As per an old adage, ‘Prevention is better than cure’. Treatment and complete recovery of a serious sprain may take as long as 8-12 months and so, it is advisable to take preventive measures to avoid sprains of any kind.

Here are a few ways in which one can prevent sprains in day-to-day life.

• Keep your muscles strong by taking a balanced, healthy diet daily.
• Keep a healthy body weight.
• Perform stretching exercises everyday to maintain muscle flexibility
• Avoid running or walking hastily on uneven surfaces.
• Take precautions to avoid any accidents by keeping the walkways, stairways, driveways, and yards free of clutter and snowy patches.
• Proprioception and balance exercises are a must before engaging in any workout or athletic activity.
• Pre-rehabilitation exercises should be performed regularly to prevent stiffness in muscles and keep them flexible.
• Make sure your shoes fit you properly. Ankle sprains are very common and often caused due to use of misfit shoes.
• If you are using athletic shoes with a worn out heel or tread, replace them immediately to avoid injury.
• Following a fitness routine regularly is extremely important to remain in a healthy physical condition.
• Before engaging in any form of exercise or sports, make sure you do some warm up exercises for at least 15-20 minutes.
• Using protective equipment while playing any sport is very essential to avoid serious injuries.
• If your body is tired or if you had a past sprain that has not healed yet, it is advisable to avoid playing sports, no matter how important that game is for you!

Athletes are at the highest risk of getting their muscles sprained. If you too are involved in a lot of physical or athletic activity, you can lower the risk of spraining your muscles by following the aforementioned tips and guidelines.

More Articles :

• Care And Treatment Of Ankle Sprains
• Compression For Sprains
• Physical Therapy For Sprains
• Prevention Of Sprains