It has happened to us all, whether you were running or jumping, or even just walking maybe on uneven ground, we have all twisted our ankle. Rolling your ankle over can be a very painful experience that can continue to plague you, leaving you weak and more susceptible to re-injury. The most common ankle sprain, the inversion sprain, occurs when you roll your ankle inwards, putting immense pressure on the tight fibrous ligaments that connect the bone tissues in your ankle and feet. It is most likely that you have only stretched the ligaments and while this can be very painful it is important to keep in mind that with proper treatment you can be back living your life to the fullest!

Upon spraining your ankle you will experience sharp localized pain that could persist for a few days but should gradually subside and become much more bearable. In these initial stages it is important to reduce the swelling in the area and to control the pain as much as you can. The RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation) method has long been a tried and true treatment for sprains. The best way to heal is to reduce swelling and rest the ankle, the RICE method facilitates this as well as a quicker healing time. Our cold/warm compression wraps allow you to actively treat yourself using the RICE method. They work because they interrupt and slow nerve and cell function in the damaged area. Once blood vessels are damaged they can no longer carry oxygenated blood to the damaged tissue and therefore cells begin to break-down. The deep cold provided by our cold/warm compression wraps slows cell function thereby reducing cellular break-down. Furthermore, because the cold wraps serve to numb the nerves the wraps also reduce pain!

When treating an ankle sprain it is important for the injured ligaments to fully heal as repeated mild sprains may lead to thickening of the ligaments and irritation of the ankle joint. Recurring ankle sprains, caused by a progressive weakening of the ligaments can lead to a chronic condition called 'ankle instability'. Furthermore, constant re-injury means longer healing time which increases the amount of scar tissue that builds up in your ankle. Scar tissue is hard, inflexible, and tough to get rid of. The more scar tissue that develops, the more you lose the range of motion for that ankle. The more scar tissue that develops, the more likely you are to have chronic pain or arthritis. Scar tissue means that your leg doesn't perform as well as it once did and it makes it much more prone to injury again later on.

Our cold pack pressure wraps fit perfectly and are extremely durable. They support the injured area and apply gentle pressure to your ankle at the same time. They are designed specifically to mold to the curves of the ankle, for a perfect fit that provides even cold. The gel packs can be completely removed and positioned in the wrap exactly where you need them. Simply pop them into the fridge or freezer when not in use and you can re-use them time and again. There's nothing magic about RICE; your doctor and therapist will tell you RICE works. And our cold pack pressure wraps give you the best I and C available.

To help you heal quickly, and more importantly, completely after the initial stages of swelling have been controlled it would then be beneficial to apply heat to the area. Heat promotes blood flow which will flush the injured tissues of cellular waste, while providing nutrients to the torn tissues. Furthermore, heat will enable the muscles, tendons and ligaments to move more freely. When it comes time for more aggressive rehabilitation, stretching and activity, the heat therapy provided by our warm/cold compression wraps will warm your muscles in the injured area, which will increase range of motion and allow for a safer more thorough stretch.

In order to accomplish all of these things, minimize pain, and reduce swelling, limit scar tissue, and increase range of motion for proper rehabilitation ultrasound is the answer! Ultrasound provides deep penetrating heat, up to 3 inches deep, to the injured tissues. Adding ultrasound to the proven successful R.I.C.E. method means you are getting the best possible therapeutic healing treatment available to you! When weighing the risk and cost of alternate treatments there is simply no substitute for ultrasound and the U.R.I.C.E. method. Therapeutic kits from MendMeShop provide you with the tools necessary to relieve the pain of tendon, ligament and muscle inflammation and dramatically speed the healing.

The faster and stronger you heal your ankle, the less chance there is for re-injury. As well, untreated ankle injuries lead to further complications such as arthritis and that is something you want to avoid at all cost. Radiant Energy and Ultrasound dramatically increase the blood flow and reduces inflammation in the injured area. This is blood flow that your ankles don't receive when at rest. The ankle is primarily tough dense tissue and bone that normally receives very little blood flow. This is largely why ankle injuries take so long to heal. As one of the most active parts in your body, the constant motion is part of what keeps the blood flowing through that area. When you rest, like you have to, the lack of activity and the edema (swelling) restricts your blood flow when you need it the most. You need to reduce the swelling and stimulate the blood flow so your ankles get the nutrition and oxygen they need to properly heal. Inflammation around the area can create extreme pain and reduce your ability to move.

When using ultrasound waves stimulate blood flow which speeds up healing and clears away the inflammation causing the pain. As well, the medicated gel delivers additional pain relieving and anti-inflammatory ingredients directly into the ankle, providing even more relief.

A Black Body Radiant Energy Kit is one of the most helpful tools for an injured tendon. Through the absorption of radiant energy, tissues are safely and gently heated - increasing blood flow within the treated area. Your body's natural response to this increased temperature is to try to maintain a condition of homeostasis - a balanced environment or state of equilibrium throughout the body. To do this, your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area (this is known as vasodilation), increasing the supply of nutrients to injured cells and flushing out toxins (including lactic acid, commonly found in trigger points) to promote healing. Our Thermotex Platinum Pain Relief Device provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.

If you suffer from mild inflammation or pain after certain activities or movements use ultrasound therapy when you complete the activity and then rest and elevate your area of injury. Limit the application of ultrasound to a couple of treatments per day (the manual will recommend treatment frequency depending upon the injury). In between ultrasound treatments, maximize your pain relief and injury recovery by using the Thermotex Personal Therapy System. Proven Performance, Proven Relief - only found at MendMeShop.com. If you have been given a treatment plan by your health professional, make sure you adhere to it to ensure pain free living. In general, people who are committed to their therapies and exercises will have the best medical outcomes.