Your child has an ankle injury. This happens when the ligaments of the ankle get stretched or slightly torn or when your child has a small break (fracture).
After an ankle injury your child may have pain, less movement in their ankle and difficulty walking. They may also get bruising around the ankle. These injuries heal well and do not require routine X-rays or repeated visits to hospital.
Your child may be given a boot to help in the first few days, but this must not be worn for more than 1 week and must not be worn routinely after the first 24-48 hours. If your child is unable to walk without it after 2 weeks you should contact the Virtual Fracture clinic (VFC) below.
Rest
Your child may need to take a short break from sport if their pain is severe. Exercise will make the pain worse. Avoid running and jumping until they can walk without any pain.
Ice pack
Crushed ice or frozen peas wrapped in a towel to the area for first 24 hours.
Painkillers
Your child can take appropriate doses of paracetamol or ibuprofen (widely available from pharmacies and supermarkets) to help with any pain.
Elevation
Whenever possible in the first few days try to keep the leg raised on a pillow. We no longer routinely give children compression bandages as they do not help your child recover
Return to Activities
Pain should be the guide of how soon your child returns to their usual activities. If an activity hurts, they should stop doing that and try again a few days later.
It may take up to three weeks for your child’s ankle to heal. Your child can use ankle supports (like a walking boot) and/or crutches as needed to make them more comfortable while the ankle is healing. Feel free to remove the support and/or stop using the crutches any time your child says they feel little or no pain with activities.
Return to Sport
Your child can return to sport when there is full movement and strength in the ankle. You can test the ankle strength by asking your child to hop on the injured leg five times. Check if your child shows sign of pain or is unsteady while hopping. Also see if your child can run easily in a zigzag.
It is normal to have pain and swelling once in a while for the first three months. However, most children are doing all the activities they were before, including sports, by three months after the injury.
Useful Contacts
If your child is experiencing any significant pain or if you have any concerns and would like more advice about your child’s injury, please telephone the Paediatric Orthopaedic Department on 0161 701 5356.