What should you do for a student who has just sprained an ankle?

Treatment for an ankle sprain usually includes:

1. protecting the ankle by taping, wearing a lace-up ankle brace, or ankle splint.
2. rest to prevent reinjury and limit swelling.
3. pain medicine.
4. treatments to help with swelling such as:
5. warm compresses or a heating pad (only after the swelling goes down)

How long should a child stay off a sprained ankle?

If the ankle sprain is minor, recovery can take place within two to three weeks. With more severe ankle sprains, the healing time can take six to eight weeks for a full recovery.

How long should I stay home with a sprained ankle?

Grade 1 sprained ankle recovery time is anywhere from 2 weeks to a month, normally closer to the two-week mark with proper treatment. A grade 1 sprained ankle can be treated almost entirely at home.

Can a sprained ankle go away in a day?

Pain from a sprained ankle is usually persistent — it won’t just go away on its own in a few hours or by the next day. Other symptoms of a sprained ankle include: Swelling of your ankle joint.

How can you walk on a sprained ankle without crutches?

This is why most people with an acute ankle sprain will not be given crutches. Always try to walk normally, with your heel striking the floor first, then rocking forward on your foot and pushing off with your toes.

Should I keep my shoe on if I sprained my ankle?

Should I Leave My Shoe On My Foot? NO! A common misconception about ankle sprains is that you should leave your shoe on your foot to compress swelling, but this actually can cause more damage down the road. Immediately after the injury occurs, you should remove your shoe, and use ice to reduce pain and swelling.

Can you play on a Grade 1 ankle sprain?

For the common Grade 1 sprain, I typically see return to play with a brace at 1-2 weeks after injury. For the common Grade 2 sprain, I typically see return to play with a brace at 4-5 weeks after injury.

Can you roll your ankle while sleeping?

Any action that pulls the foot in an unnatural direction can cause a sprain. Being involved in a car accident, getting your foot trapped under an object, or even rolling your foot in the covers as you sleep can cause the ligaments to stretch too far.

Should I ice my sprained ankle?

You should only use ice for up to 20 minutes at a time. If your skin feels numb, it’s time to remove the ice. Use ice treatments every 2 to 4 hours for the first 3 days after your injury. Compression: You can wrap your sprained ankle to avoid swelling and bruising.

Should I stretch a sprained ankle?

Generally, you can begin range-of-motion and stretching exercises within the first 48 hours and should continue until you’re as free of pain as you were before your sprain. Start to exercise seated on a chair or on the floor. As your sprained ankle improves, you can progress to standing exercises.

Should I ice my ankle overnight?

If icing your sprained ankle provides relief, do it. Use an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes every two to three hours for the first 72 hours. This may not be appropriate for people with health conditions, such as diabetes, damage to the peripheral nervous system (peripheral neuropathy), or vascular disease.