I rolled my ankle BADLY

Do not use ibuprofen or naproxen---they will interefere with the healing process. If you must use an NSAID, use asprin, otherwise use Tylenol or better yet--nothing.

Keep up with the Advil (4 every 4 hours, if you can stomach that much) for a few days at least.

Keep your foot elevated as much as possible.

Ice your ankle as much as you can (even if it means alternating in heat therapy)

Keep the area wrapped to keep the swelling down (this will hurt like a bitch in the middle of the night, so you may have to skip that time).

Heat the area before attempting to run again, as this will loosen things up a bit.

Avoid uneven terrain for a few weeks at least, and consider adding in some cross-training in the mean time to maintain fitness.

Good luck.

I've rolled my ankle several times and the pain associated with it seems almost random. In other words, my worst sprains weren't necessarily the most painful. In fact, I've had some horrible sprains that weren't even that painful at all. I think it just depends on what soft tissue gets torn up in there and it's kind of random. I doubt it's anything more than a sprain. I would wait 2-3 days for the swelling to subside and the pain should go away as well.

When you get home, fill a cooler with ice water and submerge that puppy in there for 15 minutes(your lower leg should feel like a frozen brick when you pull it out). Try doing that at least twice a day for next few days. Keep it elevated. Prop it up, above your heart, when sleeping or lying around. Probably a bad sprain and yes you may have stretched some ligaments. Try running on grass or soft surfaces and stay off trails when it's dark. You may need to sit out for a couple of days. Hobbling along on one leg will only stress the good leg. Tape it before you run if you're determined not to miss any time.

distance guy wrote:

Keep up with the Advil (4 every 4 hours, if you can stomach that much) for a few days at least.

Keep your foot elevated as much as possible.

Ice your ankle as much as you can (even if it means alternating in heat therapy)

Keep the area wrapped to keep the swelling down (this will hurt like a bitch in the middle of the night, so you may have to skip that time).

Heat the area before attempting to run again, as this will loosen things up a bit.

Avoid uneven terrain for a few weeks at least, and consider adding in some cross-training in the mean time to maintain fitness.

Good luck.

Q: Dr. Stone, what are your thoughts on taking ibuprofen or any other anti-inflammatory to help a sprain?

We used to use anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, or Naprosyn to reduce swelling and diminish pain for people who have injured their ankles and broken their bones. Unfortunately, there is good data now that shows that these non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications inhibit tendon healing and inhibit bone healing. So, because of that data, we now use Tylenol, which is acetaminophen, or aspirin, which is a good pain reliever and anti-inflammatory that does not appear to have the deleterious effects on the soft tissue and bone in the immediate post-injury period. So we are avoiding use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and hopefully speeding healing by doing so.

Thanks for the advice guys.

What's the difference between Ibuprofen and Asprin/Tylenol? How does Ibuprofen interfere with the healing process? And why would it be best to use nothing?

This article leads me to believe that Ibuprofen is okay:

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=438&sectionId=7071

Also, how would I know if something is torn?

I'm in a similar situation and want to know if quick healing is possible. On Jan. 1, just a month away from the marathon, I'm 17 miles into an 18 miler when my foot hits a hole in the trail. The ankle rolls badly. After sitting awhile in the dirt, I tried to walk through the pain. Then, wanting to get off the trails and home, I ran the last mile.

For the past two days, I've been doing aspirin and ice. Today it feels better, but the pain is now more focused and sharper at points around the outside ankle. The plan is to lay off running for 7 days and then make a decision on the Feb. marathon. Based on that 18 miler two days ago, my body can easily hit goal pace for the marathon. I just don't know how quickly a sprained ankle can heal for a 26 mile race. Will it heal in time? How long can I rest before losing marathon fitness?

I'm not a doctor but ibuprofen and asprin is what you want to use. Tylenol is not an NSAID (non steroidal anti inflamitory drug). Taking Advil or any other NSAID will help reduce the inflammation in the ankle and help it heal faster.

As someone who has seriously sprained their ankles many times, that really sucks. Sorry for the bad luck, I sprained my ankle serioulsy the day before my senior year in college started and my XC season was set back tremendoulsy.

All you can do is RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation). Ice it several times a day (no longer than 15 minutes at a time) and after each run. Wrap it up in an ace bandage to give it support, and stay off it as much as you can for a while.

As long as it does not hurt too bad, you can run on it, but go easy for a few days until you are sure it is stable. Try not to limp, and make sure that you keep stretching, it is very easy to lose flexibility in your achilles and calves because you favor the other ankle so much.

You might want to invest in a lightweight ankle brace to give it a little support too. Good luck.

not an MD wrote:

I'm not a doctor but ibuprofen and asprin is what you want to use. Tylenol is not an NSAID (non steroidal anti inflamitory drug). Taking Advil or any other NSAID will help reduce the inflammation in the ankle and help it heal faster.

