Sprained Ankle

They don't mean walking for an entire day, that was just used to illustrate how the operation of your foot works. The point is, you should try to resumenormal activity as soon as possible. That could mean putting a little weight on it while you're using crutches, and gradually putting more and more weighton it until you don't need the crutches anymore. Basically, using your ankle facilitates the healing process, so you shouldn't stay off it for 6 weekslike a broken ankle.

like me? bro, dont assume things you have no clue about.. then if you only had minor ankle injuries how can you come and tell me that i never had a seriousone? that just makes you look like an idiot, by assuming things and thinking you know everything..

"bro" I don't know everything but I know what every single athletic trainer at a top university and every doctor I've ever spoken to andevery credible website with sprain/bruise treatments says. and what all they say is that you have to ice a sprained ankle. heat does nothing for swelling.

do you know better then all them? can you provide one person at all to back you up?

so who looks like an idiot? the guy who trusts doctors and trainers or the guy who thinks heat is good for swelling and inflammation?

i remember playing football with my 8th grade teacher and i was always talking smack to him during the game and bopped him so bad that he hurt his ankle prettybad. The worst part is that he failed me for still talking smack

The conventional way to treat swelling is to use ice. I know heat can help with pain, but I've never heard of heat being used to reduce inflammation.

hate sprained/tweaked/twisted/ bruised ankles!!!

let's use arthritis as an example that heat is good for your body.. people that have arthritis that have less pain in hot weather than in cold weather..why is that? because the blood flow in your body has better circulation, allowing blood to flow better and letting all the bad stuff out of your body... but ifyou are so sure of yourself, then why don't you try it, next time you have an ankle injury? i hope it doesnt happen to you, cause i know how much itsucks.. you have nothing to lose, right?

i had a torn achilles tendon, completely, and when i had rehabilitation on it, my physiotherapist used heat for better bloodflow... it felt so much betterafterwards... all cold does is make it numb...

who the hell is talking about arthritis? you said cold is no good for a sprained ankle remember? I didn't say heat is useless, but heat is not needed norwanted within the first 72 hours of suffering any kind of sprain or bruise.

so what? this whole time you were arguing about sprained ankles based on advice you got for a torn achilles? if you want to mess yourself up, fine, but stopgiving people bad advice. heat does improve bloodflow but it screws up swelling.

isn't really much you can do to prevent it other than to stay outta the paint.
due to the number of times you've sprained the ankle, the ligaments become "Lax", making it more prone to being sprained again.
Just tape the ankle up good before you play and be extra careful

dude you better stop talking cause you're a dumb $!!... i'm using it as an example, but it's obvious you're not smart enough to see theconnection.. like i said that is what i do, i'm not giving you advice, cause you're too stubborn to even listen and consider it... so you just chillout for 4-6 weeks after you sprain your ankle..

Immediate Treatment

The immediate treatment of any soft tissue injury is vital. Proper care and treatment now will go a long way towards a full recovery later.
Without a doubt, the most effective, initial treatment for ankle sprains is the R.I.C.E.R. regime. This involves the application of (R)rest, (I) ice, (C) compression, (E) elevation and obtaining a (R) referral for appropriatemedical treatment.

Where the R.I.C.E.R. regime has been used immediately after the occurrence of an injury, it has been shown to significantly reduce recovery time. R.I.C.E.R.forms the first, and perhaps most important stage of injury rehabilitation, providing the early base for the complete recovery of injury.

When an ankle injury occurs and the ligaments have been damaged there is a large amount of uncontrolled bleeding around the injury site. This excessivebleeding causes swelling, which puts pressure on nerve endings and results in increased pain. It is exactly this process of bleeding, swelling and pain thatthe R.I.C.E.R. regime will help to alleviate.

R: (rest) It is important that the injured ankle be kept as still as possible. This will help to slow down blood flow to theankle and prevent any further damage.

I: (ice) By far the most important part. The application of ice will have the greatest effect onreducing bleeding, swelling and pain. Apply ice as soon as possible after the injury has occurred.

How do you apply ice? Crushed ice in a plastic bag is usually best. However, blocks of ice, commercial cold packs and bags of frozen peas will all do fine.Even cold water from a tap is better than nothing at all.

