Integrated & Community Services - Acute ankle injuries in children

What is an acute ankle injury mean?

• Ankle injury is a general term that is given to soft tissues when they are sprained or strained
• The pain can be particularly strong in the first three weeks; this is inflammatory phase. Typically, these injuries improve in 4-6 weeks, and this can be facilitated by following the recommendations in this leaflet

Immediately post injury

• For the first 48-72 hours it is important to rest from aggravating activities, and to elevate and apply ice to the ankle to help reduce swelling
• Apply ice wrapped in a damp towel to the injured area for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours during the day. Don’t leave the ice on while you’re asleep and don’t allow the ice to touch your skin directly because it could cause a cold burn
• Elevate as per pictures below and you can pump your ankle up and down when resting this position
• You may be given crutches to assist with your walking, and it is important to walk with a normal walking pattern

Pain medication

• Paracetamol is usually recommended for painful injuries
• Ibuprofen can also help reduce swelling and inflammation. However, they shouldn’t be used in the first 48 hours after the injury because they may delay healing
• Always follow the dose instructions for the age of the child
• If these are not helping with the pain it is important to speak with GP/Pharmacist, and they may prescribe alternatives

Moving your injured ankle

Below are some simple exercises that can be completed 2-3 times daily as you feel comfortable, without experiencing significant/ severe pain.

Ankle circles - Make small circles with your injured ankle both clockwise and anticlockwise for 3 minutes at a time.

Heel and toe tapping - With your injured ankle, heel and toe tap for 3 minutes at a time.

Progress as able to:

Heels raises – Standing tall use a chair or wall to help with balance. Slowly rise up onto your tip toes counting to 5 and slowly lower your heels back down.

Single leg standing – Try to stand on just your injured ankle for as long as you can, use a wall or chair to regain your balance.

When to seek further medical advice

• You cannot put weight on your leg at all
• You have severe pain even when you’re not putting weight on it, such as at night
• You have fever, redness, heat, or it's very swollen
• You have pain, swelling, numbness or tingling in the calf
• The pain doesn’t start to improve within a few weeks, or you have pain that’s still severe after a few days of caring for your injury at home

Contact Details

For further information and advice please, telephone Bury Community Paediatric Physiotherapy Team on 0161 206 0657.