R.I.C.E.

And I sprained my ankle this morning. Ouch...ouch...ouch...

It hurts on both sides, is a little swollen and is hard to bear weight, but I don't think it is broken. Needless to say, this was quite an embarrassment this morning during my Xtreme Drills class. We were doing station intervals and I was on the "suicide" station, where you run short distances, tap the ground and run back. And, I just twisted it. In a second I was on the ground. Everyone was asking if I was ok, and the drill sergeant in me said "get back to your workout. I'm fine. Hit it!" And they did. But whew, I was struggling the rest of class. Didn't do the last two stations and my lunge interval was torture.

So I'm doing the tried and true R.I.C.E. method...(excerpted from sportsinjuryclinic.net)

R is for rest. It is important to rest the injury to reduce pain and prevent further damage. Use crutches it necessary. Many therapists advocate partial weight bearing as soon as pain will allow. This is thought to accelerate rehabilitation.

I is for ICE or cold therapy. Applying ice and compression can ease the pain, reduce swelling, reduce bleeding (initially) and encourage blood flow (when used later). Apply an ice pack or similar immediately following injury for 15 minutes. Repeat this every 2 hours.

C is for compression. This reduces bleeding and helps reduce swelling. A wrap bandage available at any drug store or mass retailer is excellent for providing support and compression to a recently injured ankle.

E is for Elevation. Uses gravity to reduce bleeding and swelling by allowing fluids to flow away from the site of injury. So put your feet up and get someone else to wait on you!

hmmm...sure wish I had someone to wait on me! So in addition to the above, the cute heels that I was planning to wear tonight for date night might need to wait. Boo.

Bottom line, gotta get the ankle better for my cardio marathon on Saturday and Sunday.