A few weeks back I rolled my ankle...while coaching a session!  Yes, I was explaining how to descend from a rope after climbing it and making sure everyone knew the safest way, then I landed on the rope and boom, rolled it.  Ironic huh?  Anyways, I played it off like a champ, but in my mind I wanted to yell and cry at the same time! 

I would say, one of the most common injuries I have dealt with is the annoying ankle sprain.  Since my middle school days, I have been an avid athlete, so I have dealt with my fair share of ankle injuries.  The recovery time usually was about a month and I would use the R.I.C.E approach (rest, ice, compression, elevate) because that’s what I was taught.    

Fast forward to my 30’s, my approach is slightly different in regards to recovering from ankle injuries (which occur drastically less, thank goodness).  I still initially ice the injury, but I immediately want to get some compression around the ankle joint after that first wave of swelling.  

A few years ago, I learned about this method from Kelly Starrett, he called it voodoo flossing.  I had never heard of it before, but it made sense.  I used this method the last few times I had an ankle sprain and boom, within a week or so, my ankle was feeling great.  Crazy!  However, it does require consistency, possibly multiple times a day, but it seriously was a game changer and I was surprised how well and quickly it works.       

Now I am sure you’re wondering, what is voodoo flossing and how does it help? 

Well, voodoo flossing is a method used for dealing with soft tissue injuries and it involves a long latex band that you would commonly find at a PT office.  The idea behind voodoo flossing is to add intermittent compression (so about 2-4 minutes) by wrapping the injured area, and then incorporating some form of active mobilization.  Doing so will help promote healing and possibly give you back some range of motion.  When the band is taken off, this is when the magic happens!  You’ll get a nice warm feeling, which is the blood rushing through the area. This is when the waste will be flushed out to the lymphatic system, while bringing in fresh nutrients for healing.  Like I said, It’s magic! 

Bottom line, using the voodoo floss method as well as the R.I.C.E method, is a quick and easy way to reduce swelling, help flush out waste and get you back to feeling healthy.  Hopefully you always stay healthy, but I’d recommend to give it a try if you ever have a soft tissue injury!  

Check out this video for a demonstration from coach Silas on how to wrap your ankle with voodoo floss! 

Coach Silas