Sprained ankle, swelling huge... what do I do??

Discussion in 'The Guru's Pub' started by Morketh, Apr 3, 2008.

  1. Morketh

    Morketh Ancient Guru

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    Well I was playing basketball and I jumped up to block shot, landed on someones shoe and rolled my ankle. It swelled up immediately, went to doctor, they took x-rays and said it was not broken. They told me to ice it, and use this ace bandage for compression to keep swelling down and prop it up.

    WELL.... the swelling has been the same since Monday and this happened last Saturday. My whole foot is swolen... it looks like a latex glove after it has been blown up like a balloon. Even my shin has a little swelling and bruising.

    Well, nothing hurts, unless I try to put pressure on it of course, but I don't... I keep it iced, I keep it elevated, and I keep that ACE bandage on there... what else can I do to get swelling down, because this is not working...

    I have to go to Jacksonville, FL next week to install a server and this has got to be healed so I can go...

    I am trying to find some compression boot or something to put on my foot to just squeeze the swelling out, but if I do that.. won't the swelling just come back right after I take it off?

    Help here?
     
  2. allesclar

    allesclar Ancient Guru

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    rest rest and more rest thats all you can do. make sure you eat well too, to aid ur recovery.
     
  3. dukedave5200

    dukedave5200 Ancient Guru

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    Sounds almost exactly what happened to me (blocking a shot in basketball and landing on someone's foot...)...

    Taking a couple advil everyone 4-5 hours helped me with the swelling. That is my only suggestion on that.

    I will say this though, that since that happened to me (which was some 15 years ago now) that ankle is still kind of weak. Weaker than my other one at least. In other words it is more prone to twisting now. So make sure you baby it for a couple years and wear good hightops to help prevent it from happening again.
     
  4. dshramek

    dshramek Guest

    keep doing what you are doing. As long as your foot doesn't change color or lose feeling...you are doing all you can. Swelling should be down before you make your trip.
     

  5. RandyB

    RandyB Banned

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    Do you have a whirlpool nearby? Soaking it in the hot water might help - and it would be good for the rest of your body, also. ;)
     
  6. Morketh

    Morketh Ancient Guru

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    I also forgot I am taking 600mg of Ibuprofein.

    When I get home from work (I work a computer job so I have it sitting on a pillow in a chair the whole time at work) I have a trash can that I put water in then put a lot of ice in it so it is like one of those whirlpools you get in in sports and I soak it in there for like 15 mins and then take it out, the second it is warm again, I throw it back in there and freeze it!!

    I havent tried warm water or hot water yet, I heard it could make the swelling worse is this true?\

    Remember, it happened on Saturday so its been a few days.
     
  7. Psychlone

    Psychlone Ancient Guru

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    I did something similar to my knee about 23 years ago when I was 13...turned out (16 years later when I *had* to have it fixed - didn't like doctors much back then ;) ) that I had torn my ACL, PCL, and ripped up both the lateral *and* medial meniscus...and I walked around on it like that for 16 years!!
    In any case, after a successful surgery and extremely speedy recovery, I've got a new cadaver ACL and PCL, and removed the 'flaps' of the medial and lateral meniscus, and everything's tighter than on my 'OEM' knee.

    The reason I brought this up is because an X-Ray doesn't show soft tissue like tendons and ligaments very well (if at all anyway!) - there could be a small chance that you've torn something of importance that only an MRI would show.
    I do realize that a 'standard' sprain does indeed hurt and does get inflamed...and hopefully, that's all that you've done. Try to stay off it as much as possible, when you have to walk, transfer most (if not all) you weight off that leg altogether, take anti-inflammatory meds (Ibuprofin/Acetominiphin,etc - anything that's *NOT* an 'NSAID' except for *maybe* Celebrex - most or all the others have been pulled off the shelf due to major complications!)

    Hope you get well soon!

    Psychlone
     
  8. RandyB

    RandyB Banned

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    I may be wrong; but, I believe you're supposed to ice an injury up to 20 minutes after the incident and from then on - heat. The whirlpool always helps to lessen my pain.
     
  9. Morketh

    Morketh Ancient Guru

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    If I tried to put a regular tennie shoe on for compression, as well as my ace bandage, could that work for compression?

