Sprained ankle...how long before I can bike?

[zoom-zoom]

Saturday I ran a relatively brutal trail relay and FUBARd my left ankle (read all the sordid details here).

It looks like a second-degree sprain, but symptoms generally point to first-degree...I just bruise and swell like nobody's business (I'm a bleeder/bruiser and also have a history of bad edema issues--particularly during pregnancy and ever since).

Anyhow, today is 2 days since the injury and I am still hobbling around, so I'm not planning to do anything other than upper-body and core workouts this week, in addition to some PT exercises for my ankle. I'm hoping that I will be able to get back on the bike early next week, then maybe be up to some short and easy runs a week or so after that...assuming I'm not in pain or dealing with serious ankle weakness.

For those who have had similar sprains, what sort of course/timetable did your healing take? Did you need to wear a brace or support of any sort during workouts? If so, what type?

[OakLeaf]

I'll defer to the pros on your course of rehab, but I want to plug the ASO brace if/when you need one. Very low profile, rock solid support against inversion/eversion but still allows full ROM in dorsiflexion/plantar flexion. Love the thing (as much as anyone can love an ankle brace ). I'd offer you mine, but it's somewhere else now.

Heal up quick!

[zoom-zoom]

Thanks, Oak...that is exactly the sort of recommendation I was looking for.

[abejita]

I sprained my ankle saturday before last. I couldn't walk on it for two days, just on crutches. the third day, I was walking with one crutch and started hobbling after that. Today, I tried running on it and I was fine. It still hurts if I turn it in too much, but I don't have any discomfort when I ran. It is still a bit swollen and discolored, but all and all, better than I expected. I iced it after I ran and I am icing it again now. I am going to try to get in a short ride tomorrow. I expect that since running didnt bother it, cycling won't either.

[zoom-zoom]

I expect that since running didnt bother it, cycling won't either.

I'm very relieved to hear that your recovery has been fast...I hope mine is similar.

I'm surprised you were able to run on it so soon. I've been actually thinking that one thing that will keep me off the bike for this week is the twisting motion of unclipping my pedals, plus the fact that I unclip my left foot and put weight on that for stops. That doesn't seem like something I will be able to do for the better part of a week, at this point.

[abejita]

I am a bit concerned about the unclipping because of the twisting. I sprained my right ankle and I unclip and stop with my left, so in theory, I will only have to unclip my right foot when I get off my bike.

I guess it depends on how and where your ankle is sprained. According to this, I have an inversion sprain. I stepped of of my porch just the wrong way and my ankle bone touched the ground. Most of the pain is below and in front of my ankle bone. I was really expecting the worst because last time I sprained it like this, I was in a splint for 6 weeks

I am hoping for a speedy recovery for you! I'll let you know how my ride goes tomorrow.

[zoom-zoom]

That was fun...did just over 11 miles at EASY pace. Pedaling felt better than walking, so I will be riding as much as possible as I recuperate. Tonite I had those plastic half-clips and an old pair of running shoes, but I already had DH put my SPDs back on and will be going back to wearing my road shoes, since I found it was actually harder to get going with the platforms and felt I was more at risk of a fall with those. And it really doesn't take THAT much twisting motion to disengage my pedals, anyhow. I already keep them at the lowest resistance.

SO glad that it looks like biking will be fine for me. I already miss running, but I love biking, too, so it's not really a loss. I will hopefully not even lose a huge amount of fitness.

The only downside...wow, my left calf/ankle area is so weak. I had 0 pain while riding, just noticeable weakness compared to my right side.

[indigoiis]

After all of this advice I gave.... and Sunday I went out mountain biking and was going up a grade, went to clip out like a wimp, and it wouldn't go, and I started to fall, the foot came out, bent backwards, *SNAP!*

Thought it was a sprain.
Nope. I broke it in two places.

Zoom, I'll join you on the bench. I am bummed.

[OakLeaf]

Owwwwww. Indigo, you heal up quick too!

[zoom-zoom]

Oh no oh no oh no...ack, I am so sorry! I hope you are not in too much pain. How long will your recovery be? Are you in a cast? Were you alone?

And I hope it's not catching. I'm doing a group ride tomorrow night with my clipless pedals.

[indigoiis]

I see the Orthopedic Specialist today to determine if this will require surgery (aaack!) or not... he is a sports medicine specialist (I love my general phys - she runs and rides, too, so she made sure to recommend someone who can get me back to training.)

