10 Causes of Swollen Ankles
Cause #3: Trauma
Trauma or injury to the foot or ankle can lead to ankle swelling. The most common injury that leads to a swollen ankle is a sprained ankle. This occurs when the ligaments that function to stabilize the ankle are stretched more than the normal range. There can be small tears to the ligament. To help decrease the amount of swelling from the injury, the main principles of treatment and management are rest (avoid extra activity or using the injured ankle), ice (ice or cold packs help reduce the swelling), compression (this is done by using compression bandage to wrap the injured area to prevent it from swelling), and elevation.
This is known as the RICE regime. If you do not see any improvement or experience severe pain, you should seek medical attention to rule out a fracture or more serious injury.
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