Swelling doesn't matter. What matters is the pain. If he's not experiencing much pain, he should walk on it.
FIXED. Dude, please believe me. I know everything there is to know about "SwoLy" things, and ankles shouldn't be used if they're damaged. If the injury was last Friday, and today is still a bit SwoLlen and discolored, do you think it was a good thing he walked on it without applying ice right away? I don't think so, Tim. If you punch me and my jaw breaks and it's SwoLlen and it's hanging off, but I don't feel any pain, do you think I should just let it hang and do nothing? PAIN vs. DAMAGE. Let's talk about that, then.
Whatever. I'm just telling you what every doctor I've ever consulted regarding sprained ankles has told me.
Wait. Did you say "every doctor" as in you have gone to different doctors to treat the same thing...? I wonder why.
Pain is an indication of damage. If you're somehow not feeling pain, then normal protocol wouldn't apply to you b/c you're not a normal subject.
I've sprained my ankle many times over the years. I also have friends who are doctors, family members who are doctors, and friends of the family who are doctors. I know that due to all the ankle sprains I've had in prior years, my ankles are more susceptible to sprain. So when I talk to these various doctors, I'll mention it.
Demonstrate your value. Engage physically. Nurturing dependence. Neglect emotionally. Inspire hope. Separate entirely. It's a foolproof system; takes about seven-ten days for the foot to heal completely.
the problem with RICE is it basically only to stops the swelling/pain. if your ligaments moved out of place a little and you ice it then they will 'freeze' in that wrong place. you will roll your ankle again soon because of it. ice is really only good for a couple days. http://www.rehabanklesprain.com/drawbacksrice.aspx
QFT. Ice only does you good during the initial couple of days. If it's really bad I say get a boot. Either way get some kinda ankle support or band so that it stays in place and there isn't too much movement. Try to not put too much pressure on it. The last time I sprained an ankle it was pretty bad. Ankle turned into a giant purple Cankle and I rushed the process by walking/running/lifting weights too soon. It didn't fully heal for nearly a year. The pain really only started to go away after I had gotten some ACUPUNCTURE shots. Others may say the stuff doesn't work or had zero effects but I swear by it. Also do ABC's. Sit down in a chair lift hurt foot up and make A,B,C motions with your foot.
My high school coaches always made us do the ice water treatment. Put your foot in a bucket of ice water for 15 minutes. The first 5 minutes are hell, it feels like you are on fire. It will subside, but it will make you scream and cuss for awhile. After about 15-20 minutes, get up and walk around doing slight stretching exercises to loosen the ligaments, etc. Once your foot has warmed up a bit (no more than 5 or 10 minutes), go back and do it again. The whole process blows. But you'll notice a huge difference in a day or two.
Don't do what I did. When my right foot came down on our very own Miguel's foot last year and I snapped my ankle, I already knew I wouldn't be able to play ball again for a long time. So, I played two more games on it (winning both ) before I went home that day. Next time I ran or jumped was about 2 months later, and I didn't play basketball again for 6 full months. Moral of the story? Don't F around with an injured ankle. Just looking at the pictures of it give me the heebie-jeebies.
Ice it for 15 minutes, then do the alphabet with your foot. Eventually, the crutch digging into your armpit will be more painful than this particular boo-boo.
