You usually associate ankle injuries with children falling off the slide or not watching where they step. However, ankle sprains can happen to just about anyone, especially when you’re older. If you think you or your child have an ankle sprain, here are the steps you should take.
Determine if it’s really injured
While breaks are fairly easy to determine, a sprain may prove a little more difficult. If you simply twist your ankle the wrong way or land on it funny, you might experience a mild pain that’s quick to go away. However, a mild or serious sprain occurs when the ligaments in your ankle tear or become overstretched, causing pain and tenderness.
You may need to visit an “urgent care near me” if you’re suffering from any of the following symptoms:
- You felt or heard a pop when the injury occurred
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Tenderness, especially when touched
- Numbness or cold
- Stiffness
Remember that you’re more likely to experience an ankle sprain if you’ve had one before. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to determine whether or not to visit a 24 hour urgent care. If this is your child’s first ankle sprain, search for urgent care pediatrics near me to get a proper diagnosis.
Wrap it up
A sprained ankle can heal on its own if you take care of it properly. It’s important to limit movement of your ankle so the ligaments can heal properly. You want to wrap it in a compress to reduce swelling, but don’t wrap it tightly enough to stop blood flow. You’ll also want to elevate the ankle and use ice to soothe the area.
Go to an urgent care
While you might be tempted to go to an emergency room, a sprained ankle is no cause for serious alarm. An estimated 25,000 Americans will get a sprained ankle every day, making them one of the most common injuries around.
As such, it’s better not to clutter up the emergency room. However, to truly determine if the ankle is sprained, you might not be able to wait to schedule a doctor’s appointment. Search for an “urgent care near me” when you want to visit a free clinic. They will be able to tell you if it’s truly sprained and their trained professionals can offer you advice to heal the injury. If your child suffers from a sprained ankle, searching for “urgent care pediatrics near me” may yield better results.