1: Z Rheumatol. 1999 Jun;58(3):125-9. Links

The effects of NSAID on the matrix of human articular cartilages.Dingle JT.

Addenbrooke's Hospital, UK-Cambridge.

The present paper presents data obtained over a 12 year period, on the matrix synthesis and turnover in some 650 arthritic and 180 non-arthritic (N) human cartilages using a standardised in vitro method. When the relative metabolic (synthetic/repair activity) of these human cartilages was compared, it was demonstrated that in osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cartilages synthetic activity was diminished by approximately 50% as compared with N cartilages. However, the turnover rate of matrix was not significantly different between Non-arthritic and OA, but was very substantially increased in RA cartilages compatible with the activity of inflammatory cells and proteolytic enzymes released from pannus. The action of 13 NSAIDs was compared in terms of their effect on cartilage GAG synthesis. 3 of these NSAIDs were also studied in terms of their effect on cartilage collagen synthesis. Consideration of the results in this study and from published material, led to the suggestion that NSAIDs may be divided into 3 categories in respect of their in vitro action on the extracellular matrix of human arthritic cartilages: 1. Those such as Aceclofenac, Tenidap and Tolmetin which can stimulate matrix synthesis 2. Those such as Piroxicam, Tiaprofenic Acid and Aspirin which appear to be without significant effect on matrix synthesis and, 3. Those like Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Indomethacin, Nimezulide which significantly inhibit matrix synthesis. It is suggested that the stimulatory action of group 1 NSAID is due to inhibition of locally produced IL1 and consequent expression of growth factor activity. Other NSAIDs may also inhibit IL1 synthesis or release, but probably do not have a beneficial effect on chondrocyte synthetic activity as they have toxic effects on cartilage metabolism. These experiments led to the suggestion that NSAIDs such as Aceclofenac would be appropriate for long-term treatment of arthritic conditions provided that one is prepared to extrapolate between in vitro experiments on human cartilage and what may be happening in vivo.

PMID: 10441838 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Forum: Anabolics & Performance Enhancers · Post Preview: #376235 · Replies: 10 · Views: 159

Sources For Adequan Or Aflutop?

I have to admit I'm getting a little confused about which painkiller I should use. The post by 'No, don't' seems pretty authoritative, but all you other guys are speaking from experience, so I'm not sure who to trust.

We can probably have a long winded discussion here about scientific findings, etc. Personally, I only use Tylenol or Ibuprofen if I'm hungover and/or have a headache. I've sprained both ankles multiple times and have had multiple bouts of achilles tendonitis and have not used any anti-inflammatories. Give it a couple of days of ice, elevation and rest(or light jogging) before you start popping pills IMHO. I suspect you're in the middle of heavy mileage so your body is in a recovery mode anyway. It's your call. Others on here will have had success using ibuprofen, etc.

Hey man, if this doesn't clear things up for you...

At least they put it in Layman's terms for us.

Sipho wrote:

I have to admit I'm getting a little confused about which painkiller I should use. The post by 'No, don't' seems pretty authoritative, but all you other guys are speaking from experience, so I'm not sure who to trust.

In the US=Asprin. Or Tylenol. Or opiates. Or Celebrex. Or nothing.

happened to me too. after 48 hours or so when you have been icing it regularly and the inflammation and swelling has been restricted start contrast baths. get one bucket of ice cold slush and another with warm water. every 2 min or so switch between the two for about 20 min, 3 times a day if possible. worked for me- speeded up recovery.

the vasodilation/constriction of the cells attracts all the blood to swish in and out bringing all the wee nutrients an stuff to speed the healing process. not a very technical explanation, but as a say it helped me. i couldnt even walk for a week, but two weeks after i was back to steady running.

All of these suggestions have been great ways to treat the symptoms... Sipho, what you should focus on is the root cause of the pain, no pun intended. The reason your ankle is sore and will continue to be sore/swollen is the cuboid bone in your foot, which acts as a keystone of the bones in your foot/ankle, is out of place. This caused the ligaments in your foot/ankle to be loose/stretched... which=weak. Until a podiatrist manipulates these bones and sets the cuboid bone, your ankle will be weak and the chance of subsequent rollings will be increased greatly. I am speaking from experience. After I rolled my ankle badly I had my cuboid put back in place and had my arch taped to keep it there. I was told to wear shoes for five days, even to go to the bathroom. All the while I was able to run regular mileage and intensity. Then the important thing is stabilizing/strengthening the ankle. This is because ankle problems have been shown to lead to hip problems. HOWEVER! Many insurance companies do not cover this treatment. I paid $110 out of pocket for my treatment. Just a suggestion!

I rolled over on my ankle on a trail and had to limp a mile to my car. It swelled up a lot. An x-ray the following day showed a fracture of the distal fibula. I took Advil, did ice and elevation, wore a soft cast, did PT, and was running in 5 weeks. If it's broken you don't want to run on it right away, but I was able to ride a bike after a few weeks. Hope yours is not as bad as mine was and good luck getting better quick!