sprained ankle

[ReverseLunge]

Jesus Christ! I have a sprained ankle from fencing! the doc told me to keep it wrapped tight after applying ice. He said wrapping it will make it heal faster. Now why the hell would wrapping it make it heal faster? should I just let it swell? Its hurts like hell to wrap it up!!!1

ARRRGGGGHHHHHH!

[wpotere]

You truly are amazing!!!!

You are wrapping it to compress the swelling out of it and to limit the movment of the joint. Doing this will help it heal faster. But I suspect that you will simply ignore the doc and suffer. Your choice......

[KShan5[PrFC]]

why don't you just jump up and down on it......then fence epee and have people practice on it because it is an enlarged target?

WHo cares what the docd thinks??

[ReverseLunge]

Hey man! I"m just saying that it hurts to wrap it. Would it be better to just let it swell? Would wrapping it cut of circulation?

[wpotere]

Sprained ankles do hurt, but the doc is right wrap it an do your best to tolerate it. Take a few motrin to ease the pain. I should know, I have delt with bad ankles right up to the day that they fused the left one. No more ankle, no more pain.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Originally posted by ReverseLunge
Hey man! I"m just saying that it hurts to wrap it. Would it be better to just let it swell? Would wrapping it cut of circulation?

Well wrap it but do not cut off all the circulation.

[ReverseLunge]

Does the pressure from wrapping stimulate healing too? If it does then how so?

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Well it relieves pain, just as if you slam your finger in the door and then you hold it (applying pressure).

The only thing I know that it does to help heal is immobilize it.

[JEC]

You also forgot to "ice" the ankle. Look at the "pro" athtletes. Tape, ice and anti-inflammatories. Then, for a joint that has recurrent sprains, use an elastic brace too. I fence with four elastic braces (left ankle, left knee, right wrist, right elbow).

[JEC]

I PM you. Hope this helps every body else:

http://www.emedicine.com/sports/topic6.htm

[ReverseLunge]

Originally posted by JEC
I fence with four elastic braces (left ankle, left knee, right wrist, right elbow).

Wow. Can I call you Robocop?

[whtouche]

Originally posted by wpotere
Sprained ankles do hurt, but the doc is right wrap it an do your best to tolerate it. Take a few motrin to ease the pain. I should know, I have delt with bad ankles right up to the day that they fused the left one. No more ankle, no more pain.

Can you fence with your ankle fused like that?

[JEC]

I know several high level fencers who have decreased mobility due to back, hip, knee or ankle problems. Their fencing style changes, but they still can be deadly. Obviously, they are not better but different.

[damion18d]

R.I.C.E Rest, Ice, Elevation, Compression. Make sure you ice the ankle for about 15 min at a time, about every thirty min for the first 2 days. When you sleep or are sitting(being inactive in general) elevate the ankle to a point of being above the heart. This may require you lay down for comfort. Elevation will deal with a lot of the swelling and decrease pain. The ankle hurts because it is swollen. The swelling causes a compression in the joint space. That presses on veins and arteries and nerves. Decrease the swelling decrease the pain. The wrap will keep swelling from starting. Also provides stability. This is not to say you should walk on this injury unless you want to prolong it. If it is a true sprain your doc should have advised you to use crutches for about 2 weeks. Depending on the classification of the sprain. Taking Motrin would also help. It is an anti-inflammitory. For it to work in that way though you have to raise your blood levels. So take two 200mg Motrin every 8 hours for the next week. I promise it will help. If you have had any stomach or ulser problems or if you are allergic to motrin or ibuprofen you should consult your doctor before taking it over the counter. Also it is a time release drug. 800 mg every 8 hours is the max dose for this type of injury. Taking more than that won't help and it will beat the crap out of your liver and kidneys.

[Soldier]

Note: As he mentioned briefly, Motrin is just a brand name for the generic ibuprofen, for sake of cost.

[ReverseLunge]

Well its not a bad sprain. Its just level 1. So no need for crutches. I wonderwhen I can get back to fencing. I hate not fencing and it's been almost a week!

[ReverseLunge]

Question: Do ligament that have been completely torn heal? How does it work? I understand how partially torn ligament heal by creating scar tissue but what about completely torn ones? Do they somehow re-attache?

[dunastor]

Hey man! I"m just saying that it hurts to wrap it.

If it hurts, it helps

[The0ne]

if you start having to deal with torn and damaged ligaments, be prepared for long periods of no fenicng. . . Those things take forever to heal! About the completely torn ligaments. . . I don't know!

[Iwant2bafencer]

Reverse, ligaments never completely heal. They will repair mostly however for some odd freaky medical reason they can't fully repair. At least partially torn ones are that way. I ripped one in a soccer championship about two years ago and it's never fully healed. Still bugs me sometimes.

As for the ankle, as everyone's already said, you deffinately should wrap it. When it hurts, it's healing. You might want to try some IcyHot or other sports creams on it. Definately ice it too, you don't want it to swell (as said before, hense the wrapping part).