Consumer Voice :: Senior Citizen Senior Children Relationship

BACK TO INDEX

SPRAINS

Sprains occur when you stretch or tear a ligament, a tough band of fibrous tissue that attaches one bone to another at a joint, such as the ankle or knee. You'll feel sharp pain, especially if you try to use the joint, and it may swell and turn black and blue.

Speed Healing

First, rest

If it's painful, don't put weight on the injured joint.

Ice it, ice it, ice it

Immediately ice a sprain to relieve the pain and decrease the swelling. Keep the ice on for 20 minutes and reapply three or four times a day until pain and swelling has decreased. Make sure that you wrap the ice in a cloth so that it isn't in direct contact with your skin, and you don't end up with frostbite.

Elevate the sprained joint

To reduce pain and swelling, you should raise your sprained joint above heart level.

Bandage it

Wrapping your sprained joint with an Ace-type bandage will compress the area around your joint and decrease the swelling. The wraping should be snug around the joint, but not so tight that your blood can't circulate freely.

Take a pain reliever

Anti-inflammatories such as aspirin and ibuprofen also will ease the pain. Use the dosage recommended on the package or ask your physician. If you have a history of peptic ulcers, acetaminophen would be a more appropriate choice.