What should I do if my ankle is sprained and swollen? Teach you how to deal with

If you sprain your ankle, you should pay attention to rest and stop exercising. You should promptly assess the severity of your injury. You can apply cold compresses for a short period of time to reduce swelling. You can massage and apply hot compresses within 24 hours. You should exercise only after you have recovered and avoid standing for long periods of time.

1. Stop exercising. If you sprain your ankle while playing basketball, stop exercising immediately and rest to avoid aggravating the injury by exerting force on the injured part again. You can elevate your sprained foot or use items such as a backpack to elevate your foot, which can help venous return and reduce swelling and pain.

2. Determine the injury After spraining your ankle, you must first check and determine the injury. If you can still stand or even walk after spraining your ankle, it means it may be a mild sprain and you can try to treat it yourself. However, if deformity or bone friction sound or feeling occurs after the sprain, and you cannot stand or move, you may have serious ligament damage or ankle fracture. It is recommended to seek medical attention and treatment in time.

3. Apply cold compress to the injured area. If it is a mild sprain, apply an ice pack or cold towel to the injured area in time for about 15 minutes, and apply ice every two to three hours. It can slow down the local blood circulation in the injured area and cause blood vessels to constrict, thereby reducing pain and swelling.

4. Pressure bandage can be applied by using elastic bandage, triangular bandage, clothing and other items to apply pressure to the ankle joint and its surrounding area to fix the ankle joint, reduce the range of motion, reduce swelling, and prevent the injured part from being pulled further to aggravate the injury.

5. Massage and kneading: It is not advisable to rub the injured area immediately after a sprain, as this will cause a larger hematoma. It is recommended that you use appropriate massage methods 24 hours after the sprain, focusing on the sprained and swollen area, and gently massage in all directions around it.

6. Rest and recovery: It is very important to rest and recover after spraining your ankle while playing basketball. Never start playing basketball again before the sprain has healed. In the early stages of a sprain, you should avoid strenuous activities on the injured part, and even after the swelling has subsided, try to avoid standing for long periods of time.