Oh No! I’ve Sprained My Ankle. Now What?
By Ho Sik Hon

Sprained ankle has been one of the most common injuries in all walks of life.  Whether you’re an elite athlete or an office lady without any participation in sports, you might suffer from this injury at anytime.

For successful rehabilitation and quick recovery, immediate management of the injury is of utmost importance. For the acute phase, namely the first 72 hours right after the onset of injury, we should always deploy P.R.I.C.E.

P – Protection
To avoid re-injury to the compromised tissues (ligaments / tendons / bones), quality protection is crucial.  As most injuries happen to the subtalar joint and lateral ligaments (regions around your lateral malleolus), you should pick protection with specific stability to the region.

R – Rest
It’s common sense to rest your ankle after injury. Continuing to use and work the damaged tissues will only result in further damage and therefore a longer recovery.

I – Ice, C – Compression, E – Elevation
We always put I.C.E. together, as they’re the core components to control swelling and pain in your ankle. It’s better to use an ice bag and cool the ankle down for 15 minutes, followed by gentle compression through taping or bracing. When you need to rest, make sure your ankle is elevated above your heart so that you can “drain” your swelling.

Of course should you have any doubt or serious pain, you must rush to your physician for proper medical treatment. It’s your ankle. It carries half of your body weight, so there is no point risking your ankle and thus your mobility while the solution is always available!

P.R.I.C.E. -  quality protection, mandatory rest, ICE and medical advice. Keep the formula in mind. You don’t know when you will need it in the future.

Ho Sik Hon is a registered Physiotherapist working in Hong Kong at Basic Physiotherapy Centre Ltd. and has an MSc in Sports Medicine and Health Science. Feel free to call 3119 1110 or visit www.basicphysio.com for more information.