When you sprain your ankle, fluid starts to collect there.
Before you know it, your ankle gets bigger and bigger, and it may turn black and blue.
To help keep the swelling down, and help your ankle feel better, wrap it with an elastic bandage.
You can also use a pad shaped like a horseshoe along with the bandage, if you want to.
The pad helps keep fluid out of the area by filling in the hollow place under your anklebone.
Putting the bandage on is easy. Here's how to do it.
As you begin to wrap your ankle, make sure it feels snug, but not too tight.
Hold the loose end of the bandage at the side of your foot.
Wrap the bandage around your foot and ankle in a figure-eight pattern once.
Then you can put the pad under your anklebone and wrap the bandage around it so it stays in place.
Keep wrapping the bandage in a figure eight until you have used all of it.
If the bandage starts to feel tight, or if the area below it feels numb or tingly, or is cool, loosen it.
Keep the bandage snug during the day, but loosen it before you go to bed.
Remember, just because your ankle is wrapped doesn't mean you should use it.
You need to rest it and give it time to heal.
And before you know it, you'll be back on your feet.
