Aspirin ???
 

What's wrong with good, old fashioned, aspirin. Is there a medical reason why nobody in this thread suggests aspirin? I do know that aspirin can be harsh on one's stomach, but can't most people handle it? Aren't there side effects to taking other pain relievers, or anti-inflamatory, drugs, i.e. Tylenol, Advil, etc.

I hurt my ankle last February...bad! I would say it wasn't until September - with a lot of physical therapy - until is was OK. I limped through several tournaments in Vegas and Houston as well as a few camps.

What kind of shoes do you wear? I'm of the opinion that basketball shoes are better than running shoes when you have to cut; I cut when I officiate although not as hard as a would while playing. The foot sits on top of the sole more so in runnig shoes than basketball shoes. Runners normally go in a straight line so they don't need the protection basketball shoes would provide. Also, basketball shoes can be high tops which will protect the ankle a little more.
A tape job is better than a lace up brace. Long term you should work on strengthening the ankle more than bracing it. I went through some exercises that were brutal.
While in Houston, the trainer made me put my foot in a bucket of ice. Much respect for athletes who do this on a regular basis. Besides the dentist and tonsilitis, having my foot in a bucket of ice was the most pain I've ever been in. But, it ices the ankle like nothing else! My ankle was cold for about 30 minutes afterward.

Tylenol won't affect inflammation. It's good for pain, and reduces fever, but has no anti-inflammatory effect.

NSAID's and aspirin have roughly the same effect on the stomach and also on the kidneys. Too much isn't good, but it takes a lot to be too much. Some people find that aspirin doesn't work as well, but there are others who prefer aspirin. The other advantage of taking aspirin is that it has some positive effects on the heart.

The best way to minimize side effects is to use as little as possible to achieve the desired effect. This can be achieved by using other methods of reducing inflammation (ice, elevation), rotating pain meds (NSAID, Tylenol, aspirin, others if prescribed), and avoiding re-injury.

Aspirin works also, but has more of an anticoagulant effect than other NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium, and in most people doesn't provide the same level or duration of analgesia. As Juulie pointed out, aspirin has pretty much the same potential adverse side effects as those of the other NSAIDs. Acetaminophen (tylenol) is not an anti-inflammatory drug, but an analgesic and antipyretic. It's easier on the kidneys but significantly more hepatotoxic than the NSAIDs. The bottom line is whatever you use, always take them with food, use as little as will do the job, and never, ever exceed the maximum recommended dosage. And if you're taking any prescription drugs or have any underlying health conditions, always talk to your doc or pharmacist before taking any over the counter meds, including herbal supplements.

Thats Class act trainer. That's really cool of him to do it.
R.I.C.E. your ankle.

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

Dude. I use two braces when I work. Try using them. When you role it again,you will be surprised that the braces actually hold it up pretty well.

A little goes a long way. The recommended heart dosage is one baby aspirin a day.

How would you know? It only works on people who actually have a heart! :D

I read recently that there are studies showing growing "abuse" of NSAIDs by high school football players before games. The thinking seems to be to load up on the stuff pre-game as a sort of pre-emptive treatment. And if one helps with the aches after the game, then 5 or 6 before the game should help cut down on even getting the aches.

Yeah, but JR can read. A heart isn't necessary for that.

Point well taken.

Well, there is some truth to that.

After a major knee injury in 2003, I continued to have, at various times, other troubles with various parts of my lower legs (shins, ankles, arches). I found that if I take one dose of advil before my game, I tend to have no post game pain. However, if I skip the pregame dose, even several postgame doeses (appropriatly spaced) don't do much, if anything...stuff still hurts....and hurts for 2-3 days. So, I chose 1 dose per game instead of 4-6 doses.

So, one pregame dose prevents whatever was hurting from hurting (probably by preventing the inflammation at all) where the postgame dosing was too late, the inflamation was already there and the advil would reduce but not eliminate it.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, just sharing what I do.....many medications have acceptable dosing that is above what is on the label. Some, but not all, have dosing limits based on weight. To fit everyone, OTC medications such as advil have "adult" maximum dosages based on "small" adults....about 100#. If you look up advil in a medical drug book, the maximum dose for a 200# person is, IIRC, twice the amount printed on the label....4 tablets, 3 times per day for a limited time (the more you take and the longer you take it, the greater the risk of harm). That said, a person should still NOT take more than it takes to be effective.

I've had pretty much the exact same experience this year. The last two years I've had moderate to severe shin pain due to fallen arches. New orthopedic arch supports have made a world of difference this year, but I still have some pain.

The key I finally found was taking ibuprofen prior to the game. I've had little to no problems since, except on the game days I forget to do so. Then I'm sore for 2 or 3 days afterwards.

No idea how or why it works, but I'm going to keep at it. ;)

Me Three
 

Like Camron and JDW I've been on to that trick for a couple years also. I learned it from playing in tennis tournaments where I would have to shut it down and get it going again up to 4 x a day.....

Orthopod turned me on to that trick a few years back - I take an 800mg ibuprofen 2-3 hours before game start time & that usually does the trick.

It works by preventing inflammation, which helps keep the tissue from being exposed to irritation and rubbing against things they shouldn't be. As long as you stretch well before your activity, and then cool down appropriately, it's a good way to "play through" an injury that's in the healing process. At least, that's what my dr. says.