Sprained ankle - help me heal it ASAP please

[MeemawTucker]

Today I randomly fell over and have sprained my ankle. I am training for a race in two weeks (only 5k but my first!) and I really need it to heal very quickly.

I was just outside my house so was able to ice it and raise it straight away; it is very swollen around and under the ankle bone though. I can walk on it (without bending it) if needed so pretty sure nothing is broken

I’ve taken nurofen and put on some arnica cream (but it’s homeopathic?!); what else can I do? I have naproxen in my cupboard and also voltarol gel but I’m guessing they can’t be mixed?

Any ideas please to get it better asap? Thank you

No shortcuts I'm afraid. If you try to run on the ankle too soon you'll do yourself longer term damage. Lots of rest

NHS advice here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sprains-and-strains/

note that it says to avoid running for 8 weeks. I’m sorry.

I think that the latest advice is not to take anti inflammatory painkillers (eg ibuprofen, naproxen) for the first 48 hours as these stop the swelling which is actually helping recovery.

I sprained my ankle badly a few years back and it was weeks before I could walk without limping and months before I had anything
like a full range of movement back. I still can’t quite bend it back as far as the other one when eg kneeling on the floor.

Rest!

Thank you! It’s disappointing but seems definitive. I’m so annoyed with myself as I was really getting into it which in unusual for me and running…

I’ve inadvertently done way too much icing ,as I left it on for about two hours when according to that NHS page it should be 20 mins every hours. It’s helped with the pain though which is good. I’ll go easy on the anti-inflammatories for now

Thanks again for your help

The race isn’t happening I’m afraid. Rest , ice , elevation and anti inflammatory pain killers.

No swelling doesn’t help healing… hence the advice is RICE . Elevate to reduce swelling.

Just to say, I've broken my ankle 4 times and being able to bend it or put a bit of weight on it hasn't meant it wasn't broken. You really need to get it checked out to be sure. If it is broken and you aren't treating it correctly you may find yourself needing an operation on it down the line like I did.

I went right over on mine last summer, walked on it for two weeks then it got so sore I couldn't really walk so went to urgent care.

I'd chipped a bone and ended up in a walking boot. I'd advise you to get it xrayed at least!

Oh gosh I hadn’t thought about anything more severe! That would be a nightmare

I can rotate it round in the upper half of a circle iyswim, but in the lower half it’s too painful. I can’t stretch my leg out to point my toes. Everything wiggles ok though. But the swelling is ridiculous; looks like a tennis ball stuck to my ankle. No bruising showing, but no doubt that will follow…

It won't make you feel better but that's what mine was like! 🙁

Oh no 😩 Useful to hear though, thank you