Now that another school year is in session, another sports season has begun. This means sports injuries are back, whether it’s lacerations, dislocations, bruises or sprained ankles, we at AFC Urgent Care Arlington are here for all your sports injury needs.

Seeing as field hockey, soccer and football are in season, now is an appropriate time to discuss the perils of sprained ankles. Chances are, if you have ever played a sport before, you have sprained an ankle at some point in your life. While sprained ankles can be excruciatingly painful, they’re generally not serious.

Sprained ankles typically occur when you land awkwardly on your foot, directing your body’s weight to the tissue that surrounds your ankle bone. This will then create a swelling around the ankle, and in more severe cases, cause bruising to stretch from the sides of your feet to the sides of your calves.

Even professional athletes sprain their ankles routinely – even with the assistance of state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained medical staff. Athletes may also tape their ankles or wear high-topped sneakers or cleats. Essentially, if your child participates in sports, they’ll most likely sprain their ankles during their athletic careers.

While sprained ankles will heal over time, our staff here at AFC Urgent Care Arlington can help expedite the healing process. We can diagnose sprained ankles at our center by providing a walk-in medical evaluation, and if necessary, we can perform an x-ray examination.

We can additionally provide a splint to help stabilize the ankle, which will help prevent any further sprain to occur. For more serious ankle sprains, our medical professionals may prescribe medication to ease the pain and limit the inflammation. For more information, call us any day of the week at 781.648.4572 or visit us with no appointment necessary.