What do you do when you sprained your ankle

Malaysia
May 21, 2007 11:35pm CST
Just want To share my experience on sprained ankle. I had sprained my ankle many times while playing basketball and what I do everytimes was: After a short rest thru sitting down due to the great pain, I started to try to twist my ankle slowly for like 3-5 minutes in all directions it is possible, and then will try to walk around, do some little run after I can withstand the pain. I had found out that thru this kind of actions, my ankle took much shorter times to heal compared to my friends who just sit down and rest and never try to do any exercise on their sprained ankle although they have visited some one to treat their ankle after that. I am not sure why most of my elders told me not to walk, not to put on any pressure on my ankle when it was sprained as that was what they have been told all the way from their elders but it seems that my ways make the best way to heal myself.
3 responses
crazyanniecroc
@crazyanniecroc (30)
• United States
27 Nov 07
I was told by my health care system to work my ankle. Start off moving your ankle by making the letters of the alphabet. also to ice your ankle. but everyone heals differently. Do what works for you.
hysiow
@hysiow (5)
• Singapore
19 Sep 07
When you say "sprain", does it mean that it's so painful you can't even walk properly. Sprains are ruptures to the ligaments, and for speedy recovery ,it takes 1-2 weeks. For full recovery, it takes about a month or so. Straight after the sprain, ice it for 10 mins. Every 2 hours, ice again. This reduces the swell, and numps the pain. In between the icing, wrap it with elastic bandage. This stabilizes the injury, and prevent it from swelling again. Of course, when you see purplish on the bandaged area, it means it's too tight and you have to loosen it. Try to keep the injured area elevated above heart level most of the time, to minimise blood flow to the injured area. When ligament is ruptured, blood will flow there, and there'll be internal bleeding. Last but not least, REST!!! You can't play with an injury. It'll worsen and you'll never recover from it. After 2 days of active icing, I'll do a bit of passive rotation to gain back the range of motion. Exercise must be progressive.
vasishta
@vasishta (73)
• India
25 Jul 07
welll... if i sprain my ankle... i will stay in one place and wont move at all... i will apply the necessary medicines and i use a spray called "relispray".. it will heal sprains etc quickly... and i some times try spraining my other ankle too so that i can be freee for some time!...LOLZ!