23 Oct Ankle Sprain? Now What?!!?

When you sprain an ankle, it can be one of the most self-limiting things that can happen. And we don’t want to dive into what it doesn’t allow you to do because it flat out sucks and we think it’s bad juju to fester in misery. 

However, what we do know is that it can potentially linger longer than you expect if left untreated.

So what we want to do, is to share with you what you can do & should be doing right from the very beginning, if you or someone you know has just sprained an ankle and wants to get better faster.

Step 1: Don’t Use Ice

The first thing we recommend is to try your very best not to use Ice for an ankle sprain. And when I say don’t use Ice, I mean never throughout any part of process. Although it can take the sting out of it, Ice simply delays the healing process. So that’s the first step. Skip the Ice if you can. Besides, if you find yourself needing to ice it constantly, you probably need to get it looked at by a professional to make sure it’s nothing more serious.

Step 2: Control Swelling

Yup, I understand that you may be a little confused because you just read advice to not use Ice for an ankle sprain and that you’ve always associated Ice as a treatment to reduce swelling & inflammation. A major reason for pain or the sensation of pain is due to swelling and the pressure it places around an isolated area. So the way to reduce your pain sooner is to improve circulation so that there’s less pressure in that isolated area. And this is done best with Compression & Movement at room temperature. Because when was the last time you can remember feeling looser and not stiffer, after icing a body part? So imagine how the fluids that need to circulate in your body will also move when they’re cold and stiff? 

So again, the best way to control swelling is with Compression & Movement.

To create compression around the ankle, you can use Ace Wraps or anything that is elastic, but we like to use the Voodoo Band as shown in our video.

Step 3: Rinse, Wash, Repeat, multiple times a Day

Yes, it really is that Simple. As the day goes by, gravity is going to be your nemesis, so you should be applying and re-applying several times & move as much as you can throughout the day. How many times? Enough to stay ahead of the swelling. So if you are sitting or have been pretty sedentary throughout the day, you may need to do this more often than if your feet are elevated while resting and moving, walking when not resting.

This is what we say alot to the people we work with, “I prefer that you do things that may feel Inconvenient, rather than have you do things that are Ineffective.”

How Do I Know If It’s Working?

The only way to know if what you’re doing is working is to see how it feels before and after. If you notice that you aren’t limping as much or at all, it’s working. If you also notice a visible reduction in swelling, it’s working. And if it’s not effecting how you do your job, take care of your family or limit how productive you are, it’s working.

Most ankle sprains should take 4-6 weeks to resolve and you should not be limping or walking differently beyond 1 week.

If you don’t feel like you are making progress the way you should be, you can always reach out to us at (516) 421-6353 or email us at [email protected]. And if we can’t provide a solution, we may know people within our network who can.

At Evolve to Perform, we believe in sharing ideas and full transparency. If you are still skeptical and want to scientifically know more about why Ice is no good, you can email me at [email protected] and I’d be happy to nerd out with you about it.