How to Wrap a Sprained Ankle

Compression wraps are often used to help prevent sprained ankles from swelling too much. These wraps are not casts, so they are not so rigid that the ankle cannot move at all. It can limit movement, but the wrap should never be so tight that your ankle is immobile. That will cut off circulation to the rest of your foot and cause other issues.

In order to get the best result from wrapping your ankle, follow these steps:

How to Wrap a Sprained Ankle in 10 Steps

1. Roll up your bandage wrap so that you can tell how much you have and where it is going.
2. If possible, hold your ankle at a 90-degree angle. If the pain is serious enough that you cannot move your ankle into this position, contact your doctor to rule out a broken ankle.
3. Take a loose end of the bandage and hold it to the side of your foot with the bandage roll facing down.
4. Wrap the bandage around the ball of your foot, starting from your big toe and moving away, once with moderate tightness.
5. Start working the bandage wrap around the arch of your foot with mild to moderate tightness.
6. Once the arch of your foot is covered and back on the big toe-side of the foot, wrap it around the opposite side of the ankle.
7. Bring the wrap back over the top of the foot and under the arch in a figure 8 pattern.
8. Keep bandaging in that figure 8 pattern, slowly moving towards the heel on the bottom and towards the calf on top so that no part of your foot or calf has too many wraps and gets too tight.
9. In total, the entire foot, excluding the toes, should be covered as well as about 3-4 inches of the ankle and calf.
10. Once you run out of bandage, secure it with the included clips, loosely wrapped tape, or by tucking it securely under your previous wraps.

What To After Wrapping a Sprained Ankle

Once you wrap a sprained ankle, which counts as compression, you can continue with the other steps of R.I.C.E. Rest the injury if it is not serious enough to go to a doctor. Use ice to further prevent swelling. Elevate your foot at or above the level of your heart as often as possible for the next few days following the injury. This keeps pressure off the injury and helps to decrease swelling.

If the pain increases or you return to your normal activities and reinjure your ankle immediately, contact a doctor. They can help prescribe the best course of action and get you back to normal faster. They may help you with physical therapy or send you towards a licensed physical therapist, give you stability supports like a brace or a boot to wear during the day, and help to monitor the progression of the injury.

If you or someone you love has suffered a shoulder injury in the Louisville, Kentucky-area, board certified sports medicine physician Dr. Stacie Grossfeld at Orthopaedic Specialists PLLC can help. Orthopaedic Specialists PLLC is accepting new patients, and same day appointments are available. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, please contact Orthopaedic Specialists PLLC today at 502-212-2663.