Which products are suitable for my Sprained Ankle?

When you first sprain your ankle it is important to apply the RICE principle, this is:

R est
I ce
C ompression
E levation

One of the best products we have for ankle sprains is the Coldone Ankle Wrap. Coldone have produced an excellent range of cold therapy wraps which are very easy to use. The entire wrap is put in the freezer until required. It can then be easily wrapped around the joint, to cover the whole area and stay in position and cold for 15 minutes which is the recommend time for icing an injury. As well as being quick, clean and easy, these wraps will also provide compression to the injury to further help reduce swelling.

In order to apply compression throughout the day, an ankle support is ideal. At this stage, a neoprene support where the degree of compression can be altered is recommended due to the extent of swelling which is usually present. The Neo G Ankle Support is perfect for this. The Aircast ankle brace is also good in the early stages of this injury as it provides rigid support to allow the ligaments to heal, as well as helping to decrease swelling.

At a later stage, when returning to activity, you may want a more supportive ankle brace. A laced brace will provide a good level of support whilst still allowing a full range of motion. The McDavid 195 is a laced brace which has additional straps to help prevent inversion (the movement which causes most ankle sprains) and so is ideal in the rehabilitation phase. Other good alternatives include the McDavid A-101, which has additional plastic inserts to provide more support when required and can be removed easily when no longer needed.

During the rehabilitation phase it is important to strengthen the muscles surrounding the ankle. This can be achieved initially using resistance bands. These are stretchy lengths of latex rubber which can be used to resist movement of the ankle. They usually come in different varieties of strength, although the resistance of any one band can be increased by shortening the section you are using.

An important part of your rehabilitation should be the restoration of your balance, or proprioception. The most effective way of doing this is by using a wobble board, wobble cushion or rocker board. These help to retrain your damaged ligaments to adjust your position and maintain your balance.

Coldone ankle wrap

Neo G ankle support

McDavid 195 laced ankle brace

Resistance bands

Wobble board