Out of the Frying Pan

Stacy took a look at my leg last night and diagnosed me as having a sprained ankle rather than a stress fracture. So that's good news. But it still means I'll be out of commission while it heals up. I just recovered from my cold enough to begin running again, and now this! The frustrating part is that I can't recall when I might have sprained it. I don't remember tripping, stumbling, over-extending, or doing anything that might have caused it. Oh, well. Looks like I'm on a RICE diet for the next couple of days.

Rest: Injuries heal faster if you rest. Continued use of a moderate or severely sprained ankle can delay healing, increase pain, or worsen the injury. With a mild sprain, activity as tolerated after 1 to 2 days of rest can be helpful.

Ice: Wrap your ankle with a wet cloth. Apply an ice pack over the cloth (held in place with an elastic bandage) for 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours during the first 48 to 72 hours. Remove the ice when your skin begins to feel numb.

Compression: Remove the ice pack and wrap a u-shaped cloth around the ankle knob (held in place with an elastic bandage). Compression squeezes fluid from the injury site and limits swelling.

Elevate: Raise your ankle above your heart for the first 24 hours, to minimize swelling and limit internal bleeding. The less swelling present, the faster an injury will heal.