Getting Help With My Toes

Treatments For An Ankle Sprain That Won't Heal On Its Own

18 July 2022

Arianna Nguyen

If you mildly sprain your ankle, you can usually take it easy for a few days, maybe ice it a little, and expect it to feel better quite soon. But what happens when you don't get the outcome you expect? What if it has been a few days or more, but your sprained ankle is still hard to walk on? Then, you should visit a podiatrist for treatment. Here are some of the treatments they may recommend.

A Boot

When you sprain your ankle, it is a ligament that you have pulled. In order to heal, that ligament needs to stay still and not have pressure on it. Sometimes, simply sitting around and not moving as much isn't enough rest to let the ligament heal. You may need to wear a boot to prevent your ankle from moving at all. Your podiatrist will recommend the best type of boot for you to wear. Expect to have it on for at least a few weeks.

NSAIDs

Perhaps you have already been taking pain relievers to keep your ankle comfortable. If they are not NSAID pain relievers, like ibuprofen or naproxen, your podiatrist will likely ask you to change over to these drugs. Ibuprofen and naproxen fall into a category known as NSAIDs. They work, in part, by reducing inflammation. This can encourage your ankle sprain to heal a lot faster. Once the inflammation is out of the way, the damaged tissues can get better blood flow, which leads to faster healing. Your podiatrist will tell you how often to take the NSAIDs and how long to keep taking them. It will be important not to skip doses, even when your ankle feels okay.

Cortisone Injections

If the sprain is a bit more serious, then your doctor may want to give you an injection of cortisone. This is a steroid; it stimulates the body to heal. It will be injected right into your ankle — if not directly in the sprained ligament, then very close to it. You should get some pain relief from the cortisone within a few hours, but what's more important is the healing that will happen in the coming weeks.

Usually, mild ankle sprains heal on their own with some rest. However, this does not always happen. If your ankle is still painful a few days after a slip or trip, then you should contact a podiatrist for ankle sprain treatment.

Share