Use RICE for immediate self-care of ankle pain.

Switch to lower-impact sports if you do high-impact activities like running. Try an exercise bike or swimming to stay active while resting your leg. You can modify both activities to avoid using your hurt ankle. Consider giving your ankle a few days of complete rest. Use a cane or crutches if necessary. Move your ankle gently after a few days of full rest to help prevent stiffness.

Put ice on your ankle for 20 minutes at a time three to five times a day. Use a commercial ice pack or make your own with a bag of frozen vegetables or fruit. You can also freeze a plastic foam cup of water and then gently massage your ankle with it. Placing your ankle in slush bath can also help. Make a slush bath by mixing ice and water in a bathtub. Soak your ankle for up to 20 minutes. Wait 90 minutes between icing sessions. Take the ice off of your leg if it gets too cold. Put a towel between the ice pack and your skin to help prevent frostbite.

Wrap your ankle beginning with the part farthest from your heart. Make sure you don’t wrap too tightly. If your toes turn blue or go numb, pain increases, or you see swelling below the wrapped area, loosen the wrap. Use compression you don’t see any more swelling.

Prop up your ankle with a stack of pillows or another structure that will support it. Keep your ankle up as much as you can. It’s important to keep it elevated at night if you can.

Use pain relievers such as aspirin (do not give aspirin to children), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), naproxen sodium (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Reduce swelling with NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium.

Be aware that analgesics only address pain and won’t reduce swelling. [9] X Research source Rub an analgesic cream on your ankle. You can get over-the-counter topical analgesics under names such as Aspercreme, Ben-Gay, Capzasin-P, Eucalyptamint, and Icy Hot. Ask your doctor to prescribe a stronger topical analgesic such as Voltaren Gel.

Corticosteroids should not be used for acute injuries like sprains. They can impair the healing process and can have many side effects, including high blood pressure, glaucoma, cataracts, headache, weight gain, ulcers, and more. [12] X Research source

Rotate your ankle in circles in both directions. Flex your ankle up and down with your hand. Ask your doctor if there are any movements or light exercises that can relieve your pain and promote healing.

Schedule an appointment with a physical therapist after you’ve tried RICE. Ask the therapist questions you have about exercises you can do at home. Consider that studies have shown the benefits of eccentric stretching, which lengthens muscles, on pain-causing conditions such as tendinitis. [14] X Research source

See your doctor or go to an emergency room immediately if you can’t put weight on your ankle or it appears broken, have severe pain even when you’re resting, or if your ankle makes a popping sound when you move it. Visit your regular doctor or an orthopedist, which is a doctor who specializes in structural conditions like sprains and arthritis. Tell your doctor about your symptoms and what type of treatment you’ve been using. Ask her any questions you may have about your ankle pain.

Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis) Biologic response modifiers like interferon for inflammatory arthritis Uric acid-reducing drugs for gout such as allopurinol Drugs that slow bone loss or build new bone for osteoporosis such as denosumab. [17] X Trustworthy Source Arthritis Foundation Main organization devoted to arthritis support and education Go to source