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Waldorf Office

(301)-843-9581

Clinton Office

(301)-868-3899

California Office

(301)-690-6044

Getting Treatment for Ankle Sprains

It’s a lovely fall afternoon and the perfect cool weather for a run. As you round a corner, you slip on some wet leaves and your ankle twists and gives out—ouch! Very soon after your ankle blows up like a balloon and some nasty purple bruising appears. These are the classic signs of a sprained ankle.

At the moment of the twisting of your ankle bones, the ligaments on the outside of the ankle are being stretched way beyond their normal range. Sometimes the force is so strong that one or more of the ligaments actually tears.

Prompt Medical Attention a Must

At Southern Maryland Foot & Ankle, we recommend that all sprains be evaluated by our board certified foot and ankle surgeon, Dr. Larry Hotchkiss.  Not getting prompt medical attention for an ankle sprain can result in more serious problems. Healing a sprain is more than getting rid of the pain. Muscles surrounding the ankle joint need to be rehabilitated and strengthened to prevent additional sprains and other conditions, such as chronic ankle instability and chronic lateral ankle pain. For complete and proper healing to occur, treatment needs to begin as soon after the sprain as possible. It is also possible, in the case of a bad sprain, that another even more serious injury may have occurred simultaneously, such as a bone fracture. The foot doctor will be able to do a complete assessment of your injury and then recommend the proper treatment for you.

Treatment

There are a variety of treatment options available for a sprained ankle. The severity of the sprain will determine what your foot doctor prescribes. In the meantime, until you are able to get to the doctor’s office, follow the RICE regimen:

  • Rest—Stay off your foot even if it doesn’t seem very painful. You could make the injury worse if you continue to walk on it.
  • Ice—Apply ice for 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off.
  • Compression—Wrap the ankle with a stretch bandage to keep the swelling down
  • Elevation—Keep the ankle raised a little above heart level. This will also help reduce swelling.

Call either our Clinton or Waldorf office to make an appointment as soon as you can after spraining your ankle. Our Waldorf office offers some evening hours, and both  offices have early morning appointments available. Our goal is to get you back on your feet, healthy and strong as quickly as possible. 

Our Locations

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Hours of Operation

Our Regular Schedule (Closed for Lunch from 11:30 am - 12:15 pm)

Clinton Office

Monday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Friday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Waldorf Office

Monday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Friday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

California Office

Monday:

Closed

Tuesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Wednesday:

Closed

Thursday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed