Recently I gave the soccer player beside me a fright. I happened to roll my ankle creating a rather sharp cracking sound. The picture above makes me cringe, bringing back the nasty memory. I blog for the catharsis it may bring. I blog to help prevent another needless injury...
Apparently Sprained Ankles are one of the most common injuries for active people who participate in sports. Hmmm...
I wonder how many times you've done yours? Really bad, I think my talley thus far is 3. Countless little tweaks are just a fleeting reminder of a general weakness in this area.
Apparently it is best to prevent ankle injuries...well duh. This can be done by stretching and warming-up before sport or physical activity. Wearing good, supporting shoes made for the activity you are doing are a help. That's helpful...
But if you do injure your ankle, here are some good tips to heal a sprained ankle.
Step 1
If you injure your ankle badly enough for it to swell and discolor, check with your doctor. Not all bone breaks refuse to support weight or turn black and blue. Always have your ankle x rayed since there might be a fracture. Check - no fracture.
Step 2
Ice is particularly effective during the first 24 hours of an injury to reduce swelling. Check - still swollen.
Step 3
Compression will also help keep down swelling, so a good wrap that holds the ankle in place – but not too tight! – is another good way to help a sprained ankle heal. Check - feels a little tight though.
Step 4
Keep the injured ankle elevated so blood doesn’t pool with gravity. Check - gets boring real fast.
Step 5
Rest is a major component of healing, so get lots of it! Check - Yawn.
Step 6
Don’t just assume that if an ankle isn’t broken, that there is no reason to fuss over the injury. It isn’t all that rare that improperly treated ankle sprains can develop into chronic ankle instability and create permanent problems. Hmmm - perhaps too late?
Step 7
Once the worst of the swelling is reduced, use the ankle gently. In the past people coddled sprains, but it has now been shown that getting an injury back into use -- gently -- actually speeds up healing. Even once the basic healing is past, use support wraps, tapes or stockings on healing ankle injuries to help a sprained ankle heal completely.Stockings - Check.
If you injure your ankle badly enough for it to swell and discolor, check with your doctor. Not all bone breaks refuse to support weight or turn black and blue. Always have your ankle x rayed since there might be a fracture. Check - no fracture.
Step 2
Ice is particularly effective during the first 24 hours of an injury to reduce swelling. Check - still swollen.
Step 3
Compression will also help keep down swelling, so a good wrap that holds the ankle in place – but not too tight! – is another good way to help a sprained ankle heal. Check - feels a little tight though.
Step 4
Keep the injured ankle elevated so blood doesn’t pool with gravity. Check - gets boring real fast.
Step 5
Rest is a major component of healing, so get lots of it! Check - Yawn.
Step 6
Don’t just assume that if an ankle isn’t broken, that there is no reason to fuss over the injury. It isn’t all that rare that improperly treated ankle sprains can develop into chronic ankle instability and create permanent problems. Hmmm - perhaps too late?
Step 7
Once the worst of the swelling is reduced, use the ankle gently. In the past people coddled sprains, but it has now been shown that getting an injury back into use -- gently -- actually speeds up healing. Even once the basic healing is past, use support wraps, tapes or stockings on healing ankle injuries to help a sprained ankle heal completely.Stockings - Check.
Boring, I know...I'm bored!