    I need something that is awesome for compressions o I can get this swelling out of here!!

    I heard of these flight socks, I'm going to see if Academy has some of those and Im going to use the flight sock and then the ace bandage over that for super compression!! any other ideas would be great.
     
  10. Morketh

    Morketh Ancient Guru

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    there is no pain whatsoever, I am just wanting the swelling to go down so I can start rehabilitation.

    Only pain is if I were to try to stand on it, but I'd be dumb if I were to try that.. thats why I have crutches :)
     

  11. dukedave5200

    dukedave5200 Ancient Guru

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    I'll say it again... Adil (ibuprofen) is one of the best things to take the swelling down. Take a couple every 4-5 hours (don't exceed the recommended daily dosage).

    It will work...
     
  12. RandyB

    RandyB Banned

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    As long as you're not putting pressure on it, the swelling should decrease within a few days. If it doesn't - you should visit your doctor, IMO.
     
  13. worthy

    worthy Master Guru

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    Bingo.

    I skimmed through this thread really quick, and I don't recall seeing where it was checked by a doctor. has this been looked at?

    Any xrays or anything? might want to do that.
     
  14. dukedave5200

    dukedave5200 Ancient Guru

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    In the oringal post in the first paragraph: "It swelled up immediately, went to doctor, they took x-rays and said it was not broken. They told me to ice it, and use this ace bandage for compression to keep swelling down and prop it up."
     
  15. worthy

    worthy Master Guru

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    Oh, lol, sorry.

    Ok, I say that because i broke my hand in my last fight and it took me a week before I went to the doctor and found that out. All I knew was that my wrist and my pinky were killing me.

    My body went through a freaky auto-immune response from it where all my joints swelled, and basically put me a whole week behind. The bone had already started healing and wasn't lined up correctly so it had to be re-broken.

    I cried. lol

    Just wanted to make sure.
    Good deal.
     

  16. Straykatt

    Straykatt Guest

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    Everyone rolls there ankle's a few times here and there. Especially if you play basketball. Once it turns dark purple the swelling will go down you'll be fine. As they say "walk it off."
     
  17. Morketh

    Morketh Ancient Guru

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    Its my left ankle and the left side of it has a lot of dark purple :) the right side is a splotch about the size of 2 quarters.

    I hope the swelling is all gone by monday.. I'm really nervous.. I need this healed asap!!!

    I will try soaking in warm water with Epsom salt tonight and see how that goes
     
  18. dukedave5200

    dukedave5200 Ancient Guru

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    Ok, again... Ibuprofen!

    Also, this is what the doctors say:

    For the next week or so, the P.R.I.C.E. treatment should be followed:


    P - Protect the ankle from further injury. Keep it wrapped up, or in a brace. If the sprain is severe, your doctor might put you in a plaster cast.

    R - Rest. That means no sports. No serious activity that requires the use of the ankle. At least for a week or so, and the swelling has gone down.

    I - Ice it every 2 hours, for about 15 minutes at a time. You can put the ice on and off for this time.(The "I" can also stand for ibuprofen. Taking an NSAID such as aspirin (Anacin), ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen sodium (Aleve or Anaprox) will help with pain and swelling.)

    C - Compression. You should use an ACE bandage, wrapped around the foot and up to the calf. Apply the bandage after the ankle has been elevated for a few minutes and remove and re-wrap it if the foot starts to feel cold, or the toes turn blue.

    E - Elevation. Whever you're sitting, try to keep you foot up at knee level. If you're lying down, put your foot up so that it's slightly above your heart. This will help drain fluids that are causing swelling.
     
  19. Satan

    Satan Guest

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    Ice that bleep.

    Also, is it red around it or show any other signs of possible infection? Not standing up is also a good thing because it may be fluid, and if it is you'd want to keep your leg raised so that it drains.
     
  20. Morketh

    Morketh Ancient Guru

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    nothing red or anything just like the dark purple and the normal colors of a bad bruise. I try to keep it elevated as much as possible, I sit at work with it at knee level, at home I lay in bed with 3 pillows under it.. dunno what else I can do..
     

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