Should You Ice Ankle Sprains?

You should only use ice for up to 20 minutes at a time. If your skin feels numb, it's time to remove the ice. Use ice treatments every 2 to 4 hours for the first 3 days after your injury. Compression: You can wrap your sprained ankle to avoid swelling and bruising.

Is it better to ice or heat a sprained ankle?

Treatment for a Sprained Ankle

So, typically, ice decreases blood flow to an area, which causes less swelling, whereas heat will bring blood flow to an area which can cause more swelling. Usually, in the first two to three days after an injury, we would recommend ice only. You put the ice on for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Why you shouldn't ice a sprained ankle?

“Ice doesn't increase healing—it delays it,” Mirkin says, And a 2013 review of studies on the best ways to treat a sprained ankle, conducted by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, agrees. It gave icing a grade of "C."