Last Thursday, right after the most anticipated June 2008 nursing exam results emerged in the world wide web, I was brought into a trance. I was dancing and jumping with joy when I saw my friends' names in the list. I ran all over the living room and the kitchen vice versa then tripped on the floor up in the hallway. The hallway is half-a-foot elevated from the living room. I stood up in shame and went back to my room to check some of my batch mates' names who did not make it last December, hoping to see their names too. After a run through of my year book for their names on the list, I went to sleep. Not until morning, I felt an ache on my right ankle. After doing some assessment and a flexion, I presume that no fracture of any sort happened to my ankle but rather a sprain. It is an injury of the ligaments surrounding by a sudden overstretching of the muscles. Tearing of the ligaments also happens but usually on a more complex mechanism of injury. Here are the steps to alleviate the discomfort from minor sprains and conservative treatment: Immediate treatment should be R.I.C.E. but the P.R.I.C.E. is much better.
Protection: It is necessary to protect the injured site from elements that will aggravate the injury like extremes of temperature or a bump from your stubborn nieces and nephews.
Rest: The sprain should be rested. No additional force should be applied on site of the sprain. If, for example, the sprain were an ankle sprain, then walking should be minimized.
Ice: Ice should be applied immediately to the sprain to minimize swelling and ease pain. Apply it for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times a day.
Compression: Dressings, bandages, or wraps should be used to immobilize the sprain and provide support.
Elevation: Keeping the sprained joint elevated above heart level will also help minimize the swelling.
I would like to tell everyone if symptoms persists consult your doctor. My intentions are for minor sprains. Radiographic test are still recommended to ensure the diagnosis of the injury and a good history (this includes mechanism of injury, hearing a snap at the injured site, discoloration and swelling etc.) is essential. The extent of tissue damage that occurs during an injury depends on the direction and magnitude of the forces and the position of the foot and ankle during the trauma. Ankle sprains occur more often in athletes who have had previous ankle sprains. The most common mechanism of injury is a person or athlete who “rolled” over the outside of his or her ankle like what I've experienced last Thursday (the image above).
Protection: It is necessary to protect the injured site from elements that will aggravate the injury like extremes of temperature or a bump from your stubborn nieces and nephews.
Rest: The sprain should be rested. No additional force should be applied on site of the sprain. If, for example, the sprain were an ankle sprain, then walking should be minimized.
Ice: Ice should be applied immediately to the sprain to minimize swelling and ease pain. Apply it for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times a day.
Compression: Dressings, bandages, or wraps should be used to immobilize the sprain and provide support.
Elevation: Keeping the sprained joint elevated above heart level will also help minimize the swelling.
I would like to tell everyone if symptoms persists consult your doctor. My intentions are for minor sprains. Radiographic test are still recommended to ensure the diagnosis of the injury and a good history (this includes mechanism of injury, hearing a snap at the injured site, discoloration and swelling etc.) is essential. The extent of tissue damage that occurs during an injury depends on the direction and magnitude of the forces and the position of the foot and ankle during the trauma. Ankle sprains occur more often in athletes who have had previous ankle sprains. The most common mechanism of injury is a person or athlete who “rolled” over the outside of his or her ankle like what I've experienced last Thursday (the image above).
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