Sprained my ankle playing basketaball yesterday. I'm in the beginning of base phase and need ways to train without making my ankle worse. Any ideas how to train with sprained ankle are appreciated.
Sprained my ankle playing basketaball yesterday. I'm in the beginning of base phase and need ways to train without making my ankle worse. Any ideas how to train with sprained ankle are appreciated.
I sprained my ankle this past fall by stepping in a pothole when I was running in the street. Mine was a mild sprain because I could still put weight on it after it happened. I put KT tape on it and ran on a treadmill for the next days so my ankle wouldn’t get sprained more by running on uneven ground.
LoneStarXC wrote:
I sprained my ankle this past fall by stepping in a pothole when I was running in the street. Mine was a mild sprain because I could still put weight on it after it happened. I put KT tape on it and ran on a treadmill for the next days so my ankle wouldn’t get sprained more by running on uneven ground.
Every time you sprain an ankle you stretch the ligaments further. If you run on it you continue to stretch them. It's probably possible to get them tightened up via surgery but surgeries do not always work. A few days off from running will not hurt that much if you remain active.
Even after a slight sprain the best policy would be to do some cross training that does not effect the area. I suggest using the stationary bicycle or pool exercises.
Be careful! I mildly sprained my ankle and since it didn't hurt too bad, I kept training on it. Well, that weakened it and the next time I rolled it over a root, I wasn't able to catch myself and led to an avulsion fracture that I'm still out from three months later.
I made this post a couple months ago for someone else - just cut-and-pasting it here for you. Good luck:
When I was on my school's XC team I had a similar issue with chronic ankle rolling, always the right one for me. We had a physical therapist student who would tape my ankle in a specific manner that allowed full running motion, but made it impossible to roll over on it, even if I tried.
I just quickly went through a few youtube videos of how to do it the way it was done for me, and this first video is pretty well exactly it. However, I advise starting with the self-adhesive foam tape first (as shown in the second video link), to make it much easier to remove. You can also buy a spray adhesive that you apply first to your skin, but that is optional - I can do it fine without.
Both tape jobs are very similar, but the first one has a couple more of the tape wraps from the bottom of the foot up the sides of the legs, which is the most important part. It's a little hard to get done perfectly the first time when you do it yourself (if you have a friend to do it, that helps), but with practice it is perfect, and you can NOT roll your ankle when you've done it right. Follow the instructions carefully - each step is important, as if you do it wrong, you will still be able to roll the ankle. When done right, there's no possible way to roll it.
Don't listen to waltertompatten. He knows nothing. Running on it will not continue to stretch the ligaments and tendons.
The only thing you need to worry about is not injuring it again until it heals. If it's bad, that might take 6 weeks. DO NOT STAY OFF IT FOR six weeks! The sooner you can get back to normal activity the sooner it will heal. Obviously, if the pain is too much, you'll have to cycle until you can put weight on it, but once you can jog, do it. You'll need to advil up pretty good, but if you stay on smooth, even surfaces, you'll be fine.
RICE several times a day. Do rehab exercises. Be careful. That's really all you can do.
You need an ice bucket asap. Fill a small trash can with water and ice til it covers up to your lower shin. Soak your foot for 10-15 mins at a time. Multiple times a day. For a few days. It is not pleasant but is incredibly helpful.
I have sprained my ankle several times, badly. Without fail, ice buckets have drastically improved healing and return to sport time.