RICE and Ankle Physical Therapy - Where to Go Next

If your ankle has been injured, you may need to think about ankle physical therapy

. To start, there are some methods to check if your injury is a twist or a break. Think about the sound you heard when the injury occured. No, not what was happening across the street! What sound did your ankle make? A tearing or "pop" sound is probably a twist, but a "crack" sound is probably a break. How does it feel when you walk on it? If you can put a bit of pressure on it, then it is most likely a sprain. If you aren't able to put any pressure whatsoever on it then it might be a break or just as bad, a severe sprain. (Both of which I recommend you consult a doctor immediately. However, to add to the confusion, fractures are also a possibility, which coule mean you can walk with pain that is felt in other areas of your body other than your ankle. The best thing for you is to see a professional, because only they can say for sure with their x-rays and expertese. They can also recommend which kind of ankle physical therapy is best for you.

However if you're like me, and most other people, a trip to the doctor seems like a big hassle and there are lots of online resources about sprained ankle injuries and ankle physical therapy. The quality of recourses online about sprained ankles, how they occur, and how to do ankle physical therapy at home vary however and it may take a while to sift through the sandbox. So grab a comfortable seat, get some rest, and keep reading. Beginning ankle physical therapy too soon can result in re-injury! Your road to recovery should start with RICE.

Any amount of research on the internet or experience in sports will tell you that RICE is the way to go. Resting and icing every 4 hours for 20 minutes is important, including a light wrap and elevation (of the ankle) to help reduce swelling and shorten recovery time. How you go about rehabilitation is debated, some rsuggesting resting as long as you can to encourage full recovery before starting ankle physical therapy while, others suggest immediately starting ankle physical therapy to keep the joint from stiffening and prevent scar tissue.

I would bet on the second option as being more helpful. My personal experiences show me that the earlier ankle physical therapy is begun, the shorter amount of time is needed to reduce ankle scar tissue, and the quicker you'll be able to feel your ligaments to stretch to normal flexibility and muscles to full strength. I started massaging it (as part of therapy) as soon as I could stand the pain, There are many simple exercises you can do at home with a wall and a towel. Placing your foot against the wall and applying pressure can help increase strength in the ankle without risking putting to much pressure (like with walking). Using a towel you can control the degree to which you stretch your ligaments, also without worring about putting too much strain on the injured area.

I tend to not trust doctors (I know, it's ridiculous) so I chose to solve my sprained ankle problem at home. I think that if I had a proper routine of ankle physical therapy my recovery could have been faster, but my methods served me and in about a month I was back to normal. When I was in Highschool I injured my ankle at the beginning of the track season and was out for the rest of the year. I believe that this time although my sprain was more serious, my self designed ankle physical therapy was important to my quick rehabilation.

RICE and Ankle Physical Therapy - Where to Go Next

By: Roderick Brenes

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