Beyond the bag of frozen peas – what your ankle really needs

We’ve all been there. That moment when your ankle decides to spectacularly roll, usually in front of an audience, and often while doing something far less heroic than scoring the winning goal. One minute you’re walking along, feeling fabulous, the next you’re doing an interpretive dance move that would make contemporary choreographers proud.

For years, we’ve been told to RICE it (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Stay still. Don’t move. Ice it until your toes turn blue. Perhaps hop dramatically to gain sympathy. But here’s the thing, while your ankle appreciates the attention, it actually needs something a bit different. Enter PEACE and LOVE (yes, really, that’s what it’s called, and no, we didn’t make this up).

Understanding PEACE (The First Few Days):

• Protection: Give your ankle a brief holiday from dramatic moves
• Elevation: Time to perfect your best “fainting Victorian lady” pose and aim to keep that foot above your heart height
• Avoid anti-inflammatories: Let your body do its thing
• Compression: Give your ankle a gentle hug with a bandage
• Education: Understanding why hopping everywhere isn’t a long-term solution

Moving Into LOVE (The Good Bit):

• Load: Gradually returning to normal activities (no, parkrun can wait)
• Optimism: Your ankle isn’t plotting against you forever
• Vascularisation: Posh word for “get things moving”
• Exercise: Building strength (so next time you might stick the landing)

So What Should You Actually Be Doing?

Remember those first wobbly steps? Like a baby giraffe learning to walk, except with more dramatic wincing. Your ankle doesn’t need complete rest, it needs understanding (and maybe a pep talk). Start with:

• Gentle ankle movements while elevated (think sleepy elephant swishing its trunk)
• Writing the alphabet with your toes (finally, a use for those handwriting lessons)
• Small circular movements that don’t hurt (interpretive dance moves optional)

When Should You Worry?

Pain isn’t always your ankle being dramatic – sometimes it’s actually trying to tell you something useful. Watch out for:

• Sharp, shooting pains that make you say words you shouldn’t
• Swelling that makes your ankle look like it’s trying to eat your foot
• Complete inability to weight-bear (when hopping stops being funny)

Time to Call in the Professionals?

Sometimes, despite our best efforts (and that bag of frozen peas), healing stalls. Consider seeking help if:

• Pain hangs around longer than that guest who doesn’t get the hint
• Swelling won’t budge (and your sock collection is filing for divorce)
• You’re unsure about exercise progression (Dr. Google isn’t actually a doctor)
• Previous ankle sprains keep coming back like that ex who won’t take the hint

The Road to Recovery

While everyone’s healing journey is different (like snowflakes, but less pretty), most ankle sprains respond well to this approach within 2-6 weeks. The key is patience, persistence, and accepting that your ankle won’t be winning any beauty contests for a while.

Ready to Get Back on Your Feet?

If you’re tired of playing ankle roulette and want a proper recovery plan, let’s chat. Whether you’re local to Alton, Petersfield, or prefer virtual sessions, we can get you back to moving well. No dramatic limping required.

Struggling with daily activities because of your ankle? Let’s chat about getting you back to normal – either send me a message or book your free discovery call today.