Hi all,
My partner and I arrived in Kyoto yesterday and unfortunately she sprained her ankle.
She is able to walk, just not for very long. We were planning on going to Arashiyama bamboo forest and Tenryu-ji Temple today but I think I we just need to rest it, maybe go to an onsen?
Any advice and suggestions on how to help her recover, what we can do in Kyoto that didn’t involve much walking etc.
8 comments
the typical treatment for a sprained ankle is rest, ice, elevation, compression, and anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen. going to an onsen may not be a good idea because the warm water of an onsen will lead to dilation of the blood vessels, thereby leading to more swelling and inflammation.
sprained my ankle on the first day of a 3 week japan trip, as posted before: keep it cool, f.e. by letting cold water run down on your leg in the bath tub several times a day. also put the foot up while sleeping by putting it on a pillow. buy voltaren gel and put it in the fridge, then apply lots of it regularly on the foot. i was able to enjoy my holiday anyhow even though it looked like a bloody head was growing on my legs end but the pain wasnt too bad 😉 it actually took 3 months for my foot to recover to normal form/looks
This makes more sense to ask in a medical subreddit? Or better yet google because I wouldn’t trust my health to randos.
Go to a drugstore and buy some tape to wrap around her ankle and foot to stabilize it.
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-tape-an-ankle#removing-tape
Can you get tickets for the scenic train in arashiyama? You could also take one of the touristy rickshaw rides there to sightsee without having to walk. Other than that, finding a nice cafe, hanging out and people watching can be fun
Rickshaw ride with [Ebisuya](https://www.ebisuya.com/)? You can customize a tour to your interests— just send them an email!
We just did one through them in Kamakura with our kid and it was awesome. Great to see some sights without walking, had fun talking with the drivers, and got some fun photos.
You can tape/wrap the ankle to support it.
It will heal over time, not much can be done. Just bare through it and do your planned activities, generally the ankle will be ok when warm and then hurt later when cooled down.
Rest when you get home.
I’m going to assume that it’s already done all the swelling it’s needed to.
A strap/brace will help while walking. Weight bearing and walking itself is quite rehabilitative.
Making circles and doing alphabets with the foot, into tolerable ranges, is a good place to start as well.
Depending on pain tolerance and swelling, introducing calf raises can help.
Ice can be used to manage swelling overnight or while resting between activity. Yes heat is good and has its place, but the management of swelling is going to be important for travel given that swelling will impede movement and can bring on pain.