How to Relieve the Swelling & Pain of a Sprain

Sprains to the ankle are common.

Your bones and joints are connected by ligaments. The ligaments are fibrous and stretchy, allowing for the movement of your limbs. When a ligament is forced into an abnormal position, a sprain will occur. According to the Mayo Clinic, certain factors such as improperly warming up before physical activity and fatigue may result in a sprain injury. Depending on how severe your injury was, relief of your symptoms will vary. You may want to consult with a physician to determine how to treat your sprain.

Things You'll Need

• Over-the-counter pain medication
• Elastic bandages
• Crutches (if necessary)
• Ice pack
• Pillow

Instructions

1. 

   Over-the-counter medications can help with pain.

   Take over-the-counter medications that include ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with symptoms of pain. Take medications as directed and don't mix your pain relievers.

2. 

   Keep weight off your affected limb.

   Use elastic bandages to wrap your sprain. Use crutches to help you walk if you have an ankle sprain. As indicated by the Mayo Clinic, using crutches will prevent further damage to the affected limb.

3. 

   Stay immobile during your recuperation period.

   Rest your sprained limb. This will help alleviate your pain.

4. 

   Use ice for your sprain.

   Use ice to help with swelling and pain. If you have an ankle sprain, you can dip your affected ankle into an ice bath. Apply ice for 15 minutes at a time.

5. 

   Use a pillow to elevate your sprain.

   Place a pillow under your sprain while resting. This will keep your sprain elevated, which will prevent swelling.

Tips & Warnings

• Ibuprofen also helps alleviate symptoms of swelling.

• Unless you experienced a severe sprain, narcotic pain relievers won't be necessary.

• Wrap your injury without constricting the area.

• Loosen you bandages if your sprained injury becomes more painful, if the affected area becomes numb or if swelling begins to develop just below the bandages.

• See a physical therapist if you sustained an ankle sprain. A physical therapist will help you learn exercises to strengthen your ligaments after a sprain.

• Don't do strenuous activity until your physician allows you to become active.

• Too much activity while you're recuperating can cause further damage to your injury.

• See your physician if your sprain becomes red or hot to the touch. This is a sign of infection.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Sprains and Strains First Aid
• Mayo Clinic: Sprain First Aid

Resources

• Mayo Clinic: Sprained Ankle