When using ice, be careful not to apply it directly to the skin. This can cause "ice burns" and skin damage. Wrapping the ice in a damp towelgenerally provides the best protection for the skin.

How long? How often? This is the point where few people agree. Let me give you some figures to use as a rough guide, and then I'll give you some advicefrom personal experience. The most common recommendation is to apply ice for 20 minutes every 2 hours for the first 48 to 72 hours.

These figures are a good starting point, but remember, they're only a guide. You must take into account that some people are more sensitive to cold thanothers. Also be aware that children and elderly people have a lower tolerance to ice and cold. Finally, people with circulatory problems are also moresensitive to ice. Remember to keep these things in mind when treating yourself or someone else with ice.

Personally, I recommend that people use their own judgement when applying ice to themselves. For some people, 20 minutes is way too much. For others,especially well conditioned athletes, they can leave ice on for much longer. The individual should make the decision as to how long the ice should stay on.

My personal recommendation is that people should apply ice for as long as it is comfortable. Obviously, there will be a slight discomfort from the cold, butas soon as pain or excessive discomfort is experienced, it's time to remove the ice. It's much better to apply ice for 3 to 5 minutes a couple of timean hour, than not at all.

C: (compression) Compression actually achieves two things. Firstly, it helps to reduce both the bleeding and swelling aroundthe ankle joint, and secondly, it provides support for the ankle. Simply use a wide, firm, elastic, compression bandage to cover the entire ankle and lowerleg.

E: (elevation) Simply raise the injured ankle above the level of the heart at all possible times. This will further help toreduce the bleeding and swelling.

R: (referral) If the injury is severe enough, it is important that you consult a professional physical therapist or a qualifiedsports doctor for an accurate diagnosis. They will be able to tell you the full extent of the injury.

Before we finish with the initial treatment and move onto the next phase of the rehabilitation process, there are a few things that you must avoid duringthe first 72 hours.

Be sure to avoid any form of heat at the injury site. This includes heat lamps, heat creams, spas, Jacuzzi's and saunas.Avoid all movement and massage of the injured area. Also avoid excessive alcohol. All these things will increase the bleeding, swelling and pain of yourinjury. Avoid them at all costs.

http://After the first 48 to 72 hours?

So what happens after the first 48 to 72 hours? Lets first take a quick look at how damaged ligaments repair themselves.

When any sort of damage occurs to the ligaments, the body immediately goes into a process of repair. Where the individual fibres have been ruptures, ortorn, the body begins to bind the damaged fibres together using a fibrous protein called collagen. Or, as it's more commonly known, scar tissue!

You see, when a ligament is torn, you would expect that the body would repair that tear with new ligament. In reality, this doesn't happen. The tear, orrupture, is repaired with scar tissue.

Now this might not sound like a big deal, but if you have ever suffered an ankle injury, (or any soft tissue injury) you'll know how annoying it is tokeep re-injuring that same old injury, over and over again.

Scar tissue is made from a very brittle, inflexible fibrous material. This fibrous material binds itself to the damaged ligaments in an effort to draw thedamaged fibres back together. What results is a bulky mass of fibrous scar tissue completely surrounding the injury site. In some cases it's even possibleto see and feel this bulky mass under the skin.

When scar tissue forms around an injury site, it is never as strong as the ligaments it replaces. It also has a tendency to contract and deform thesurrounding tissues, so not only is the strength of the tissue diminished, but flexibility of the tissue is also compromised.

So, how do we get rid of that annoying formation of scar tissue?

Firstly, you must keep active! Don't listen to anyone who tells you to do nothing. Now is the time to start activerehabilitation. Most of the swelling will have subsided after the first 48 to 72 hours and you are now ready to start light activity.

Light activity will not only promotes blood circulation, but it will also activate the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system isvital in clearing the body of toxins and waste products, which can accumulate in the body following a sports injury. Activity is the only way to activate thelymphatic system.

Before we move on, a quick word of warning. Never, Never, Never do any activity that hurts the injured area. Of course you may feel some discomfort, butNEVER, NEVER push yourself to the point where you're feeling pain. Listen to your body. Don't over do it at this stage of the recovery, you've cometoo far to blow it now.

