7 Steps To Getting Back On Your Feet After A Foot Or Ankle Injury
You’ve been injured and are now laid up in bed. It’s frustrating, but there are steps you can take to get back on your feet. Here is a list of 7 things you should do today to make the process go faster:
7 Steps To Getting Back On Your Feet After A Foot Or Ankle Injury
- Get up at least once every hour and stretch your legs. Doing this will increase circulation to the injury site, making it heal faster.
- Apply ice packs for 15 minutes per application, with a new ice pack after each time you get up from bed or chair. Applying an ice pack after getting out of bed/chair is crucial because it’ll help reduce swelling in your ankle by constricting blood vessels there which have loosened while you were lying down; applying an ice pack again when back in bed can keep swollen ankles from interrupting sleep later on that night if they occur during the day.
- Put a pillow under your heel when you’re in bed or sitting down to take pressure off the injured site and decrease swelling. This will also make it more comfortable to lie on one’s side, if that is how they prefer to sleep while recovering from an injury.
- Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers (like ibuprofen) every four hours as needed for relief of pain/swelling. These medications should help reduce inflammation which may be contributing to discomfort near the injury site; taking them at regular intervals can also ensure there are fewer gaps where you experience increased levels of pain due to lack of medication. In addition, these drugs have been shown in studies not only to relieve some types of moderate pain but also to prevent it from occurring in the first place, which is useful when dealing with severe pain or injuries that have not responded significantly to other treatments.
- Get plenty of rest and try to stay off your feet as much as possible while you’re healing. Resting will ensure a quicker recovery time because muscles can repair themselves more quickly during periods where they are not being actively used; staying off one’s feet will help reduce inflammation by decreasing any weight put on the injury site – even if only for short intervals like taking a break after every hour spent standing up/working at desk job.
- Eat foods rich in calcium (e.g., dairy products) and vitamin C (e.g., citrus fruits). These nutrients are important for repair of connective tissue and bone, which are both likely to have been affected by the injury.
- Consider using a cane or crutches when you’re able to get out of bed on your own in order to minimize weight put on injured foot/ankle; this will also help prevent movement that can make pain worse (i.e., walking too much). A doctor may recommend other types of braces depending on the type of injury sustained – be sure to ask what is best suited for healing individual injuries if they happen again down the road!
The next time you visit your doctor, ask about the seven steps that will help you get back on your feet after a foot or ankle injury. You may be surprised at how much better off you are with these tips in mind. If all of this sounds overwhelming and you want to know more, we’re here! Our team is ready and waiting to partner with our patients to create a treatment plan designed just for them. Don’t hesitate to reach out if any of the following points have been an issue for you: swelling, pain, breakdowns in balance, difficulty walking normally or feeling like something is not quite right down there.
Are You Looking For Foot And Ankle Pain Relief?
At Pace Physical Therapy, we know that pain in the foot and ankle can really slow you down. To make sure this doesn’t happen, our recovery plan will typically involve a mixture of advanced hands-on physical therapy procedures such as massage or ultrasound; exercises to improve balance and strengthen your feet (exercises on a balance board are great for relieving joint issues); specialist facilities like electric stimulation machines which relieve swelling by restoring blood flow with an electrical current; or even orthotic footwear if needed to ensure mobility isn’t compromised again in future. We’ll also recommend lifestyle changes so long-term problems don’t arise too! We all want to lead a life of comfort and happiness. The trouble is, it’s not always easy after an injury or accident takes us out of commission for weeks at a time with debilitating pain in our joints. Take care of your feet and ankles by getting the right treatment from Pace Physical Therapy! Contact us today to schedule your appointment!
