Twisted my ankle - wrap with Ace bandage or ice it?

[cantdrv55]

Lost my footing on the elliptical machine at the gym. It didn't hurt until I got home and took off my shoes. Not swelling at all, just hurts when I bend it a certain way. Should I ice it or just wrap it up? Is the Ace bandage still the way to go or those one piece, neoprene sleeves?

[stomachmonkey]

My advice. Beer+couch.

[porsche4life]

How bad is the swelling? How bad is the pain?


Ice will help with the swelling. Tobra can tell you what you need to do after that....

[onlycafe]

ice tonight, hot soak tomorrow. try to stay off it if you can tonight.

[stogie25]

Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

[LWJ]

In a day or two do the heat / ice bath thing. Where you put it in hot water for a bit and then ice for a bit. Works great. I don't think you should do this on a fresh injury however. I am not a doc.

Larry

[porsche4life]

Fix your story too... Slipping off an elliptical sounds like something vash would do....

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by stogie25

Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

No heat until it starts to get better, and the swelling is gone.

[KaptKaos]

Originally Posted by stogie25

rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

rice

+1

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Fix your story too... Slipping off an elliptical sounds like something vash would do....

+1 Make something up that is more exciting.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

Lost my footing whilst lifting the missus in the shower. It didn't hurt until I got home and took off my shoes. Not swelling at all, just hurts when I bend it a certain way. Should I ice it or just wrap it up? Is the Ace bandage still the way to go or those one piece, neoprene sleeves?

Was that so hard?

[vash]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Fix your story too... Slipping off an elliptical sounds like something vash would do....

punk!

and no..last time i was hurt, it involved a mountian side and a dead animal..manly schit!

sprained ankles should be treated with caution. if they really swell up, you should let a doc check it out. i am living with weakened ankles, from just letting them heal on their own.

for the record, i have never been on an elliptical. and wouldnt have the foggiest on how to fall off of one.

[DARISC]

I stepped in a rut and overturned my ankle. Limped through the day and the pain became unbearable so went to doc next morning. X-ray showed hairline fracture and doc prescribed a soft brace (velcro straps), no cast, and I used a crutch for awhile until it healed.

There was NO swelling and the doc said that the fact that it didn't swell up was indicative of a fracture as oposed to torn ligaments or a sprain, both of which I'd experienced in the past, both causing EXTREME swelling. Makes no sense to me, but that's what he said.

I asked what would have happened if I'd not come in and let it heal without a brace. I don't remember what he said - something about a slow, agonizing death I think.

I'd get it X-rayed if I were you, or at least get a drugstore brace like I used.

[vash]

Originally Posted by DARISC

X-ray showed hairline fracture and doc prescribed a soft brace (velcro straps), no cast, and I used a crutch for awhile until it healed.

air cast? best ankle support ever.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by vash

air cast? best ankle support ever.

Could've been. It was 20 some years ago but it was something along these lines:

[vash]

slick!..mine were white..similar. thin airbags inside. someone stole them out of my gym bag..i wore them when i played b-ball.

i was bummed.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by vash

...i wore them when i played b-ball.

I'm trying to remember if I could wear a shoe with mine. I think I was able to, but I vaguely remember the doc warning me not to; something about a slow, agonizing death I think.

[DARISC]

This thread brings back memories of the two, by far, most painful experiences of my life, both when I was a kid - an inner ear infected cyst (I think) and torn ligaments in my left ankle from colliding with a Little League team mate while going after the same fly-ball during fielding practice.

My dad came and took me and my ankle, which had balloned into a swollen mass the size of a large cantaloupe (or a small watermellon), to the doc who x-rayed it, said I'd torn a ligament, taped it up and said I'd be on crutches for awhile (I remember at least 3 weeks on crutches). The pain was really bad (so I thought, heh, heh ) and that night, as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep, I just HAD to take that painfully tight wrap off.......

HUGE mistake!!! What I thought was unbearable pain increased by a magnitude of 100,000 (maybe more). The slightest movement of any part of my body as I lay there triggered unbelievable pain in my ankle that was already constantly throbbing. I remember laying there, petrified, afraid to move a muscle. Every freaking heartbeat sent a stabbing pain signal to my ankle and I was sure that I was dying a slow, agonizing death.

My dad carted me back to the doc in the morning and boyoboy was he pissed at me for taking the wrap off! He wrapped it again and said I was lucky that I didn't die a slow, agonizing death.

[Tobra]

ice. compression, elevation

If it hurts to move it a certain way, don't move it that way.

The I can walk on it so it must not be broken, or it did not swell so it is/isn't broken or sprained stuff is generally nonsense.

Is there a spot that is particularly tender right below or in front of bone on outside of ankle?

Depending on where you are, I may know someone local. Probalby you keep compression on it, maybe a brace, take it easy, do some range of motion exercises starting in a few weeks.

[RWebb]

BTW - these injuries are typically under-diagnosed & under-treated

perhaps b/c the area is not particularly well innervated - be very careful with it even if it does not hurt