How to Treat Various Ankle Grade Sprains
How to Treat Various Ankle Grade Sprains
Ankle sprains are common injuries that affect countless victims a year. An ankle sprain occurs when the ligaments in the ankle are torn or stretched. While most sprains are manageable with some rest and ice, some require rehabilitation treatment or a physical therapist in Glen Cove. If you’ve recently suffered from a mild to a severely sprained ankle, a physical therapist at Island Sports Physical Therapy in Glen Cove, East Northport, Huntington, Coram, East Meadow, and Smithtown can assist you and make sure you properly heal.
How Severe is My Sprain?
Depending on the severity of your injury, your condition may be placed on a grade scale to base your current ankle sprain:
- Grade 1 Sprain (Mild) – a person with this type of sprain may experience some tenderness around the sprain and ankle swelling. This sprain has the ligament fibers microscopically tearing and slight stretching.
- Grade 2 Sprain (Moderate) – symptoms of this grade moderate swelling around the ankle with more tender skin and muscle around the injury. In a grade 2 sprain, there’s partial tearing and can be shown through abnormal looseness in the ankle joint.
- Grade 3 Sprain (Severe) – in a severe sprain, the ligament is totally torn and the ankle is incredibly swollen.
How Can I Treat This?
There are some ways to treat your ankle sprains, whether it’s mild or severe. In addition to visiting a physical therapist in Glen Cove, there are some treatments you can perform yourself to help speed up your recovery:
- Rest – taking enough time to relax your injured foot allows your body to try and heal itself. Trying to limit the weight you put on the ankle is important as well. Putting your foot up while sitting or using crutches can help keep the stress off your foot.
- Ice – putting ice on an injury can help reduce the swelling for your injury. However, it’s important to put a cloth or a barrier between an ice pack and your skin. Be sure to also ice the ankle for no more than 20 minutes.
- Compression – wearing a brace or some type of device to keep your ankle stable can also help control the swelling of an injury and support the damaged body part.
- Elevation – whether it’s through reclining or propping it up, elevating your foot above the waist or heart is good support for your sprained foot.
The key to recovering from an ankle sprain is knowing how severe the injury is and what steps you can take in treating it. Whether it’s a grade 1 or a grade 3 sprain, a physical therapist in Glen Cove and proper care for the injured ankle will certainly make the difference in your rehabilitation process. At Island Sports Physical Therapy in Glen Cove, we’re dedicated to helping you recover from any injuries you have.
For more information on how we can treat your ankle sprains and other injuries, contact us today!
