Anti-inflammatory pain medications reduce pain and fight swelling. Over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen work for most people. Check with your doctor first if you have other health conditions or take any other medicines.

Medical treatment

If your sprain is severe or isn’t feeling better after about a week, you may need to see a doctor. They might give you a brace or cast to hold your ankle still. You can use crutches to keep weight off it. If you have a severe sprain, have a follow-up appointment 1 or 2 weeks later to make sure you’re healing well and learn whether you might need physical therapy to help with flexibility and strength.

Mild and moderate sprains usually don’t need surgery. You might have it if the sprain is severe or if you’re at higher risk of spraining it again because you play a lot of sports.