Following this three week period, I recommend exercises and two to three weeks of physical therapy to strengthen the ankle and reduce swelling. During this period, the ankle is often taped or braced by the doctor , therapist, or trainer . Although many urgent care and emergency room facilities treat ankle sprains with an ace bandage and crutches. In the long run, the very best treatment of ankle sprains is prevention. This means when you're doing activities that have a high incidence of ankle injuries, wear a brace or get your ankle taped so you won't sprain it.
Braces are relatively inexpensive and easy to use.
Taping works well, but requires someone available who is well trained to apply it, appropriately. Activities such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and other sports requiring a lot of stopping, starting and twisting motions have a high incidence of ankle injuries. Beware of the uneven and pot-holed playing fields often used by soccer and baseball teams. In my opinion, surgical intervention for acute or chronic ankle instability is seldom warranted, although disappointingly, I see many of these procedures scheduled frequently around hospital operating rooms. These procedures require lengthy immobilization and the repairs have frequently been known to fail, especially in patients who are still athletically competitive.