Photo via Kansas City Chiefs

Ankle sprains account for nearly 77 percent of all sports injuries, so there's a high probability an athlete will experience one at some point while playing sports.

Immediate care for the injured ankle is important for reducing pain and reducing time away from play. The best care is to have your local athletic trainer evaluate and send home a specific care program.

For athletes at the 40 percent or so of schools without a full-time athletic trainer, here are some basics for home care until you can see an athletic trainer, physical trainer or physician.

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Immediately after the injury, it's important to identify the location of pain. Pain that's located over the malleolus – or bony portion on the outside of the foot, close to the ankle – should probably be taken to the hospital for evaluation. If there's any doubt about location of pain, a local urgent care facility is a great secondary option. Athletes should also go to an urgent care if they can't walk. If none of those precautionary items apply, then it's probably safe to continue self-care at home.

Self-care starts right after injury. If ice is available, carefully remove shoe, loosening the laces as much as possible before removal. Pack some ice in a plastic bag, then cover the bag in a towel. Elevate the ankle, and place the ice around it. This will help reduce pain and swelling. Continue to apply ice for 20-30 minutes.

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If an Ace bandage is available, wrap the ankle from bottom to top to keep swelling at bay. If no wrap is available, the next best thing is a tight tube sock reaching at least mid-calf.

 

Apply ice every hour for 20 minutes during the rest of the day with the ankle elevated, but not during sleep. If the athlete can manage without pain, wiggle the toes or point and flex the ankle to reduce swelling and maintain range of motion.

Once swelling has subsided and pain is tolerable, you could begin some basic rehab. This includes walking, balance and strengthening. It’s best to get with an athletic trainer to personalize the rehab and monitor the athlete’s progress for any signs of re-injury or setbacks. Some basic rehab exercises are:

• Walking on toes then heels pointed straight, out, then in
• Ankle bands exercises
• Single leg balance
• Standing calf stretch

 

 

If there's any sign of swelling, continue with ice and compression with a wrap or sock. After rehab or activity, if the ankle feels at all sore, ice can help alleviate any pain and reduce the likelihood of swelling. Progress slowly through the exercises, don’t push too hard.

For the best results, contact your local athletic trainer.

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Tiffany Morton graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. She later completed her masters of science in athletic training at Florida International University. She worked two years as a high school athletic trainer at Miami Southridge before starting her NFL career, first as a summer intern for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 followed by a seasonal internship with the Kansas City Chiefs. In March 2016, Morton joined the Chiefs sports medicine staff as an assistant athletic trainer.