Sprained ankle

Can anyone give me any advice about sprained ankles?

I sprained mine 8 days ago, and haven't been able to walk on it until today, and even now it's still painful and keeps swelling up, so I had to stop......Is this normal, or should I seek medical/ physio treatment? I don't know if I'm worrying too much and to just rest it for longer.

How long before it's ok to cycle or run? Should I get one of those support sock things?

Thanks

Sounds like bit more than a sprained ankle. You've probably done the ligaments and you may have even snapped something. A support may help.

Hope it gets better soon. I'm sure Pista Boy is some sort of physio.

RICE

Rest Ice Compression Elevation

although given it's still a stinker after 8 days you'd be best heading to A&E or your GP if you want to wait longer.

How did you do it Helda? Often, it's easier to picture the injury - in order to help with the management.
I am presuming it was an inversion injury, where its typical to "roll over the ankle" with the foot rolling inwards... in this case, it could very well be ligament damage - the talofibular ligament.
Depending on the severity, pain usually settles or subsides within 10 days, but may be uncomfortable for up to 8 weeks... thereafter - you may find sudden twisting movements quite painful for a while! A compression bandage will help to control the swelling, and often serves as a good psycholgical support too - but really, you should have it elevated at all times after exertion - and ice it to combat he swelling.
As for cycling and running, you need to be prepared to sit them out for a couple of weeks (don't forget i'm still predicting the worst here!). The amount of impact the ankle and foot need to absorb when we run is crazy - so please lay off the running. Cycling doesn't do us much of a favour either as we plantar flex and dorsi flex the foot whilst weighting the joint....
I probably could ramble for a while helda - if you need me to take a look at it let me know.

How did you do it Helda? Often, it's easier to picture the injury - in order to help with the management.
I am presuming it was an inversion injury, where its typical to "roll over the ankle" with the foot rolling inwards... in this case, it could very well be ligament damage - the talofibular ligament.
Depending on the severity, pain usually settles or subsides within 10 days, but may be uncomfortable for up to 8 weeks... thereafter - you may find sudden twisting movements quite painful for a while! A compression bandage will help to control the swelling, and often serves as a good psycholgical support too - but really, you should have it elevated at all times after exertion - and ice it to combat he swelling.
As for cycling and running, you need to be prepared to sit them out for a couple of weeks (don't forget i'm still predicting the worst here!). The amount of impact the ankle and foot need to absorb when we run is crazy - so please lay off the running. Cycling doesn't do us much of a favour either as we plantar flex and dorsi flex the foot whilst weighting the joint....
I probably could ramble for a while helda - if you need me to take a look at it let me know.

Get you with the fancy language ;) Good luck for Sunday btw - hope you're all set.

Thanks RHB. That's very kind. I think my legs are good to go - but my nerves will get the better of me. Reckon I'll be very near the portaloo's before the "off".
Best of luck to you also - i'm sure you'll get your target time.
Give us a shout sometime next week if you need be to take any knots out your limbs. Post run massage always helps...
:)

I'm a nervy type too! Cheers for the luck. Sending PM re Knots.

I got a badly sprained wrist about 3 weeks ago. Couldnt move it for a few days, but after that just treated it like normal.

Pistaboy & rhb, are you entering a marathon or something?

Good luck whatever it is.

How did you do it Helda? Often, it's easier to picture the injury - in order to help with the management.
I am presuming it was an inversion injury, where its typical to "roll over the ankle" with the foot rolling inwards... in this case, it could very well be ligament damage - the talofibular ligament.
Depending on the severity, pain usually settles or subsides within 10 days, but may be uncomfortable for up to 8 weeks... thereafter - you may find sudden twisting movements quite painful for a while! A compression bandage will help to control the swelling, and often serves as a good psycholgical support too - but really, you should have it elevated at all times after exertion - and ice it to combat he swelling.
As for cycling and running, you need to be prepared to sit them out for a couple of weeks (don't forget i'm still predicting the worst here!). The amount of impact the ankle and foot need to absorb when we run is crazy - so please lay off the running. Cycling doesn't do us much of a favour either as we plantar flex and dorsi flex the foot whilst weighting the joint....
I probably could ramble for a while helda - if you need me to take a look at it let me know.

Thanks for the advice guys.

I did it while I was climbing in France. I was only on the first move, so only half a meter off the ground, but lost my balance and fell backwards and stumbled over a tree root. My foot got caught on the root, but my weight was still moving backwards. It was definitely an inversion, and I'm sure I heard something pop. it was really painful for a minute or two, then subsided, but started swelling up straight away mainly on the anterio-lateral aspect of the ankle, but later the swelling spread to my foot.

The swelling has been up and down over the last week. But I've been having a lot of pain in my calf in the mornings, and was worried about having a deep vein thrombosis (might be being a bit of hyperchondriac), but it seems to wear off after a few hours, so maybe just a stiff muscle from no usage?

It mainly hurts now anterior and inferior to the lateral malleolus, so maybe like you said - the anterior talofibular ligament might be damaged?? (I've just got all this from an anatomy book - I don't actually know what I'm talking about, I just thought it might be easier to describe to you this way!). Is it common to tear this one, and if so is there any treatment for it? Or is it just rest? I do a lot of sports and am worried that if it's torn I won't be able to do them anymore.....or is it still possible to funtion without the ligament?

Sorry for all the questions....it's good to talk to someone who knows about it! It would be great Pistaboy if you wouldn't mind looking at it, but only if it's not too much trouble, and only if you think it worth checking out.

Thanks again

p.s. What race are you guys doing?

One of us is running in London, one in Stratford, both Marathons.

Cheers for the good wishes DFP

Hope your Ankle is fixed up soon Helda.

Wow, that takes some dedicated training and will power. I'm impressed. Good luck to you both, hope you have good races.

cheers :)

gutted doin your ankle in on a climbing holiday

It was definitely an inversion, and I'm sure I heard something pop. it was really painful for a minute or two, then subsided, but started swelling up straight away mainly on the anterio-lateral aspect of the ankle, but later the swelling spread to my foot.

Helda. This sounds like you have torn the ligament, but to what extent i can only guess. As its ligament, it has poor blood supply, nerve supply and as i'm sure you know - serves as a bone to bone attachment. Hence why it was painful for only a minute or two, then subsided. It has no muscle attachment so it now means that your joint is now "lax" as it has no ligament to keep the talus and fibular together (does that make sense?).
The swelling to the foot is merely blood following the laws of gravity and pooling into the foot - hence why elevation will help to remove the pooling.
Can you get a look over at hospital? Ligament tears can be complicated, so its always better to check.
Just gonna PM you my number.

you can get a doctor's appt at your gp pretty damn quick these days, even if you're not registered at one nearby they'll still see you. Hope you get better soon.