Treating an Ankle Sprain

Millions of people roll their ankle every year. “It could be really anything. A rolled ankle could lead to a broken bone, a ligament tear, a broken foot even,” said Lee Health Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Diana Young. While rolling your ankle is more of a general term, “What an ankle sprain refers to is damage to the ligaments around the ankle.”

The severity of the ankle sprain depends on the number of ligaments involved and the extent to which the ligaments are torn. “It can happen in sports, it can happen walking down the stairs, just tripping over uneven ground. It can really happen in any situation to anyone in any age group,” said Dr. Young. If you do sprain your ankle, “Put some ice on it and just see how it goes. Sometimes it’s a minor sprain, the pain goes away, you’re able to keep walking, and doing your activities. Other times after an ankle is rolled it hurts so much you can’t put any weight on it at all; in those cases it be good to get that checked out.”

Some people may be more susceptible to sprains, but there are steps you can take to lower your risk. “Just working on ankle strength in general, especially if you’re someone who has had sprains in the past, that’s definitely a good place to start to prevent further sprains. Also wearing appropriate footwear for the sport you’re playing,” said Dr. Young. When in doubt, its best to have the injury checked out by a medical professional.

Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.