Sprained（扭伤）Ankle One of the most common injuriesteenagers and adults experience is a sprained ankle. A sprain oc-curs when theligaments(韧带)of a joint are twisted and possibly torn. Ligaments are bands of fibersthat hold the bones of a joint in position. A sprain can occur from a suddentwisting at the joint,or a stretching or tearing of the fibers of theligaments. The injured area usually swells(肿胀) and becomes black and blue. Stepping off thesidewalk at the wrong angle or having one foot land in a hole while walking orrunning can leave you rolling on the ground in pain with an ankle on firel Ifyou cannot walk without experiencing intense pain, you must seek medical help.If the pain is manageable,and you can walk, here are three words to help you remember how to treat yourself : Elevate(抬高) Cool Bandage(打绷带) As soon as there is inj ury to thatligament,there will be a certain amountof bleeding under the skin Once the blood pools around the damaged bloodvessels, swelling occurs. The pressure from the swelling results in additionalstress and tenderness to the region In order to reduce the degree ofswelling,lie down as soon as possible and keep the ankle elevated so that it isactually higher than your heart. Next,to reduce blood distri-bution and keep bleeding(流血) to a minimum,apply a cold pack.After 20 minutes, take the pack off,wait half an hour and then reapply. This can be done several times a day for atotal of three days. Never leave a cold pack onfor more than 20 minutes at a time. Reducing the temperature in that area foran extended period of time signals the body to increase blood flow to raise thebody tempera-ture! Therefore,one accidentally triggers(引起) more blooddistribution to the affected area by leav-ing a cold pack on for too long! Finally,bandage the ankle. Be careful not towind it too tightly;doing so can restrict blood flow and cause harm to theentire foot. A sprain is caused by