Ankle sprain or sprained heels can happen to anyone while walking, exercising, running and doing household work.
About 40% of ankle sprain results in chronic diseases, so you should not take it lightly, and have a proper medical checkup to get rid of pain.
It’s good to consult your doctor if you get a sprained ankle, and it is better to avoid showers for almost 2 days depending on the seriousness of the sprain.
Besides this, in some cases sprained ankles take a longer time to heal properly, in that case it is inappropriate to skip shower.
So this article will answer, How to shower with a sprained ankle? And I will share some easy ways to shower.
How To Shower With A Sprained Ankle?
Depending on the condition of a sprained ankle, it is best to consult the doctor. If you don’t have chronic pain or severe swelling, then you can take a shower.
But it is important to consider some precautions to shower, so if you don’t want to hurt your sprained ankle, then it is must to follow the ways I will share in this article.
So, here are some of the things you need to know, while having a shower with a sprained ankle.
- Avoid Hot Showers:
You should avoid hot showers for almost the first 2 to 3 days. Hot shower will increase swelling. It may provide you with instant relief.
But it will be dangerous for internal injuries. So, it is better to avoid hot showers.
- Avoid Long/Full Showers:
You can skip full showers, this will not only help you to keep injured feet out of the water, but also decrease sprained ankle pain.
Long and full shower will be complicated for you with a sprained ankle, so it is best to consider time while taking shower.
- Seek Assistance:
Depending on symptoms and pain, a shower can be a tough job. So it is better to seek help if someone is around you.
Having someone around you who can help you move in and out of the shower is good to avoid any risk of falling. In order to have a smooth experience, you can ask someone who is experienced or comfortable with this job.
Since you find it difficult to balance for the first few days while taking a shower due to your sprained ankle.
- Take A Seated Shower:
If it is difficult to take showers, you can try bathtubs if you don’t have any separate seat for showers. Bathtubs are comfortable and you can easily take a shower while sitting in the bathtub.
You can also use a plastic stool, a chair for a comfortable seated shower. All you need to do is place a chair or stool in the center of shower. Ensure that your shower accessories, such as body wash, shampoo, and others, are within your reach.
Seated shower is the best way to enjoy a comfortable shower with a sprained ankle. It will keep you away from any sort of pain and difficulty while showering.
All of these ways are best to have a smooth shower with a sprained ankle.
It is important to consult with your doctor about these shared ways, so that you can choose the best way according to expert advice.
As it is better to choose a way depending on your ankle situation. Also, try to cover your sprained ankle by wearing a boot or a cast. You can also wrap up your cast or a boot in a plastic bag to avoid water reaction.
Is It Okay To Take A Shower With A Sprained Ankle?
Depending on your sprained ankle situation, it is best to avoid showers for almost 2 days. But, if you can take a shower without hurting your sprained ankle, then it’s fine.
But, the prior advice is to consult your doctor, and after examining your sprained ankle condition.
It is okay to take a shower, but if you want to avoid chronic issues such as pain, swelling, and inflammation. Then you should consider the possible options discussed in this article.
Frequently Asked Question
Question No 1: What is the normal time to heal from a sprained ankle?
Answer: The sprained ankle is a very pain full injury that takes time to heal. The recovery time of sprained ankle depends upon the severity of the injury. A very minor injury can be recovered in a week. On the other hand, a minor injury of a sprained ankle can easily be healed in two weeks.
In case the injury is very severe then the healing process of a sprained ankle can last for six to twelve weeks. So the healing time of every injury is different.
Question No 2: Can you walk on a sprained ankle?
Answer: A person can walk on a sprained ankle. The doctors do not recommend walking on the sprained ankle. The reason is walking usually delays the healing process of a sprained ankle. On the other head, it may cause more complications in the injury.
The complication that you might face while walking on a sprained ankle is severe ankle pain, arthritis, and instability. Ultimately it is always recommended to rest without walking during the injury of a sprained ankle. Moreover, try not to move the ankle unnecessarily to speed up the healing process.
Question No 3: How can a person speed up the healing process of sprained Ankle?
Answer: To increase the healing process of sprained ankles follow the rice strategy. The strategy is Rest, Ice, Compression, and elevation. Follow these tactics, as these tactics will help you to reduce swelling and inflammation in days. If you do not follow these then the injury may heal in weeks and months.
The quickest tip to heal the injury of sprained ankle is resting. Moreover, always wear a brace that will help to provide stability to the injured area.
Final Thoughts
So, it is best to consider the easy and comfortable way to shower with a sprained ankle, such as a seated shower, avoiding hot showers and others which I shared.
It is important to keep in mind that the extent of a sprained ankle depends on injury, and it might not be the same for everyone at all times.
So consult your physician for better recovery. From my end I have shared the best solutions to shower with a sprained ankle.