To remove most of the unwanted scar tissue, you now need to start two vital treatments. The first is commonly used by physicaltherapists (or physiotherapists), and primarily involves increasing the blood supply to the injured area. The aim is to increase the amount of oxygen andnutrients to the damaged tissues.

You see, ligaments receive very little blood supply, as compared to a muscle for example. So it's vitally important toincrease the blood flow to the injured ligaments. This will help supply the ligaments with the oxygen and nutrients they need for a speedy recovery.

Physical Therapists accomplish this aim by using a number of activities to stimulate the injured area. The most common methodsused are ultrasound and heat.

Ultrasound, or TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) simply uses a light electrical pulse to stimulate the affectedarea. While heat, in the form of a ray lamp or hot water bottle, is very effective in stimulating blood flow to the damaged tissues.

Secondly, to remove the unwanted scar tissue it is vital that you start to massage the injured ankle ligaments. While ultrasound and heat will help theinjured area, they will not remove the scar tissue. Only massage will be able to do that.

To start with, the ankle will be quite tender. So start with a light stroke and gradually increase the pressure until you're able to use firmstrokes.

Concentrate your effort at the direct point of injury, and use your thumbs to get in as deep as possible to break down the scar tissue.

Just a few final points before we move on. Be sure to drink plenty of fluid during your injury rehabilitation. The extra fluid will help to flush a lot ofthe waste products from your body.

Also, I recommend you purchase a special ointment to use for your massage called "Arnica". This special ointment is extremely effective intreating soft tissue injuries, like ligament sprains and tears. You can purchase this ointment at most health food shops and pharmacies.
As usual, I'vegone on way too long, and I'm not finished with this topic yet. I still need to cover the rehabilitation and conditioning exercises needed to get yourankle joint back to 100%, but I'm going to have to leave it till next issue. This final part of the rehabilitation process is vitally important, and Ithink it deserves an entire issue.

http://www.thestretchingh...s/ankle-injuries-pt2.php

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This article touches on all contentious issues, and I've put the pertinent information in bold.

Forget what everyone is saying. All you need is some ANKLE INSURANCE son...





Don't be the DUMMY ^^^^ get you some ANKLE INSURANCE (tell'em SuperAntigen referred you for the super bonus limited discount)



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love that commercial!!

Originally Posted by TheYoungestGun

dude you better stop talking cause you're a dumb @*%... i'm using it as an example, but it's obvious you're not smart enough to see the connection.. like i said that is what i do, i'm not giving you advice, cause you're too stubborn to even listen and consider it... so you just chill out for 4-6 weeks after you sprain your ankle..

Click to expand...

don't back track any faster you might sprain something for real

Man sometimes it pays not to have great hops, I cannot even imagine coming down on someone's foot jumping as high as kobe just did in that commercial, canyou imagine all that weight from coming down that high? Sometimes you have to be happy with your limitations. Great article AC43.

Damn you guys are going at it, and the commercial is great. Anyways, Ifollowed the RICE technique and it really helped me out a lot. As an update: Sprained my ankle last sunday and iced it for about two days. Tuesday I went tothe doctor who had my ankle placed in a soft cast. Doctor said keep it on for 3-4 days. I just took the cast off tonight, all the swelling is gone and I canfinally walk around with no pain! Again, this is my third time spraining the same ankle and this time it was a second degree sprain. I would recommend anyonegoing through the same injury to follow the RICE technique. I'm going to start some rehab in the next day or so, hope to be back on the court within thenext month.

AC43-thanks for the article, really informative.
infamousod-thanks for all the advice.
theyoungestgun-didn't try the heat technique. Sports doctor at my univesity said that is a bad idea, but if it works for you that's great.

Gotta love the kb8 commercial
But back on a serious note, if you're ankle is swollen and bruised, don't mess around kid. I turned my really bad about 5 years ago and didn't getit checked out, later found out it was a severe sprain and I tore some stuff in it and never properly rehabed. Doc said if it happened again, tore some morestuff and didn't fix it right, I'd lose a lot more strength in it.

It actually happened again two months ago, just came down hard on some guy's foot, bad enough that I couldn't walk to school! didn't want to messaround so this time I called a physio to come to my house from http://www.physiohouse.com , my mom used them beforeand they do house calls. Dude was cool, gave me some treatment and now I'm almost dunking again

So just saying, take care of it if you want to keep playing!