Avoiding and treating ankle sprains
Posted November 22nd, 2006 at 3:00 PM by Trish Monks
Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab
About 8 years ago I sprained my right ankle really badly. I was playing football in the back garden (as you do), my foot went into a hole in the grass and I went over like a sack of potatoes. I heard the crunch and had enough time to think, “Ohh, this is going to hurt!”, before the pain hit me and I fell on the floor in a weeping, wailing heap.
It was the second time in about 6 months that I had sprained that side, and, as the first time the pain had only lasted a couple of days, I thought it would be the same on this occasion. I didn’t even think about going to the doctor, I just got to work with a bag of frozen peas and ordered a lot of anti-inflammatories.
In hindsight, this probably wasn’t one of my finest decisions. The following few days brought untold pain, bruising from toe to shin and an inability to walk or even drive: And even worse, it turned out that my problems were only just beginning.
Web MD advises:
Don’t treat it as a minor injury, most ankle sprains are undertreated, and people tend to have problems down the road.
If only I had known that at the time! Although the pain and swelling of that incident eventually subsided, it’s true to say that my ankle has never been the same.
The effects of that injury have been felt mostly since I have been a runner; over the last 5 years. I have been plagued by problems in my right leg – shin splints, knee trouble, groin strain, piriformis syndrome, ITBS – and I have to attribute it all to my ‘dodgy’ right ankle.
When I had gait analysis done (to get the orthotics that would theoretically ‘fix’ me), the video of my right foot showed it pronating to such an extent that it looked like my ankle would snap. After seeing that (and the resulting motion of my right knee), I wasn’t surprised at my myriad injuries: the whole thing just looked wrong.
Admittedly though, I don’t help myself, sometimes I do really stupid things in the face of reason - such as continuing with my training after ‘tweaking’ my ankle (yet again) in a cross country race last spring. Despite being hardly able to walk, I would strap my ankle up, take a couple of anti-inflammatories, convince myself that the pain was ‘easing’ after a mile or two, and get on with it. Great idea. Fairly quickly this resulted in my first ever DNF (Did Not Finish) in a race, serious pain and 3 months off running due to a subsequent, and almost certainly directly related, knee injury.
You live and learn though right?
If I had my time again – this is the advice that I would follow:
Keep those ankles strong and flexible – it may help prevent a sprain in the first place. The advice I got from my physio was to do balance and control exercises every day. A good tip is to stand on one leg whilst brushing your teeth – 60 seconds on the left, and 60 seconds on your right. This helps strengthen your ankles as they work to stop you wobbling.
Not all sprains require a trip to the doctors, but in the following circumstances it seems like a pretty good idea:
- You heard a “pop” when the sprain occured.
- You have moderate or severe pain.
- You are unable to walk or put weight on your affected foot.
- Severe swelling or bruising develops.
- You have any numbness or tingling that lasts after the initial injury.
Self treatment in the early stages after a sprain should help reduce the pain and inflammation – which is what we want to do! try using: Ice, Rest (NO RUNNING!), Elevation and/or Anti-inflammatories.
My view on running has changed since my last injury. I want to be running for a long time to come, so rather than obsessively sticking to a training programme (rain or shine); I am determined (although not always happy about it) to spend more time listening to my body. If that means taking a couple of days, or even weeks, off here and there to get over a mild injury, and that prevents me from needing a longer lay-off further down the line, then that’s what I will do. You only get one body – look after it!
Sources: [MedTerms], [WebMD], [eMedicine Health]
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Tags: ankle sprain, ankles, anti inflammatory, injury prevention
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The Final Sprint
I am an Emergency Nurse practitioner and believe that this is an excellent demonstration of sprained ankle.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:24 pmMy daughter is an athlete with weak ankles. These strengthening exercises are the first I’ve read. Great advise.
September 16th, 2007 at 9:14 amif you injured your ankle this is great stuff to read, im a proffesional MMA fighter and it is so very important to rest and take care of it, visiting the doctor and threating it rather than think you’re too tough and can go without professional advise or well needed rest..
A slight injury can very quicly end your career if you dont take the right actions.
thanks very helpful!!
December 22nd, 2007 at 9:22 pmExcellent info for sprained ankles. I constantly sprained my right ankle, but for the first time fell heavily on my left foot when I hadn’t tied my shoe laces. Still hurting a week later.
Read a study from the University of Ulster on the application of ice packs. It is fairly interesting and may help rehabilitation of all muscle groups
http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2006/2606.html
June 19th, 2008 at 7:10 pmMan oh man. I “fractured” my ankle this year, mid March, and I heard the most bone chilling “Pop”. Swelled up like a golf ball.
Went to the hospital and they put a half cast on it. BUT, me being an idiot, I decided I was healed in 2 weeks of having the cast and I ripped it off. After a week of pain after doing this, my ankle got better, but it was always a bit weak on that side.
Now, just yesterday, I was running, and I injured the same ankle exactly like the picture above. I haven’t gone to the hospital yet, but it has swelled up and hasn’t gone away yet, and the pain it about moderate. I also heard some weird noises when it happened. It sounded like multiple cracks. The situation isn’t as bad as the first time I injured it because I can walk on it (barely, but I had to get home) but I’m being smart and I’m trying to stay off of it. I had some ice on it, but it became stiff, so now I’m putting a hot compress on it.
I’m a snare drummer for my schools drumline, I really hope this won’t effect my playing.
June 24th, 2008 at 7:52 am