R.I.C.E

I have been saying this a lot in class recently! R.I.C.E stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.

This is in the initial stages to help reduce the swelling of an injury however do remember that swelling is natural process to heal the injury. You don't actually want to remove the swelling completely but if you have too much stagnant swelling this can interfere with your healing and treatment later on.

Rest - Dancer's rest?! Yes that's right! Don't continue to walk around or dance on it if you are in pain. You want to rest from class.

Ice - It's very importnat that you apply ice correctly. Ideally you should get a fluid ice pack (e.g some ice cubes in a bag of water or a pack of frozen peas) that will mould around the joint rather than using a hard ice pack on one part of the area. You want to apply the ice between 10-20 min depenging on the size of the area and the severity of the injury. Then you want to remove it for 20 mins before putting it back on. You want to have the ice on and off the area for the next 24-48 hours depending on the severity of the injury. This will allow new blood flow to keep coming into the area whilst preventing too much fluid from staying in the area.

Compression - You can apply some compression with a gentle bandage but make sure it's not too tight.

Elevation - For sprained ankles your foot should be above your knee, which is above your hip to allow the fluid to come back down into your lymphatic system and reduce swelling.

Lastly, I cannot stress enough that getting professional advice is super important. Your injury may be more than just a sprained ankle! And don't forget to listen to the advise :)