How To Care For Your Ankle Sprain April 2nd, 2008

I remember it like it was last week:

It was my junior year in high school, and we were playing a basketball game in New Jersey. The game had just started, and I was feeling extra, extra good. I was bigger, stronger, and quicker than the man that was guarding me; it was going to be a good night. Three minutes into the first quarter, I caught the ball and made a quick move to my left. The whistle blew, and I got called for a travel. However, instead of just stopping, my momentum carried me into my jumpshot, and when I landed, it was on the side of my right foot. I had never felt so much pain in my life! I collapsed to the court clutching my ankle, and had to be carried to the bench. Just like that, my season was over.

I just came back from Vegas, and I sprained my ankle again. But this time, I was just walking a lot, and wore the wrong shoes. It was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way that I want to pass on to you:

If you’re going to be walking for a while, the proper shoes are necessary! If not, you’ll be sidelined for a few days like me. . .

But it also reminded of a time tested method to caring for your ankle sprain. It’s called the RICE Method, and it can help you get back on your feet in no time!

R (Rest it) - if you’ve sprained your ankle, you definitely don’t want to try to walk on it for a few days. All that will do is slow down the healing process, and possibly make the injury even worse.

I (Ice it) - putting ice on an ankle is to keep the swelling down. But you want to make sure you ice it immediately; icing is most effective within the initial 48 hours of the injury. If you don’t have acces to an abundance of ice, get creative with it. You can use frozen foods (lol, put that steak back and reach for the frozen vegetables!) for the same results. And don’t ice for more that 20 minutes every 3-4 hours.

C (Compress it) - compression is used to also minimize the swelling, and your best bet would be to wrap an Ace bandage around the area. Ace bandages are cheap (I bought one in Vegas for just under $5, and it’s reusable. Here’s an excellent wrapping technique I found at Revolultion Health.

E (Elevate it) - simply keep your injured ankle above your heart. I would suggest you just lay in your bed and place some pillows underneath your foot.

I have found that following the RICE technique for the first few days after your injury seriously helps to alleviate a lot of pain. However, it will take you at least a full week to recover from simple to moderate ankle sprains. Anything else (as long as it doesn’t require surgery) will take a bit longer.

Tags: basketball, foot, ankle, sprained, walking, RICE Method, Rest, heal, injury, Ice, swelling, Compress, Ace bandage, wrapping technique, Elevate, pain, ankle sprains