A sprained ankle is the ultimate mood killer. Not only is this injury terribly inconvenient and upends your daily activities, like going to the gym, but it’s also terribly painful.
Fortunately, there are things you can start doing right away to lessen the pain and speed up the healing process. That’s why we created the following guide for how to treat a sprained ankle in 4 easy steps using the RICE method, so you can feel better and be back on your feet as quickly as possible.
The first step you need to take on the road to repairing your sprained ankle is to rest. And we don’t mean just sit on the couch for a day and then hobble on to work the next, muttering, “I’m fine” as you wince at the pain in each step. No, we mean rest.
Take some time off work if at all possible, whether it’s sick or vacation hours. If you’re enrolled in college classes, write emails to your professors explaining you won’t be able to make it to class for a week or two. Avoid the gym and any kind of exercise that puts pressure on or requires you to move the affected limb.
You should ice your sprained ankle for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours while you’re awake. The cold will bring down the swelling and inflammation. If you don’t have an ice pack that’s made for injuries, you can use a bag of frozen veggies (peas are the best). You can also take a plastic gallon bag and fill it with ice.
Compressing your sprained ankle is extremely important. The compression causes the swelling to go down and reduces your pain. It also helps stabilize your ankle so it doesn’t roll and cause you even more discomfort. Finally, it increases the blood flow to your ankle, which will help the wounded tissue heal faster.
It’s difficult to compress your ankle with just household items. Towels, shirts, and other random apparel don’t stay tight enough to really have any effect. Your normal, everyday socks are also too loose, and shoes are certainly not appropriate to wear with a sprained ankle. Rather than compressing, you’ll be restricting blood flow to your ankle and foot and making them feel even worse.
An ankle sleeve such as the one we created here at Koprez is the perfect remedy for this situation. It slips easily onto the foot yet still fits snugly, and it hugs the ankle which in turn increases blood circulation to the area. The material is also breathable, so you won’t feel sweaty and restless while wearing it
Wear your Koprez ankle sleeve until the swelling in your ankle and foot goes down.
It’s difficult to compress your ankle with just household items. Towels, shirts, and other random apparel don’t stay tight enough to really have any effect. Your normal, everyday socks are also too loose, and shoes are certainly not appropriate to wear with a sprained ankle. Rather than compressing, you’ll be restricting blood flow to your ankle and foot and making them feel even worse.
An ankle sleeve such as the one we created here at Koprez is the perfect remedy for this situation. It slips easily onto the foot yet still fits snugly, and it hugs the ankle which in turn increases blood circulation to the area. The material is also breathable, so you won’t feel sweaty and restless while wearing it.
It’s difficult to compress your ankle with just household items. Towels, shirts, and other random apparel don’t stay tight enough to really have any effect. Your normal, everyday socks are also too loose, and shoes are certainly not appropriate to wear with a sprained ankle. Rather than compressing, you’ll be restricting blood flow to your ankle and foot and making them feel even worse.
An ankle sleeve such as the one we created here at Koprez is the perfect remedy for this situation. It slips easily onto the foot yet still fits snugly, and it hugs the ankle which in turn increases blood circulation to the area. The material is also breathable, so you won’t feel sweaty and restless while wearing it.
Wear your Koprez ankle sleeve until the swelling in your ankle and foot goes down.
Wear your Koprez ankle sleeve until the swelling in your ankle and foot goes down.
The final step of the RICE process is to elevate your foot. This helps keep the swelling down, especially while you’re resting and sleeping.
By following the RICE method - rest, ice, compress (with the Koprez ankle sleeve), and elevate - and your doctor’s recommendations, your sprained ankle will recover quickly without prolonged discomfort.
