About 27,000 Americans sprain an ankle every day, making it the most common of all joint injuries. Many are mild and heal with minimal treatment (rest, ice, compress, elevate) in 10 days. If there is more than slight swelling and you can't put any weight on the ankle without undue pain, you should seek medical treatment.

You can take steps to help prevent ankle sprains, which is especially important if you’ve previously sprained an ankle. Here are some ways to do that:

• Stretch your calf muscles before and after exercise. When calf muscles are tight, they can reduce the range of motion of your foot, increasing the risk of twisting your ankle.
• Strengthen your lower-leg muscles using exercises such as heel raises and heel walking.
• Do balance exercises to maintain agility and to retrain the nerves around your ankles that may have been damaged in a previous injury.
• Exercise regularly - sedentary people are more likely to sprain an ankle than those with strong muscles.
• Wear supportive shoes, avoiding platform soles, high heels and sandals. Snugly laced, padded, high-topped basketball shoes help stabilize the ankle and protect against ankle injuries in active sports.

Related information: Lifestyle changes - Exercise | Nutrition channel - Fitness

Source:  UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. The #1 joint injury. May 2002, p 6.