Source - abc Health News
According to estimates from orthopedic surgeons, 25-thousand people a day experience an ankle sprain. "The most common ankle injury is the lateral ankle sprain, which is spraining the ligaments on the outside of the ankle," Dr. Brian Donley of the Cleveland Clinic said. Lateral sprains are frequent in sports and the most common type seen in emergency rooms. A more serious sprain can involve a tear or happen higher in the ankle
It's the amount of stretching or tearing of the ligament that determines the pain. But whether mild, moderate or severe, the first response should be R-I-C-E. "The initial treatment that's important for both sprains is what we like to call the RICE method: Rest it, Ice it, put Compression on it, and elevate it and that's essential for both types of sprains," Donley said.