How to Heal a Broken Ankle
A broken ankle can be an extremely painful experience, even if it is fractured just a few millimeters. No matter what you did to your ankle to break it (typical causes include sports injuries or twisting your ankle), it is important to allow it to heal properly. If you don't give your ankle adequate time to heal it may result in permanent injury or one that will need to be corrected surgically.
Instructions
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Ice the ankle right away if you suspect you have broken it. To avoid further pain, wrap an ice pack in a paper towel before placing it on your skin. Symptoms of a broken ankle include swelling, tenderness to the touch, bruising, inability to bear weight on the ankle and a popping sound the moment the injury occurred.
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Go to the doctor immediately. She will likely order X-rays and perform an examination to tell you what to do next.
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Wear the cast or brace the doctor prescribes to you for as long as is necessary. In more extreme cases, you may require surgery before receiving a brace.
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Use crutches or a wheelchair to move around while your ankle is healing. Although it may be tempting to stand on your ankle, this will only weaken it.
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Take anti-inflammation medication as prescribed by your doctor. If you are in severe pain, she may give you extra-strength anti-inflammatory medicine to help ease it.
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Follow your doctor's instructions after the brace or cast is removed. She may ask you to continue using crutches and enroll in physical therapy so your ankle will be as strong as possible. Follow her advice, as jumping back into physical activities too soon after an injury can cause a re-injury of the same area.
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