Question: How does ice help a sprained ankle or other injury?

Fiona Hatch answered on 16 Mar 2012:

When you sprain an ankle or pull a muscle what usually happens is that the tissue around the muscle becomes sore and starts to become imflammed. This basically means that water (with white blood cells) move to that area and so your ankle will start to swell and get bigger. When it swells it usually becomes more painful (this is your body telling you to keep off your feet!) but over the next few days it will go away and heal.

But doctors say that its good to reduce the swelling a bit just so its not so painful. To do this you put something cold against the ankle and this will stop the white blood cells + water from travelling to that area. So your ankle will not get as swollen and it won’t be as painful.