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I have pretty fucked up ankles and have seen numerous doctors about it. Ice won't do anything for you except for the initial injury to prevent swelling. At this stage, hot towel wraps are what you should do in regards to temperature treatments.
Best thing I can recommend, I've never tried the balance boards, but therabands will build up hella strength. You can do a ton of little exercises while watching tv, etc. After 4-6 weeks, you should notice significant improvement.
Heat is one of the worst things for injuries. Heat increases inflammation where cold relieves inflammation. Ice constricts the blood vessels and then pulls blood to the area to naturally heat it up. This increases circulation and blood flow, which is the main factor in healing.
Listen to Anthony Shetler's podcast with Dr. David Sales. It's pretty much 2 hours of advice for skateboarders regarding injuries, prevention, nutrition, etc.
Heat is an excellent source for reducing pain, relieving soreness and relaxing tissue in persistent muscle injuries. While ice packs are THE method that should be applied to a fresh ankle sprain, after the initial injury, ice isn't going to be so effective. Ice actually restricts the blood flow to targeted areas, therefore restricting potential swelling. This is why it is used immediately following the injury. On the other hand, heat is used for injuries that haven't healed well over a longer period, like a month or two, by increasing the blood flow (which in persistent injuries, is something the muscle has too little of) to the targeted area, allowing flexibility, which in turn prepares the muscle for rehabilitative exercises.
I think you might be taking the bolded quote out of context. It's not suggesting initial treatment, rather it was in response to someone who is still suffering after three months of ice. After that long, it seems pretty clear that cold treatments are not improving the injury.
Obviously, these things are not universal and depend on how many times and how serious the injury is. One doctor's opinion is not a be all end all of the discussion. Ultimately, a person has to find what works best for them. In my case, as numerous physicians recommended to me, heat helped.