Whether you are exercising or simply misstep, here are some helpful tips and tricks on what to do after you roll your ankle.
What is a Rolled Ankle?
Some 25,000 people sprain their ankle every day. The severity of these sprains varies in each case, but there are common symptoms and treatments across the board. When you roll your ankle or twist it you are stretching the ligaments further than they are intended to. Most times this is caused by lateral movements. One main point in differentiating between a roll, twist, and sprain is the severity of the tear in the ligaments. These few tips and best practices are intended to help with pain from a twist or roll. If your ankle is sprained, consult your doctor.
Get That Foot Up!
Just like any serious injury to your legs, knees, and feet, a good practice is to keep pressure off of the injured area. Specifically with any injury happening to your ankle, keeping pressure off the area will reduce constant irritation, in turn reducing inflammation. A best practice for keeping pressure off the foot is to put the rolled ankle on an elevated surface after the roll or twist occurs. As a general rule, follow the RICE formula to speed up your recovery:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
Once you get past the initial pain of rolling your ankle, which is generally the worst pain, you can manage the pain with different topical pain relief gels combined with stretching.
Topical Pain Relief
It’s 2020 and by now, there are hundreds of topical pain relief gels to choose from. A majority of these gels do a great job at masking the pain, but nothing further than that. One new pain relief gel that helps with both stopping the pain and promoting blood flow is Capsiva. Capsiva uses naturally extracted capsaicin and other natural ingredients that make up their “secret sauce”. The best results for using Capsiva is to apply it to the injured area and surrounding areas 2-3 times a day. Once you manage the pain with elevation and your new-found pain gel, Capsiva, the next step is to re-strengthen your ankle to make sure this is less likely to happen again!
Prevention
After some nurturing and time, your pain should be managed with the above steps. The last thing on your rolled ankle to-do-list is some prevention. The best rehab is a mix of stretching with a band and some balance training. With an exercise band around your foot, place slight pressure on the opposite side that you move your foot toward. Doing 10-15 reps per direction will help re-strengthen the ligament that was injured. Another easy way to re-strengthen the ligament is to practice your balance. Try standing on one foot for 30 seconds. If this is easy for you, try bending down and touching your foot while balancing.
Summary
Almost everyone is going to roll their ankle at some point. The key to a fast recovery all depends on how you rehabilitate and rest afterwards. If you’re looking for extra pain relief as you make your recovery, take advantage of Capsiva’s ultimate pain relief. It blocks your pain signal right at the source and promotes healthy blood flow. This reduces inflammation and helps your body naturally recover.