As I was jogging down Potomac Heritage Trail with Shira and Dawn, it occurred to me that the odds of one of us spraining and ankle on the rough terrain wasn't all that remote. Do enough of those runs with enough people, and eventually someone's going to be "man down" (as both Shira and Dawn refer to those injured while exercising).
I thought I should do a little preemptive research for field treatment of a twisted ankle. I found these resources especially helpful on the subject:
- Backpacker Magazine: treating a sprained Ankle
- Climbing Magazine: Assess and splint an injured foot to prevent further damage
- How to Tape Ankles for Athletes
In my hiking and camping gear, I've started carrying an Ace bandage, which would help with a sprain or a number of other trail related injuries (pretty much anytime you need to apply pressure, which in first aid, is basically always). But for a run, an Ace bandage is kind of bulky. The above techniques uses athletic tape, which should be slightly more compact and just as versatile as an Ace bandage (though, in different ways).
My plan: pick up a roll or two tape, and use Shira as my guinea pig to practice some wrapping. How romantic, right?
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