Dealing with some ankle pain

[Gene C]

I’m recently back from a backpacking trip, where I rolled my left ankle a few times.  That’s par for the course and I caught myself with my poles each time, so no big deal.  But it’s been a 1 1/2 weeks and I have  some lingering soreness in that ankle.  I’d just ignore it, but I have a big trip coming up (JMT!) so I’d like to get it back to a non-pain state before I head out again.

Do I 1) ice & rest 2) stretch & exercise 3) something else?

The soreness is right on the outside of the ankle bone.  Palpating doesn’t cause any pain, but I can feel it when I turn my foot around in a big circle.

[jscott]

Ice and rest most likely. Undoubtedly you’ll still be walking around on it some. The point is recovery. You won’t lose your conditioning in a matter of a few weeks, or however long you have.

I recently injured my foot somehow on a long hike. It took several weeks to resolve, but now it’s as if it never happened. I wore a wrap when I would do short hikes after it began to improve.

[dirtbag]

Dont turn your foot around in a big circle!!

Seriously though.. im no podiatrist.. its possible maybe it is bruised a bit? I would say take it easy.. walk it off. I rolled my ankle jumping a hurldle in a 5k mud run.. really bad. I was able to finish race. Abiet, dead last place and ambulance at finish line waiting for me, lol. It was swollen and they wrapped it and told me get x rays. Next day i couldn’t walk on it. Went for x rays.. negative.  They said it was bruised and to take it easy for next few weeks.. walk it off.  Within a few days it was still sore and i was walking it off a little more each day.. not running.. just casual walking.  Anyway.. it was soar and tender for MONTHS.. that ball on ankle.. but i was able to walk and after about 2 weeks it was not bad enough to keep me from doing a rocky 2 day backpacking trip…

 

[Bruce Tolley]

I have sprained one ankle after another beginning with high school football and basketball. It can take 4 plus weeks for the sprained ligaments/tendons to heal since they do not have direct blood flow.

Sounds like you had multiple turns within a short period which makes things worse for rehab.  You might want to see a podiatrist who has a sports practice and have the ankle evaluated.  The worst thing for your ankle now is another sprain.

I always travel now with an Med Spec ASO brace. The ASO braces help with compression and some stability, much like a solid taping you might get from a sports trainer for a team.  See https://www.amazon.com/Med-Spec-Ankle-Stabilizer-Black/dp/B00TZTO0QC/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3PJS8PO5XXDJ&dchild=1&keywords=aso+ankle+stabilizer&qid=1625602859&sprefix=ASO+an%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-5.

If the swelling is gone after the third or fourth day, too much icing much will slow healing. If rotation causes pain, one rehab exercise you could try are heel raises, where you simply lift your heels off the ground and work the calf muscles. This drives blood into the ankle to promote healing and strengthens lower leg to promote stability.

AirCast and AirGel are the next step up in ankle braces but they totally immobilize the joint which is probably not recommended.

[Gene C]

Thanks everyone for your comments so far.  Some additional clarification:  there was never any swelling or visible bruising.  The “insult” seemed rather minor at the time, but the pain, though modest, is lingering.

In prep for the JMT, I’ve been doing daily walks with my pack loaded with 30lbs of cat litter and/or going up and down my front stairs with the pack.  Maybe I should cut that out for a while?

[Gary Dunckel]

Rather than ask us, I would suggest that you connect with a health care professional, whether it is a podiatrist or perhaps an orthopedic specialist. He/she can determine whether there has been a significant injury, or if rest will get your ankle back to normal. At any rate, I would suggest that you stop your current exercise regimen until things feel better. I think the worst situation could be that you hit the JMT thinking you can get the ankle healed by hiking, and then end up stranded on the trail in a remote place far from any help.

[Bonzo]

I deal with ankle/tendon issues all the time; my partner deals with knee issues.  As said above, you need to check in with a doctor: we know this from long and painful experience.  Your GP may be able to handle this kind of thing in-house (ours does) but if not, you may need a GP referral to see an orthopedist.  Until that time you need to STOP putting stress on the injury until it heals: continual stress delays healing and can easily worsen things.  Definitely stop doing weighted stairs until cleared by whomsoever you see; you don’t want to risk your trip over the desire to get in a little more conditioning.

[jscott]

What yo9u’re doing isn’t working–the pain persists. I’d stop with the weighted hikes and give your foot a chance to recover. You won’t turn to jello.

No pain…no pain. You want to be pain free if possible. Pain indicate the injury is lingering. You’re going to stress the ankle pretty good on the JMT.

[Matthew / BPL]

I agree that seeing a PT makes sense. if you happen to have some KT Tape around I don’t think it would hurt to slap a few pieces on in the mean time. I have had good results with this technique:

I haven’t tried this one but here’s another: https://youtu.be/q8YnMEsyyBM

FWIW I have found KT Tape to be extremely effective in treating rolled ankles, plantar fasciitis and patelofemoral tracking issues. My PT has given me lessons in how to apply it and I have some PDF instructions saved on my phone for problems I might have in the field. YMMV

[Bonzo]

K Tape is good stuff, in my opinion.  Lots of good tutorials on YouTube, for those that want to give it a shot.

[Matthew / BPL]

I like “K Tape”. I dislike that they call it KT Tape. “Kinesio Tape Tape” makes about as much sense as “RPMs per minute”

[Steve H]

I rolled mine badly not too long ago.  Close friend is a PT & he gave me some exercises that worked well.  An easy effective one is writing out the alphabet with your foot while sitting – it’s something you can do frequently while sitting.  Highly recommend a PT.  I also now where boots, for a while pack an ASO brace like listed above (very effective) but never had to use it.  Now simply pack KT Tape Tape Tape in case I need it.  Key advice from my PT friend is ACTIVE recovery.  Keep walking, unweighted.  And do the exercises.  In between exercises & walking allow ample time for rest/recovery.  Hope that helps.

[Steve M]

+2 on what Matthew said.  I normally use Leukotape…haven’t tried this K tape yet.

One tip I’d add (for reducing ankle rolls/pre-hike taping) is to add more (2-3) tape strips in the vertical (while standing) orientation.   YMMV

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