I’m writing this post with my foot hoisted into the air and surrounded by an ice pack. Reason: I sprained my ankle… and it’s not the first time.
In doing the research on what was wrong with my ankle, I found the spraining your ankle is one of the most common injuries. It’s considered quite rare if someone has never injured their ankle, ever. My problem is it occurs more frequently than I’d like to say. The reason, I have weak ankles — an inherited trait from my father (WOOHOO!!).
The whole thing of feeling the twist of the ankle, followed by a pop, then complete clarity, and within 30 seconds, the PAIN. I cannot say I enjoyed it, because I did NOT. It’s not a pleasant experience and I do not recommend it. But, if you do ever roll your ankle and cause an inversion sprain (which is what I did), I’d highly recommend the RICE system. No it’s not the worldwide food staple, nor the university. In short, it’s a way to help your sprain get better.
Personally, I’m someone who can’t stand sitting and doing nothing. So when my wife told me to do the RICE thing, I hated the idea. In face, I wanted to go to work instead. But, I’m glad to be doing nothing as I can feel my ankle getting better every minute.
As far as helping others, I would direct you here. It was the easiest to follow summary and in reading, it allowed me to relive the experience again! Ok, reading it wasn’t that bad, but word for word was how it felt when it happened. Of course, there are other useful sites (like this one, funnily enough from Rice University) and you can pick them to your fancy.
Safe walking, running, etc out there people!