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A twisted or sprained ankle on the Camino

One bad step on loose stones and your ankle turns. What you do in the first hour matters. Step by step: what to do, how to bandage and when not to carry on.

Updated on · 2 min read

A thatched palloza in O Cebreiro
Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Ankle sprains nearly always happen on stony descents, muddy paths or at the end of the day, when tiredness makes you lift your feet less. Most are mild and, well looked after, let you carry on within a day or two.

What to do, step by step

  1. Stop and sit down. Don’t keep walking on it while it is warm: the swelling comes later.
  2. Apply cold for 15–20 minutes, wrapped in cloth, and repeat every few hours on the first day.
  3. Bandage with an elastic bandage: start at the base of the toes and work up around the ankle in a figure of eight, firm but not tight.
  4. Check your toes after a few minutes: if they turn cold, blue or tingle, loosen the bandage.
  5. Keep your foot up, above your heart if possible, as much as you can.
  6. If you can walk on it well the next day, start again with a short stage and the ankle bandaged or in a brace.

This is often summed up as RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevation.

Functional taping

Functional taping supports the ankle while letting the foot move forward and back. It can help you carry on with a mild sprain, but done badly it cuts circulation or holds nothing. Ideally have it done by someone who knows how: many pharmacies, physiotherapists and health centres along the Camino do it.

FAQ

How long does a mild sprain take to heal?

Many improve a lot in two or three days, though the ankle takes weeks to be fully right. Ease back in.

Ice or heat?

Cold, wrapped in cloth, for the first two days. No heat.

Is it a sprain or a fracture?

You can’t always tell without an X-ray. If you can’t bear weight, the bone hurts when pressed or the foot looks deformed, see a doctor.

Keep reading

On the CaminoFirst aidWhat to do on the Camino about blisters, tendinitis, a sprained ankle, heatstroke, cold, ticks or dogs, and when to call 112. Careful, general advice. On the CaminoTendinitis and kneesWhy tendinitis and knee pain appear on the Camino, how to walk downhill without punishing your legs, what to do as soon as it hurts and when to see a doctor. On the CaminoEmergencies and 112When to call 112 on the Camino de Santiago, what to say, how to give your location and what to do while help arrives. Free, works without credit.