In this article I will present some general tips on how to treat an ankle injury. But, before you start to use these tips I want you to remember following: You should never diagnose an injury yourself.

Neither should you listen to people without medical education. Some of these people may say that that your injury is nothing to worry about.

It may be true, but how can you know that? What if you risk injuring yourself much more by listening to these people?

Don’t play Russian roulette, instead visit an orthopedic or doctor before starting to attempt to heal on your own.

By doing this you will not risk more damage to your ankle that may force you into surgery.

Following are my personal experience about soccer injuries and ankle treatment. Remember, always have a professional examine your injury, matter what!

1. Using Tape

If you feel pain in your ankle you should always consider protecting it with tape or brace to prevent further injury.

Lace up your ankle braces so that you can perform normal activates. Modern braces have adjustable options so you can adjust them in any way you want.

2. Break

You will need to take a break from all physical activities that cause your pain or limping. Always use a crutch until you can walk without having pain.

3. Ice

Ice is great for ankle sprain injuries however you should not put the ice directly on the skin. Instead, put the ice in a bag or similar and place it on your ankle for 20-25 min.

Repeat this procedure 4 times per day for the first three days of your injury. Leave the ice off your ankle at least 2 hours between each treatment.

4. Compress

Use a compress. Buy an elastic bandage and compress your ankle. Keep in mind that you should not compress to hard.

If your toe suddenly starts to turn blue or if they feel cold loose the compress immediately. You may also use an ankle brace instead of buying elastic bandage.

Summary

It’s not always easy to determine if an ankle injury is something that requires professional evaluation or if the best treatment is to rest a few days.

I have injured my ankle many times while playing soccer and most of these times I only needed to rest a few days. After that I was usually back on the track without any limitations.

If you feel so much pain that you can’t walk properly without using crutches then call an orthopedic doctor and visit him as soon as possible.

Please Note: All advice in this article are my own personal experiences and should not be seen as a professional evaluation from an experienced medical employee.