'Plaster cast better' for sprains

People with a sprained ankle recover faster if they are given a plaster cast, British researchers say.

A study of 600 patients found that a 10-day below-knee cast is more effective than standard treatment with a tubular bandage.

The findings, published in The Lancet, are at odds with general medical opinion that the best thing for a sprained ankle is to keep it moving.

Up to 1.5m people a year in the UK go to A&E with a sprained ankle.

The injury accounts for 3-5% of all UK emergency department attendances and varies from minor stretching of the ligament to a complete tear.

It is commonly treated with ice, elevation, tubular compression bandage and advice to exercise.

But the researchers found that a tubular bandage was consistently the worst treatment...

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