UKH

On a run 10 days ago my foot landed on a large bit of twig which made me roll my ankle outwards. I didn’t actually fall, but defo made me sit down for a few minutes to assess the pain and decide to sack off the run. Hobbled home, then RICE.
 

Bruising has now all but gone, there is  still a bit of pain actually around my ankle bone. 

Thoughts please from the ukc hive about exercises to get going again, or still rest it? (Someone told me that strains need at least 6 weeks.) 

My training schedule was going well, aiming for  a 20mile trail race 19/3.  Now clinging to hope that I might still be able to get round ok. 
Thanks. 

My physio swears by the “stand on one leg whilst you brush your teeth” routine.

if this is OK for you then fingers crossed for the run.

Stating the obvious, but it will depend on what you have damaged and how bad!

I’ve rolled an ankle many times and all bar one it recovered with usual rest and gentle movement etc at home and mostly very quickly.

One time though a very simple roll over on a small stone was sufficient to tear talus ligaments such that they weren’t going to successfully heal with just home treatment. I needed 6 weeks of physio. I kind of knew is was not going to sort itself as a couple of days after I still struggled to walk on it. 

If a time deadline is important to your training and racing schedule and you’re in any doubt as to the severity of injury, it would be best you seek a professional opinion. 

What is your past history with the ankle? Any breaks or sprains before?

I rolled my ankle every year for about 3-4 years and it had me off running for about 6 weeks. 
 

went to physio the last time because had had enough of it. They recommended I get a round inflatable le cushion - got a blue sissel off Amazon, and stand on it on one leg for 1 minute once a day until it was easy then start with my eyes closed (which I found impossible!). Then after a month started standing on one leg and tapping the other foot around you like touching the numbers on a clock. 
 

also got a really thick elastic band and put it on a chair and then round the front of my ankle and stretched it out 10x a day for a month.

this was after the physio doing much playing around with my ankle etc and watching me run so obviously might not work for you!

I still try to do the ankle exercises when I remember and have the cushion lying around the house to encourage me  

im sure if you YouTube physio ankle cushion exercises you’ll find loads but just won’t identify if you have a more complex issue. 

what drop footwear do you run in?

My ankles have taken a fair pounding owing to poor landing technique, although these days I find that falling over and accepting the resulting banter is preferable to injury. My advice would be to abandon the running plans and focus on making the ankle better.

I would carry on with the ice and compression and do flexibility and strength exercises as suggested. If it feels ok, do some short tempo style training, and see how it feels after an hour or two. If it didn't balloon, it might be ok. Good luck.

ff

yep, I try to do this when I remember! I can do this ….

Thank you  

Thanks, from the sounds of your injury, mine isn’t so bad. But yes, I have a physio to visit should it not improve. Fingers crossed.

No, nothing like that. This was just not spotting the twig as I was running in the woods by headtorch and it just rolling under my foot. Just unlucky.  

Thank you, I’ll have a look for the videos. I don’t think I have an issue as such, it was just an unlucky landing on a round twig that rolled!

Hoka Speedgoat. Think they are 4mm. As before, no issues with them, it was just an unlucky step! 

Thank you. Yep, I’m still taking it easy, using a tube bandage, sleeping with it raised etc  

It’s a lot better that it was. 

When should you go for your first run after an injury ? 

youtube.com/watch?v=N3ER65nceOs&

Thank you. Interesting.  Is that a website you use, or just from a Google search? 

I rolled my ankle twice within 9 months, getting a grade 2 sprain each time. This meant a good month off running both occasions, plus couple of sessions with a sports physio.

After the second time. I run with a Beskey ankle support on the affected leg. I don't think it's recommended to do this, but I've since had 18 months without it recurring.

I did subscribe to it for a while, but haven't used it much recently.

I do like (and bookmarked) that test of forward/sideways/zigzag motion though - too often in the past after an injury I've headed out for a 3 or 4 mile run thinking I was Ok when I clearly wasn't.

