I was hiking today and fell down a hill. My ankle got all twisted up and made a popping noise. I was in pain and had to hike another 2 miles to get back to my car. It looks really messed up. I plan on going to urgent care tomorrow. My question is how long before a person can resume running on a sprained ankle? I know a part of my spraining my ankle is from overdoing it on the treadmill at the gym.
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Really messed up my ankle
- Thread starter drdmike
- Start date
Septonn
Bluelighter
Hard to tell without seeing/ feeling the ankle/ injury. If it's a bad sprain it might take a couple of weeks though. Just ask your doc what he/ she thinks and go with that. Furthermore, try to really listen to your body. I've ignored warning signs in the past (knee injury) and went running anyways, leading to a much prolonged recovery time.
In a way, I'm happy that this happened because I've also been pushing it with the weight training. I shudder to think how badly I could have injured myself.
You should take a deload everytime you feel like your joints need some rest.
As septonn said we can't really tell you how much time it will take to heal without examining your ankle.
I sprained my knuckle last year and I had to wait 4 months before I could punch again.
You should be able to resume training within 1-10 weeks and make sure you use proper form once you do.
As septonn said we can't really tell you how much time it will take to heal without examining your ankle.
I sprained my knuckle last year and I had to wait 4 months before I could punch again.
You should be able to resume training within 1-10 weeks and make sure you use proper form once you do.
I wouldn't think about running again fo a good few months. As the others said, its hard to tell how bad it is without looking but given your description I would say a good few months at least. Try not to rush the recovery process, let your ankle heal properly before you start running.
Maya
Bluelight Crew
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^yep, you should let it heal properly first OP before you go hiking or running again. When it comes to the timeline it really depends on how bad the injury Is and how fast it is going to heal. Take it easy for now and do other exercises that doesn't require running etc.
plmar
Bluelighter
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Depends how bad it is.
I sprained my ankle playing basketball before and it got better after only a couple days tops.
Sprained my wrist before too and that got better after only a few days as well.
Never broke anything either so I guess my bones are quite strong.
Also about a year ago my foot went completely sideways as I was jogging and as I put all my weight on it (weak leg, bad form, sudden quick turn).
My doctor completely misdiagnosed it as a sprained ankle, which it wasn't, because I could turn move my foot and twist it but not put any weight on it.
Walked with a limp for about 2-3 weeks and still felt a bit of pain after about a month when bending the foot inwards but it healed up completely after a month-month and a half.
At first right after I did that a small lump came up and the source of the pain seemed to be on the outside of the foot between the ankle and the metatarsals.
Then it turned to this for about 3 weeks.
I sprained my ankle playing basketball before and it got better after only a couple days tops.
Sprained my wrist before too and that got better after only a few days as well.
Never broke anything either so I guess my bones are quite strong.
Also about a year ago my foot went completely sideways as I was jogging and as I put all my weight on it (weak leg, bad form, sudden quick turn).
My doctor completely misdiagnosed it as a sprained ankle, which it wasn't, because I could turn move my foot and twist it but not put any weight on it.
Walked with a limp for about 2-3 weeks and still felt a bit of pain after about a month when bending the foot inwards but it healed up completely after a month-month and a half.
At first right after I did that a small lump came up and the source of the pain seemed to be on the outside of the foot between the ankle and the metatarsals.
Then it turned to this for about 3 weeks.
ilikestims
Bluelighter
I played basketball so I've gotten a ton of sprained ankles.
Dynamic stretching before and after helps a ton, preventatively speaking. Achilles, calf, foot, toes.
Specifically this one thing I do: lay on your back, feet elevated at 90 degrees. Shoes off. Rotate ankle 360 degrees, 5x clockwise/counter clockwise.
Slowly. As much ROM as you can.
Then flex your feet and rotate them up and down. Spread your toes.
Do that 3-5 times.
No more rolled ankles after that (been 2-3 years).
After the injury: RICE it up. Ice, compress, elevate. 20 min each step.
Do this or it will take FOREVER to heal! Ankles get shitty blood flow!
Get a GOOD ankle brace (full straps) and you can run on it. If you're young I recommend aggressive treatment. I ran with a bum ankle for months with a good brace.
Soreness and weakness is fine. Pain is not. Treadmill is low impact too. Massage, even self, helps a ton too. Gl
Dynamic stretching before and after helps a ton, preventatively speaking. Achilles, calf, foot, toes.
Specifically this one thing I do: lay on your back, feet elevated at 90 degrees. Shoes off. Rotate ankle 360 degrees, 5x clockwise/counter clockwise.
Slowly. As much ROM as you can.
Then flex your feet and rotate them up and down. Spread your toes.
Do that 3-5 times.
No more rolled ankles after that (been 2-3 years).
After the injury: RICE it up. Ice, compress, elevate. 20 min each step.
Do this or it will take FOREVER to heal! Ankles get shitty blood flow!
Get a GOOD ankle brace (full straps) and you can run on it. If you're young I recommend aggressive treatment. I ran with a bum ankle for months with a good brace.
Soreness and weakness is fine. Pain is not. Treadmill is low impact too. Massage, even self, helps a ton too. Gl
Foreigner
Bluelight Crew
Depends on the extent of the injury. In general, there is mixed opinion about whether or not you should try to walk on a sprained ankle. I think if there's intense pain and swelling still, then it should be avoided. First 24-48 hours should be iced, after that you can use heat therapy and gentle rotation like ilikestims said.
Heat rubs can sometimes help during the recovery stage. A good simple liniment that improves local blood flow (and healing) is 1 part cayenne pepper to 4 parts vinegar. Simmer on low together for about 10 minutes ish. Let cool and then apply with a cotton ball. Once you feel the effect, you can do gentle ROM movements.
Above all be patient and don't push the river. If you don't let it recover properly it can become a chronic injury.
Heat rubs can sometimes help during the recovery stage. A good simple liniment that improves local blood flow (and healing) is 1 part cayenne pepper to 4 parts vinegar. Simmer on low together for about 10 minutes ish. Let cool and then apply with a cotton ball. Once you feel the effect, you can do gentle ROM movements.
Above all be patient and don't push the river. If you don't let it recover properly it can become a chronic injury.