Immediate Care

• As soon as you sprain or strain your ankle you may notice some swelling. This is normal. You will want to treat this by placing an ice pack on the ankle for a cycle of twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off. You may need to do this for up to two days depending on how severe the injury is.
  
  Next you will want to take some Tylenol or Advil for the pain. Just remember that once the medication begins to work and your ankle hurts less, you should not start walking on it right away. Just lay down and elevate your ankle and give it some time to heal.
  
  

Support

• Support your ankle from twisting or turning in a direction that will injure it all over again. There are a few different types of support you can choose from. You can use an Ace bandage and wrap it tightly around the middle of your foot to just above the ankle. You can also choose a more substantial hard brace or an air brace. These braces are designed for the ankle and provide the correct support for proper healing. They are sold at most local pharmacies, but can also be purchased online.
  
  

Exercises

• After the swelling has gone down and the pain is no longer intense, you will want to begin some exercises. This will rehabilitate the injury and get your ankle strong again. Sit in your chair and try to write the alphabet on the floor with the toes of your injured foot. You won't need to use a pencil, this is just for pretend. Next, sit in a chair and place your feet flat on the floor. Start moving your legs to the left without moving your feet. Then move them to the right.
  
  Do these exercises three times per day for one month. These exercises won't take more than a few minutes, but if done consistently they will keep your ankle flexible.