An ankle sprain is what drove almost 7.5 million Americans to hospital Emergency Departments between 2010 and 2024. Accidents that cause sprains are all too common, whether you trip over something, twist your ankle while playing your favorite sport, or encounter another mishap.
The difficult thing to determine? If you sustain an ankle sprain, when is it OK to care for it at home, and when should you seek medical treatment?
At Midwest Foot & Ankle Associates, Dr. Biren Shah cares deeply about his patients and always strives to create treatment plans that are appropriate, targeted, and successful. He’s also invested in educating patients about when to handle an issue at home and when it's better to visit our office.
When you sprain your ankle, it’s your ankle ligament — or ligaments — that are affected. Your ligaments are rubbery tissue bands that perform important functions. They attach bone to bone, connecting and stabilizing joints like the ankles by restricting side-to-side movement.
Sprained ankle symptoms are no joke. You’ll likely experience pain, aching, swelling, and mobility limitations, such as trouble walking while putting your full weight on your ankle. You might also notice that your ankle feels stiff and has visible bruising.
Dr. Shah sees patients with sprains of varying severity. The treatment you require depends on whether the ligament(s) in your affected ankle are stretched, partially torn, or fully torn. You might also have just one or multiple affected ligaments.
In a word, always. A sprained ankle can fool you, especially if you’ve had previous injuries. For instance, you may sense some instability after a sprain, but more tenderness than pain and little to no swelling.
Unfortunately, this puts you at risk for worsening the sprain by not taking measures to support healing, such as resting or wrapping the ankle. Over time, this can increase your risk of repeat sprains.
Other potential problems that can occur by skipping evaluation and treatment for a sprained ankle include:
Thus, we recommend taking the “better safe than sorry” route when it comes to addressing a sprained ankle.
Dr. Shah’s treatment plan is informed by a thorough evaluation, a detailed conversation with you, and imaging tests.
When you consult with Dr. Shah, he may recommend:
Treatments such as the RICE approach (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) and medication help manage pain and swelling. Physical therapy/rehab improves your range of motion, ankle stability, and strength.
Dr. Shah and the Midwest Foot & Ankle Associates team care about your long-term ankle strength and health, and we’re here to help before, during, and after treatment.
Contact our Rockford or Elgin office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Shah, or book one using our convenient online booking tool.
