Sprained wrist? Sprained ankle? – Treat them effectively

Sprained wrist? Sprained ankle? – Treat them effectively

One of the suckiest things to get when you are in a middle of a tournament deciding match, or even if you are just walking to your next class or meeting is accidentally stepping wrongly is a sprained ankle. Because of the irritation that you might feel, you might get the urge to punch the ground and get a sprained wrist.

Doesn’t that just suck balls?

The next thing that will happen is that your ankle or wrist might swell into a red ball of flesh. At this point, you will have a hard time walking or carrying things. Of course, being the smart person that you are, you will not just let your limbs remain red and puffy. 

Here are a few important pointers when handling or treating a sprained ______.

1.       Make sure not to put any additional pressure on the sprained part. Adding pressure will just inflame your muscles. This will make you feel pain a lot more. I am sure that you are sensible enough to not let that happen. If you injured your ankle, sit down or walk to the nearest bench/ seat. Do not worry, you will still be able to walk.

2.       Do not do anything strenuous that might injure you more. You should sit out the next match, especially if you are a football, soccer, or futsal player. We would not want you to be permanently maimed.

3.       Immediately apply cold compress. This will help with the inflammation of your muscles. Apply cold compress in short intervals so as not to make your foot numb enough to not feel any pain. Remember, pain is good. It reminds you that your limb is still attached to your body. LOL.

4. If you neglected on applying cold compress right after your incident and have let a day pass before giving it the proper attention, here is what you should do. You should apply hot compress, not hot enough to burn your skin and expose your muscles, and cold compress alternately. This will soften up your muscles. This is what my doctor suggested when I got my MCL tear on my knee after playing football, late one night. It took a few days before I was able to see my doctor and he suggested that I should do this.

The problem of not treating your sprained body part immediately is it gives room for the sprain to heal in a position that is not really normal. For example, I was playing basketball one time and the ball accidentally hit my pinky. I did not give it the proper attention because I thought it was just normal. Then a month later, I asked to see a doctor because I noticed that it was hard to straighten up my left pinky. The doctor prescribed methods but it was too late to make a complete recovery, even with the PT applying wax on my hand to soften it up. The muscle already hardened and it has been bent ever since.

Remember, always treat any injuries or sprained wrists or ankles immediately, so as to avoid any permanent damage.

Photo courtesy of http://www.emergencycareforyou.org