During your running career, you may experience an ankle sprain, one of the most common sports injuries, that affects your ability to train and race. With knowledge about the injury, how to treat it and how to rehabilitate your injured ankle, you will soon be running again.
Ankle Sprain Definition
An ankle sprain is defined as a stretching, tearing or rupturing injury to one or more of the ankle's ligaments, the thick bands of soft tissue that connect bones to each other, according to "Sprained Ankle Causes and Risk Factors" by The Stretching Institute. In "Fixing Your Feet," Jon Vonhoff states that the most common kind of ankle sprain is an inversion ankle sprain, when the foot twists laterally, or to the outside of the ankle. Eversion ankle sprains, though rare, can also occur when the ankle rotates medially, or to the inside. Symptoms of an ankle sprain include swelling, redness and the inability to bear weight on the injured ankle.
How Ankle Sprains Occur
In "Healthy Runner's Handbook" and "Lore of Running," Lyle J. Micheli, M.D. and Timothy D. Noakes, M.D. respectively state that ankle sprains in runners are often freak accidents that occur because of a single trip or misstep on an uneven running surface. When the foot lands on an uneven surface and the leg's soft tissues fail to stabilize it, the foot twists to the outside or inside. The Stretching Institute also indicates that a lack of ankle conditioning, including strength and/or flexibility, can contribute to a runner's ankle sprain risk.
Acute Injury Treatment
In "Ankle Sprains: Healing and Preventing Injury," Family Doctor recommends rest, icing, compression and elevation for the immediate treatment of an ankle sprain. A doctor will advise rest from running or complete rest, including the use of crutches or an ankle brace to prevent the use of the ankle in daily tasks, depending on the injury's severity. Icing the affected area three times daily for up to 20 minutes, as well as wrapping the ankle in a bandage to apply light compressive force will enhance recovery, states Family Doctor. Elevating the ankle to promote the circulation of blood and other body liquids may also speed recovery. Some doctors prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine, according to Family Doctor.
Rehabilitation Exercises
Once the pain and swelling begin to decrease, physicians advise an aggressive rehabilitation regime to restore strength and flexibility in the injured ankle, as well as to restore any imbalances in other soft tissues of the leg, according to "Fixing Your Feet." Family Doctor recommends a rehabilitation regime that is monitored by a health care professional and that includes a number of exercises such as spelling the alphabet with the toes, toe raises, heel raises, balancing exercises and jumping exercises.
Resuming Running After an Ankle Sprain
"Healthy Runner's Handbook" states that a mild sprain may require four to six weeks of recovery, if runners engage in correct ankle sprain treatment during and after the injury. For a severe sprain with good treatment, you should expect up to 12 weeks of recovery time before you're able to return to your normal training and racing plans. "Fixing Your Feet" indicates that a physician will advise you to run for a short period of time that does not cause pain during or after the workout, followed by a few days of rest before another bout of running. As you recover, cycling and swimming are excellent forms of exercise that can be used to maintain fitness without negative impacts on the healing ankle.
References
- The Stretching Institute: Sprained Ankle Causes and Risk Factors
- "Fixing Your Feet"; Jon Vonhof; 1997
- "Healthy Runner's Handbook"; Lyle J. Micheli, M.D.; 1996
- "Lore of Running"; Timothy D. Noakes, M.D.; 2003
- Family Doctor: Ankle Sprains: Healing and Preventing Injury
