Should i wrap a sprained ankle at night

However, in order to take advantage of these benefits, it is important to know the right way to wrap an ankle, which means knowing what to do and what not to do as you wrap your ankle.

Before you get started with your ankle wrap, it is important to know why you are using an ankle wrap. Your ankle wrap offers compression for your injury, which is one of the important steps in R. E Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation , which is used to treat a sprain. Most minor sprains will subside over this—but if you have a more severe sprain, it may last longer.

Most experts recommend that you only wrap your ankle during the day for support and protection, while you continue to ice, elevate and rest the injury. Before you get started with an ankle wrap—there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. First, the right amount of compression is key.

You need to have blood flow to an injury for it to heal—in fact, this is why your ankle will swell right away. Your blood vessels are expanding to help bring more blood and healing properties to the injury. Too much compression will restrict this effect.

However, if you wrap the ankle too loosely, you can allow too much movement of the joint. The key to a successful ankle wrap is providing some support and stability as it heals. If you are ready to wrap your sprained ankle, here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this properly. First, make sure that you have your bandage, a Velcro piece or fastener, scissors, and some athletic tape handy to complete the job.

If your foot or ankle starts to hurt from the bandage, or if you begin to feel a tingling sensation, remove the bandage and repeat the process. If you suspect you may have sprained your ankle, the first step is to check for the symptoms of a sprain:.

See a complete list of symptoms. Next, you should follow the tried-and-true treatment protocol of R. E: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

Rest: Avoid activities that actively cause pain in your ankle. However, you still want to promote faster healing by doing simple range-of-motion stretches or isometric moves with the ankle—as long as they don't cause pain. Ice: Treating a sprain with ice can reduce pain and swelling. When you ice your ankle, make sure you use a cloth barrier between the ice and your skin and limit icing session to 10 to 15 minutes every 1 to 2 hours. Compression: An elastic bandage can bring down swelling and stabilize the joint.

Wrapping an ankle too tightly can restrict circulation to the injury, which will interfere with healing and may cause tissue damage in your foot. Wrapping the ankle too loosely will allow too much movement and keep the ligaments from getting the support they need to recover. If you have difficulty starting wrapping at the ball of your foot, you may start by wrapping your leg a couple of inches above the ankle and working your way down to the ball of your foot in a figure-eight pattern.

Kinesiology tape , or KT, is made of cotton and a medical-grade acrylic adhesive. It gently pulls or lifts the skin, possibly reducing inflammation and giving light support to the ankle.

Attached to KT is paper that you will peel off as you apply the tape to your skin. Some have Velcro straps to adjust for comfort. Others have laces or are made with an elastic, form-fitting material that fits snugly around the ankle.

If one or more of the ligaments supporting the bones in your ankle stretches too far and starts to tear, you have a sprained ankle that will require treatment. A sprain is simply an abnormal stretching of a ligament. A sprained ankle is a very common injury. It can happen if you trip and fall or jump and land with your foot at the wrong angle.

Runners sometimes sprain an ankle if they step on something that causes their ankle to roll over. The following are symptoms of a sprained ankle:. If your injury is more serious, you may need to see a doctor. Simply resting and wrapping your ankle at home may not be sufficient or safe.

Signs that your sprained ankle needs a medical evaluation include:. For serious ankle injuries, an imaging test, such as an X-ray , MRI , CT scan , or ultrasound may be ordered to allow a doctor to see the extent of your ligament damage and to check for broken bones.

Wrapping your ankle is also known as compression.