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Ankle Sprain Injury.

Your child has sprained their ankle. They have had a thorough examination and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following instructions will aid their recovery.

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Your child has sprained their ankle. Although this is not a serious injury it may cause pain, swelling, stiffness and a limp. Most people take at least 6 weeks to get completely better and some swelling may last for up to 6 months.

Care at home:

Keep the ankle raised with their foot higher than their bottom when resting – this helps to reduce swelling.
Use ice-packs (frozen peas wrapped in a damp towel will do), for 15 minutes 4–6 times a day to help stop pain, swelling and bruising.
Don’t put ice-packs directly onto their skin as they can burn.
Give medicines such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to relieve the pain (ensure the correct dosage for their age).
A support bandage may be given to wear during the day. This should cover from the base of their toes to just below the knee.

Walking after 24 hours

Try and encourage rest for the first 24 hours. The next day encourage them to put as much weight on their foot as their ankle will allow and encourage them to walk.

Exercise

Try to exercise for 10 minutes every hour, especially after they have used ice. This will help to stop the ankle from becoming stiff and speed up the recovery.

Pull foot up and down

Circle the foot

Wiggle toes

Your child should not:

Wear a support bandage at night.
Wear a support bandage if it is too tight. If their toes tingle or go blue, take it off at once.

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