Someone's already posted a youtube link, but I'd search for 'AthleanX ankle injury' - When I did my ankle in 2 years ago I used some of their suggestions to speed up recovery and increase strength. I also got on the bike to maintain some level of aerobic fitness. I started jogging after a few weeks, got around the Northern XC champs (not very quickly but minimal discomfort) at 4 weeks, and was racing properly with no discomfort (albeit not at peak physical shape) at 8 weeks (National XC).

Every morning when I brush my teeth I do 1 minute eyes shut balance on each foot. Wobble cushions can also help. Working different bits of the foot with a theraband can also be good. As is mobility.

As for shoes - I'd be more interested in the material of the upper than the drop. When I did my ankle (I was racing and it was my first ankle injury in 10+ years), I was wearing VJ iRoc, which are quite rigid around the ankle and have no give. Normally I'd wear Inov8 Xtalons, which are a bit softer around the ankle so give a bit. The thinking (also discussed by someone who's used both shoes) is that, if you go over in the Xtalons, the give means your foot can react a bit more and the force dissipate a bit more through the shoe, minimising injury; whereas in the VJ there's nowhere for the force to go, so it goes straight into your ankle. This is the thoughts from an N of 2 though.

At the risk of being a right misery, be careful! Your  ankle may well have gone ‘baggy’ (note the science) and be vulnerable to doing it again. I had a run of doing mine - 4 times in a row. 

I'm phenomenally tight fisted but worth getting some professional advice beyond internet chatter. My physio showed me a taping technique that allowed normal flexion but restricted the rolling movement. In airplane terms, pitch and yaw good, roll bad! You’ll also get a helpful tug to warn you when getting close to going over, and helps rebuild the list proprioception. 

Tape it right and you may be able to run ok after the trauma has calmed down, I managed the British fell relays whilst injured and wasn’t (quite!) the weakest link.

You’ll want to wean yourself taping, rather than getting dependent but you can do that with lighter taping and lots of rehab. Good luck!

thanks, had a look at the vids and will try some of the exercises. 
Re shoes, I run about 800-900 miles a year mostly off road and love my Hokas! Defo not in your class from the sounds of it, I’m just a punter.

Tried Inov-8 but find the soles too thin and the bottoms of my feet suffer anything over maybe 13miles. 

This was just a unlucky meeting with a round twig, been fine for the last 10years!

thanks, noted about a ‘baggy’ ankle!

I’ve made an appointment with my friendly physio, as you say, professional knowledge. Was just curious about others experiences.

I sort of feel I could run now, but really don’t want to try too early. So playing it safe for now. 

I agree with steveriley, and with the course of action you are taking.

I've sprained my ankles several times (always by allowing my running concentration to wander), one of them too many times and my physio said to me that if I do it again, I'm going to need surgery. Also, the bad ankle is now weak owing to my not allowing it to heal properly when I was too young and too enthusiastic, and that has caused problems too.

So, just to close this off….went to my friendly physio this morning. He prodded about for a couple of minutes, then said he didn’t like the look of it. Wanted me to get it X-rayed asap. 

Went to a&e, which was pretty quiet. They did the x-ray and it seems that I have chipped the pointy end of my outer ankle bone off. You could see it quite clearly.  
 

So, no race, no running, only gentle walking for 30mins tops, and try to avoid downhill! 6-8 weeks at least. Jeez. Oh well, at least it’s a DNS and not a DNF!

Bad luck...but better to have found out before you potentially made it worse.  Always getting some professional advice on something like this which could present as far less serious but turn out to be more complex.

Even if you come away from the physio thinking you've wasted money on an unnecessary visit you have the reassurance to proceed with recovering correctly. And if not you might save doing major long term damage to something that might recover in a couple of months when looked after.

Hope the rehab goes well...don't push it and hope the racing goes well when you're back in action!

P

All best for the rehab.