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It appears I’ve been struck down with a crushing dose of irony.
My ongoing issues with my right foot have meant I’ve been wearing an air boot to keep the weight off and protect it, thus.
Friday night I went out for a work social evening, and was on my feet more than normal, walking further than normal (though not far) but thanks to the change in my gait that the fetching boot necessitates, my left ankle is now the size of a grapefruit and in agony. Ibuprofen and paracetamol are barely touching the sides. Local minor injuries unit have confirmed it’s a sprain, and I need to keep it iced & raised, and if it still hurts in 6 weeks see a GP.
The boot was due to come off in a week.
6 weeks?! I’d like to hear your stories of how I will be fine in a week, based on your experience please. Failing that, tales of ironic maladies to make me feel a little less worse off.
Sprains take a long time to heal, I didn't rest mine properly and it took over a year to be back to normal so I wouldn't take shortcuts
Bad sprains/injuries can take up to 3 months to heal.
Very frustrating, but if you aren't patient then it can take longer.
Bad sprain on my left about 4 years ago. Still feels weak on a long walk. Intitially took about 6months to feel normal. (Was a 45 year old slightly heavier guy for reference)
I wasn’t patient!
I'd just say listen to your body. I sprained mine badly on the stairs on an ankle that has a certain history of sprains. I thought I'd broken it at the time. Manipulation and stretching is useful, got back running gently after about 6 weeks, back up to full fun running and riding a HT at speed about 10 weeks.
My son did his badly in mid November, was fine for walking about by Christmas, and for his warehouse work after new years. He's also a dancer and still isn't right for that.
*looks dejectedly at race entries for end of March/mid April*
My left ankle has sprained loads of times. Mainly football and rugby, but first time was in a bike wheel when I was riding on the back of my mum’s bike on the way home from play school.
Worst time put me on crutches, but a trip to a physio was well worth it. They had an inflatable boot that they put on it and it cycled through inflations. Then ice baths. I actually walked out of there without crutches. Then strapping does a lot to support too - look up how to do it.
That was 2006, and I have reduced mobility still and it looks bigger than my other ankle.
Did mine badly a month ago (it pops out and in and hurts like ****). It was just getting bearable 3 weeks later, an easy bike ride was ok but walking got achy soon, and then last Saturday, BAM! Did it again! Still painful at rest at times and walking is a slow hobble with more pain afterwards.
I've tried all sorts of single leg balances and strengthening, but I think it's just buggered now from happening so often. Doesn't swell or bruise massively any more, but absolutely kills. I can go a year or two and then have a spell like this.
I've sprained my ankle twice in the past decade and each time been running again within a few days. Both times an inversion while running on uneven ground, obviously neither was as severe as some described here though - I was able to walk out unaided for a couple of km or so. Last time was the end of Dec and it's still a bit unstable and swollen but I did 20 miles on it this morning. If I'd taken time off it might have healed better/faster but it would have buggered my marathon plans.
IME lower ankle sprains heal better than upper ankle sprains. I had an upper ankle sprain a couple of years ago and it took 6+ months till it didn't hurt or flare up after cycling and hillwalking. Still not 100% fixed but then I am in my forties.
Bad sprains/injuries can take up to 3 months to heal.
They can take a lot longer than that. If it's 100% better in 6 weeks you can think yourself lucky.
I'd see a sports physio about it as soon as you get some sort of use back. There's a good chance you'll have impaired the proprioceptor response in the ankle and if you don't do exercises to help - wobble board, standing on one leg on cushions with eyes shut etc - you're much more likely to sprain the same ankle again.
Basically, your brain struggles to know where your ankle is in space, so if does start to turn, you don't react quickly enough to correct and bang, you've over on the same ankle again. I know this partly because my left ankle is made of limp spaghetti following on from an initial couple of incidents when I were a lad and playng rugby / triple jumping.
The only plus point is that after stretching your ankle ligaments and tendons repeatedly, when you do turn it again, the damage seems less and it's quicker to recover.
But basically, however long it takes, look into proper rehab and at the very least, find out how to tape and ankle properly to minimise the chance of a repeat episode while you're recovering.
Not a physio, but long-term owner of a rubbish left ankle 🙁
Sprains take a long time to heal, I didn’t rest mine properly and it took over a year to be back to normal so I wouldn’t take shortcuts
Listen to this advice. I had one back in my climbing days which took over a year to heal. Two weeks on crutches, couldn't walk without a limp for months, couldn't run for over a year. Probably took 18 months - two years before it was fully back to normal. Go see a physio so you can get the right rehab. It'll cut the recovery time by months and avoid making it worse.