When [tag]coaching baseball[/tag] you have to be prepared to deal with sports injuries. [tag]Ankle sprain[/tag] is one of the most common injuries in [tag]baseball[/tag].
Treatment and Recovery
The old injury treatment rule of RICE applies to ankle sprains. [tag]RICE[/tag] stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
Rest allows the injury to heal without further straining the ligaments by putting pressure on them. It is important to allow the ankle time to heal without putting weight on it because the more pressure that is applied, the longer it will take to regrow the injured ligaments.
Ice reduces swelling by constricting the blood vessels and helps prevent bruising. Ice should be applied in 4 20 minute intervals for several days following the injury.
Compression also reduces swelling by refusing to allow the ankle to expand. This can be achieved by wrapping the ankle in an elastic sports bandage or wearing an ankle brace.
Elevation reduces blood flow to the injured area and helps keep swelling and bruising to a minimum. When the pain is tolerable, the athlete should begin strengthening and range-of-motion drills. These drills include writing the alphabet in the air with the injured foot and practicing balance by holding all the weight on the injured foot and maintaining that position for as long as possible.
If after 3-4 days there is no improvement, or if immediately after the injury the ankle is very loose, see a doctor. Some severely sprained ligaments require surgery to fix.