How to Treat Ankle Pain

Very few people had never suffered the discomfort of ankle pain at some point in their lives. Ankle pain can be caused by a variety of factors but most commonly by an injury or non-supportive shoes. Luckily there are many very effective remedies out there to help treat ankle pain at home.

Instructions

• 1

  Change your shoes. Unless your ankle pain is the result of a sports injury, your shoes may be to blame. Try purchasing a pair of high-top, ankle support tennis shoes. If your line of work frowns upon or does not allow casual footwear you may need to get a notice from your doctor that wearing tennis shoes is medically necessary. Your employer cannot deny you the privilege if its doctor's orders. Most doctors would be happy to comply with this.

• 2

  Rest your ankle. If you are having ankle pain then something is wrong. Walking around on the ankle and continuing to put pressure on it is not going to help you heal. The situation will probably worsen. Try to stay off your feet for at least a few days.

• 3

  Elevate your ankle. This is especially important if your ankle is swollen. Make sure your ankle is elevated even while you sleep.

• 4

  Apply ice to bring down the swelling. This is usually done immediately following an ankle injury, but ice can be used to bring down swelling at any point in the healing process.

• 5

  Drink Green tea or tea with ginger. Green tea and ginger are both natural anti-inflammatories and will help reduce any swelling.

• 6

  Take ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is more than a pain medication, it is also an anti-inflammatory. If taken in conjunction with the green tea or ginger tea, it can provide substantial relief within 20 minutes.

• 7

  Chop up onions and place them in a poultice around your ankle. This is an old home remedy for swelling and comes highly recommended by the homeopathic community. The onions are perfectly safe to use with green tea/ginger tea and ibuprofen for ankle pain.

• 8

  Soak the affected foot in warm water and camphor. This is intended to assist in reducing swelling and helping rid your ankle of pain. It is also extremely soothing.

• 9

  Continue to keep as much weight as possible off your ankle for at least two weeks. This may mean purchasing an ankle support or brace, or using crutches or a cane. Even if it is slightly embarrassing to walk around with crutches or a cane, its preferable to the alternative, which is the return of the ankle pain.