep the affected area elevated to avoid putting pressure on the injured area.