A sprain is an injury caused by ligament damage that often occurs in everyday life. It could be playing sports, vigorous exercise or falling, etc. Sprains are divided into many levels. If they are mild, they will not require medical treatment and can be treated at home. However, pain can greatly affect life and activities. Let’s join My Auris to learn how to treat foot sprains at home through the following article.
What is a foot sprain?
A sprain is a condition in which a ligament – a fibrous band of tissue connecting two bones together in a joint – is stretched or torn. A sprain will be different from a muscle strain, so people should avoid confusion. A muscle strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon (tissue attached to skeletal muscles) that causes the muscle or tendon to become stretched or torn.
Depending on the level of ligament damage, sprains are divided into 3 levels:
Level 1 (mild): the ligament is stretched but not torn. The leg joint still feels stable, but the patient will feel some pain and stiffness.
Level 2 (moderate): one or more ligaments are partially torn. Joints become unstable, movement and walking become more difficult due to increased pain.
Level 3 (severe): one or more ligaments are completely torn and the ankle area is swollen and bruised. When standing up, the person with the sprain feels sharp pain, has difficulty walking, difficulty standing and cannot move.
What is a foot sprain?
In addition to the foot, sprains can occur anywhere on the body. Among them, the most common are positions prone to injury due to falls and sports such as ankles, knees, and wrists.
Ankle sprain: most common, occurs when the foot turns inward while running or turns or lands in the wrong position.
Knee sprain: this occurs after a blow to the knee or a fall. Or turning the knee suddenly can also cause a sprain.
Wrist sprain: occurs when falling and landing on your hands.
When sprained, the sufferer will have some of the following symptoms:
The sprained site is bruised and swollen. Depending on the severity of the sprain, there may be more or less swelling and if pressed with a finger, it will leave a dent at that location.
A few hours after the sprain, you will feel sharp pain and the level of pain gradually increases when moving.
In cases of severe sprains, a “crack” sound can be heard followed by loss of function at the sprain site, similar to a broken bone.
Symptoms of foot sprain
Causes and subjects susceptible to foot sprain
Cause
There are many causes of sprains:
Practicing sports with incorrect posture, wrong technique, not warming up properly
Overwork
Wearing poor quality shoes that do not fit the foot
Subject
Sprains are common in the following subjects:
Overweight and obese people
Previous sprain
Possible physical condition
Regularly exercise vigorously and play sports
Causes and subjects susceptible to foot sprains
How to treat foot sprains at home
Depending on the severity of the sprain, apply home remedies or see a doctor.Here are someways to treat mild foot sprains at home:
Immobilizing the sprained area combined with rest and limiting movement
Resting the sprained area is the key to pain relief and quick healing. If necessary, you can wear a brace to help immobilize the injured area, limiting impact and impact on this area.
Icing reduces swelling and pain >
When sprained, applying ice is the most effective solution. The coldness from the ice will help constrict blood vessels, reduce inflammation and limit pain. Apply ice to the sprained area for about 10-15 minutes, repeat 4-8 times/day. You can use an ice pack or wrap ice in a towel to apply to the injured area. When applying ice, do not apply it for longer than 20 minutes at a time and stop when you feel numbness or discomfort.
Ice to reduce swelling and pain – How to treat foot sprains at home
Keep the sprain position higher than the body
Elevate the sprained ankle to reduce fluid buildup in joints. This helps relieve pain effectively. When sleeping, you should put your feet on the pillow so that it is higher than your heart. When sitting or resting, use a pillow or chair to keep your feet elevated.
Using pain relievers
To quickly reduce swelling and pain, people with sprains can go to the pharmacy for advice on pain relievers. However, it should not be used for a long time because it is not good for body health.
Practice physical therapy, massage
Massage to promote more blood flow to the sprained area. Physical therapy by experts also quickly reduces pain and adjusts joints to the correct position.
Eat, drink, and supplement nutrition
Increase lean protein supplementation to help strengthen muscles and supplement a variety of vitamins and minerals to help wounds heal quickly and the body recover quickly.
In addition, in severe cases, if the joint cannot be moved, the ligaments and joints are loose, and do not get better after about 1 week, the sprained person should see a doctor for examination and to find a timely treatment method.
Eating and nutritional supplements – How to treat foot sprains at home
Things to avoid how to treat sprains at home
When treating sprains at home, to ensure safety, people with sprains need to pay attention to:
Do not use alcohol or hot plaster for massage: both of these are highly hot. When rubbed on the wound, it will cause more blood to flow as well as cause muscle atrophy and stiffness.
Limit using painkillers or injecting drugs into joints: overusing painkillers is not good for your health, especially causing harm to the liver, kidneys, stomach, etc. Injecting drugs into joints is also not recommended because it makes the pain worse, the joints become swollen and difficult to move.
Do not bandage the ankle too tightly or too loosely: the bandages should only be tightened at a moderate level, relatively to fix the joint. At the same time, avoid a bandage that is too loose because it will easily slip off when moving. On the contrary, a bandage that is too tight will hinder blood circulation, causing more pain and bruising.
Things to avoid when treating sprains at home
Hopefully the information in the article about how to treat sprained feet at home will help people understand more about the condition as well as gain experience in care and relief. decrease. Besides, monitoring the condition is very important. If there are any unusual problems, you should see a doctor immediately, and you should also pay attention to topical and topical remedies at home.
