It is important for everyone to know how to wrap a sprained ankle. After you have made sure you are dealing with a sprain rather than a fracture or break then you will want to sit the individual down with their foot up with ice on the weakened area. Sprains will come with both bruising and swelling so if you are not 100% positive this is limited to a sprain it is highly recommended you visit your doctor after the dressing is complete. Ankle sprains are a big deal, and they should never be treated otherwise.
How To Wrap A Sprained Ankle
Now that you have your patient comfortable you will want to gather some basic supplies. If this is your first time then you are about to learn how to wrap a sprained ankle. You will need compression tape and clips. You will also need felt padding that will need to be cut into a u shape. This will go around the ankle bone on the each side of the foot. It should be about 1/2 an inch thick. It is ok if you have to put a couple of thinner pieces together to make this possible. Ask the person who has the sprain to hold them in place on both sides of their ankle.If you are not sure how to wrap a sprain maybe you should call someone to guide you through it. There are also a lot of posted videos and sites that can help you with the procedure.
If you are ready to start and have a general idea what to do you will now begin wrapping the ankle starting at the ball of your patients foot. Make your first loop somewhat tight, but do not wrap it so tight that you cut off circulation. Just be sure that it is not going to slip if you give it a gentle tug. Firmly but not too tightly wrap working your way toward the ankle sprain. You should get about 3 to 4 loops to be at your target. If you are not 100% sure how to wrap a sprained ankle be extra careful about the resistance you are putting on the bandage.
You will then begin wrapping around the ankle while keeping the donuts you’ve made in place on the bone. At this point you will want to come back down making a figure eight crossing at the top of the ankle with your tape or ace bandage. You will repeat this moving a bit higher on the ankle each time. Do this about three times and one inch over the sprain. If you have extra you can continue to wrap above the sprain but be careful not to make it too tight. Watch for slipping or discomfort not related to a sprain to know whether or not you will need to readjust the bandage. If any tingling or discoloration is involved it is cutting vital circulation and will cause farther damage if it is not re-wrapped. Whether or not you know how to wrap a sprained ankle these effects will be very clear.
The first two days following the sprain is considered to be a real critical time for prevention and treatment. You will want to limit all of your activities. This is no time to try to walk around needlessly or do any strengthening exercises. Do not put a lot of weight on it until you have no pain, and you are not limping.For two days you will want to use an ice pack and keep the injury elevated for up to 15 minutes but no longer than 20 every 4 hours. You can use anything frozen for this. If you fail to monitor your time using the cold therapy tissue damage will begin after 20 minutes of being exposed to the freezing temperature. When you know how to wrap a sprained ankle then you know everything from beginning to end is equally important.
Use the ankle compression we discussed earlier. Do this especially during the early treatment of the injury. When you elevate the injured ankle it is commonly known you should place the weakened area above the heart to achieve any results. Use a pillow to prop your ankle on at night just under the wounded area, and do not stand too fast when you get up. This is all part of knowing how to wrap a sprained ankle, because it all must coincide together for ultimate healing.
You have to keep in mind your ankle bears the brunt of your body mass and weight. Just because it is not hurting does not mean you have the green light just yet. The cause of a sprain is basically an awkward movement of the foot such as rolling. The ligaments that are around your joint then become stretched farther than they should. In some cases these ligaments will even tear. It is best to see your doctor when you get a sprain. There could be damage that you are now aware of. Sometimes a nasty sprain that is not attended to will cause you problems throughout your life.You should know how to wrap a sprained ankle whether you have ever had one or not .
After the first 72 hours if you have managed to control the swelling its time to work on rehabilitation and strengthening. This will help tremendously to prevent re-injury of the weakened ankle. It is suggested to get an elastic exercise band with mild resistance win the begging. If it is too strong you run a high risk of re-injury. These Resistance bands are easily found. It is good to have one on hand. This is important if you play sports, or if you do anything that will increase your risk of ankle injuries. At this stage of treatment knowing how to wrap a sprained ankle is very important. There is not always going to be someone there to do it for you.
Move your ankle inwards and outwards as these are the typical ankle spring areas. Wrap the band around your ankle just above the foot. Keep the opening in your hand and coming from the side of your body. You may also tie it off to a chair leg or some other sturdy object. Slide the band just to the arch of your foot and begin slowly rolling the ankle back and forth with the resistance band staying at the foots arch. This strengthens the muscles that pull your ankle out of the position when you are about to roll it. You are in charge of the resistance band. It is not in charge of you. Do not allow it to pull your ankle back. Keep resistance in both back and forth motions. Do this 15 times. If you feel pain you should how to wrap a sprained ankle by now, so re-wrap the weakened area and elevate it.
How To Wrap A Sprained Ankle – The Conclusion
Switch sides where the opening of the resistance band is now on the opposite side than it was before. You will be repeating the same motion, but the resistance will now be coming from the other side. Start with your foot out and roll it inwards. This will strengthen the inner muscles on the inside leg and foot. It is also very beneficial with strengthening the arch. As discussed early on knowing how to wrap a sprained ankle is vital since we never know if we are going to have to do it.
