Ankle injury

[Roadtrip]

I seem to have tweeked my ankle somehow. Feels very tight accross the top of my foot and with toes pointed up, there is a pronounced series little "pops" like tight tendons, which happens while turning my foot inward. ROM seems ok. No pronounced swelling that I really see, but I do have a brace on it now.

Not all that certain how I did this. I did stumble over the cat Sunday afternoon, and this is whe the pain really started. I did veer off the tral Saturday, at very slow speed, causing wheel to dropped off the pavement. I nearly toppled over before saving it. I rode on without any pain or sign anything was up. Today before taking naproxen I was beat able to limp my way from car into the office... The med seems to help a little... It not

Any advice? Ice/heat (not sure which), elevate, stay off and rest when I can. At what point would one go to Urgent Care to make sure no real damage is present? Continue with brace/compression or take off?

Thanks!!
Shannon

[OakLeaf]

Sounds like a sprain ...

Any injury, ice for the first 24-72 hours (they usually say 10-15 minutes at a time), you've got the rest right. Never put heat on an acute injury.

Most important thing about an ankle sprain is the rehab after it heals. Once you can do it without pain (probably 3-6 weeks depending on how severe it is), you'll want to be doing one-legged balance exercises (start on a stable surface and progress to unstable), range of motion work, foot strengthening exercises like towel skrunches. Personally I would keep it wrapped or braced during activity until you've been doing the balance exercises successfully for at least a month or two.

IANAD, etc., etc., but I've sprained my ankle way too many times because of inadequate rehab... I think if you can't put weight on it within a few more days, you might want to see your PCP to get an X-ray, but it doesn't sound broken from your description.

[Cathy89]

Well, tell me that if after injury you have a swalling on a vein near the end of abdomen and start of the hip on right
side. If there is swelling then don't give heat to injury.
Consult your doctor and do bed rest.