Here’s what to actually do in the first 48 hours
A misstep, a twist, a stumble. Suddenly you’re faced with a swollen, bruised ankle. We’ve all heard about RICE, but the evidence has evolved and so has best practice.
Step 1
Is it a sprain or something more serious?
If you can’t bear any weight, if there’s visible deformity, or pain to touch at the bones, it’s recommended to get an x-ray to rule out a fracture. You can do this by organising a GP or physio appointment, or seeking an imaging referral
Step 2
RICE
PEACE & LOVE
Prolonged rest can delay recovery in the majority of situations. Follow the PEACE & LOVE framework to optimise your acute healing phase.
- P – protect – limit painful movements for 1-3 days to reduce further injury
- E – elevate – where possible, keep the ankle above heart level to help manage swelling
- A – avoid anti-inflammatories – early inflammation is a key part of the inflammatory process
- C – compress – use a bandage or sleeve to help manage swelling
- E – educate – avoid unnecessary passive treatments, listen to your body
- L – load – gradually return to movement as pain allows
- O – optimism – positive vibes help recovery (seriously)
- A – vascularisation – pain free cardiovascular exercises (perhaps walking or swimming) can help improve circulation
- E – exercise – targeted rehabilitation to restore strength, proprioception, plus reduce risk of re-injury (that’s where jem physio comes in!)
A question I always get … should I ice it? You can do this a bit for some pain relief but don’t expect it to be a miracle cure (sorry)
a final takeaway
Protect the area early, skip the prolonged icing & immobilisation & get moving in some way as soon as you’re able to
if in doubt, book in & check it out
Ankle sprains are one of the most common re-injuries, but this can be avoided with proper assessment & targeted rehabilitation
And if you need a little more motivation, check out this instagram post talking about recurrent ankle sprains
You can get in touch or book online and we’ll take it from there!