I wasn't alone but was with DH. We rode from home up to Big River (about four miles on dirt road), entered the woods on the Southeast corner, and I did fine for the first half hour. I have little confidence in myself until I've been on the trail awhile. I'm scared of sand and screechy about stumps. Because of that, I developed the bad habit of riding with one foot always ready to clip out. Anyhow, we got about three or four miles in and turned off a main trail onto a twisty turny up and down trail of my choosing. I was all confidence because there were like, no rocks or logs, just roots and pine needles. I was all clipped in no problem. I then saw ahead of me a big dipsy doo and went down the one side and as I came up the other, my wimpy side decided I wouldn't make it and attempted to clip out. Clip held. I started to go over from not pedaling, wrestled with my foot, and fell just as my foot came out of the clip and *tried* touching down. Bike and me came on top of that and I heard (and knew just because of the angle that this was bad) *snap!* I rolled out from under the bike and waited in that single minute before the howling starts, thinking, moveyourtoesmoveyourtoesgetyourshoe off. Then, I howled. DH circled back and found me on the ground, took my shoe off, looked for blood. LOL. Anyhow, at that point we weren't *exactly* sure where we were, just had a general idea, and Big River is Big, with a lot of unmarked trails. We were on one of them. It was sunny and hot and humid out. I had my cell but knew I had to walk. So we splinted it with my headband and two sticks. I was able to walk - it was when my foot even remotely pointed inward that I was completely disabled with pain. My DH went ahead and came back and said the fire road was about a mile out. So we walked it. We got out to the fire road and I coasted and walked. He offered to go home and get the truck, but I knew that would take a long time and I just didn't want to wait in the heat / humidity and I figured if we could just get out to route 3 I would be okay on the road. Well, so after a couple of miles we came out on route 3 which is about 10 miles from my house. So we took that with a headwind going maybe 8 mph all the way home, my left ankle resting on the pedal. I looked a sight.

What's funny is, Sunday and yesterday I could walk on the thing. Limpy walking, but I could bear weight. Yesterday my gen. phys. gave me crutches. I got home and it got very swollen and ached all night and kept me up. Today I can't put any weight on it. So I am glad I have an appointment with the orth. doc because maybe I will then get a boot. This crutches thing is no fun.

I want to find out from him when I can ride again, and then, when I can run again. Although I know I will not be able to run the full in October, I could shoot for a half in February in Hyannis.

Plus I have biking stuff booked for this year - we're doing the Kanc in August and the Seacoast Century in September. So those I don't want to miss.

[TriMoms]

Ladies,
Spent all day online trying to figure out the best way to rehab my ankle and get on my bike. I know lacing up sneakers is going to be a lot longer.

Yesterday I sprained my ankle while playing soccer with my 6yr old daughter. Guess she schooled me! SO, after 5 yrs in the ER and a negative xray (thank god). I find myself in an aircast, pain meds, crutches, elevation and ice.

This is coming up on 24hrs. I've been wiggling my toes and moving my foot gingerly up and down without pain. The thought of twisting in or out sends me to a bad place. Clipping out of pedals would NOT happen. BUT - I may try the gym.

Any other suggestions on how I can get back to it? H.E. M. ankle method users out there?

This is my first sprain. Thanks so much

[KnottedYet]

Ask your doc when you can start riding again.

Use your pedal wrench (every woman should have one, and know how to use it!) to put platforms on your bike once you can start riding again, and use them until you have better lateral stability.

[zoom-zoom]

Ask your doc when you can start riding again.

Use your pedal wrench (every woman should have one, and know how to use it!) to put platforms on your bike once you can start riding again, and use them until you have better lateral stability.

Yep. Ask your doc, but I think I was off for a week or two, IIRC. Took me 5.5 weeks to get back to running--and that was very few miles, very slowly, rebuilding my weekly mileage very gradually. I think it's been about 12 weeks since my sprain. My ankle is still far from healed, but I think that's in large part to how poorly I treated my ankle in the first couple of days. Continuing to run nearly 10 miles on trails after the initial grade 2 sprain was not wise and if it happened again I would likely not continue. I still can't run at all on uneven surfaces (like grass or the gravel shoulder) without discomfort and my range-of-motion is pretty restricted compared to my other ankle.

[malkin]

Ok, for your entertainment while healing, and make you feel brave, active and athletic, I present the story of the worst ankle sprain of my life.

I was 19 years old. I was in general terms, fit; I could dash off 15-20 miles anytime I had the time and inclination.

On this occasion, I was standing in line at the bank.

I was holding a random stack of dollars and cents, waiting to have them swapped for krone and ore, as this was 1978 in Oslo at the university.

I had my legs stylishly wrapped around each other, and managed to get the worn out wooden part of my shoe sole in contact with the shiny slippery floor. My foot flew off one direction, my ankle another direction, and my cash scattered in all directions. I passed out.

I came to in the arms of another US student, a guy named Clyde from Florida, I think, as he was plopping me on the counter of the health center, which was conveniently located just upstairs from the bank. Someone else trotted behind, having collected my money off the floor.

The health folks patched me all up and I have been more cautious in bank lines ever since.