Sprained Ankle

J

jdileo

Regular Member

Hi All,

I sprained my ankle (pretty bad , heard a loud pop) almost 2 months ago and it's still not completely healed (I now play matches about once a week and let my partner do most of the running) though there were no fractures . A coach said that sprained ankles take about 6 months to heal. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd share your similar experience, in particular, to the following questions:

1. How long did it take for your sprained ankle(s) to heal?

2. What remedies/trement helped the healing?

3. Did you continue to play badminton? If so, how often? Did it aggravate the ankle?

Thanks!

 
Ive sprained my ankle a few times in badminton. I cant take any of the normal painkilling stuff cus its usually got aspirin derivatives in em, and Im asthmatic. My Dad's a doc, he usually bandages the joint up, immobilising it. I go about the usual routine, avoiding putting weight on it as much as I can. I try not to walk a lot, obviously. It takes around 4-5 days before the tenderness goes and I stop wearing a bandage and start playing badminton again. The first couple of times are hard, but then you get back to the normal level of movement.
Your injury sounds much worse than anything Ive experienced, so Im not entirely sure if anything Ive said applies. The best thing to do in any case is to seek qualified medical attention, preferably a specialist. If your injury is serious, you should check with a doctor before you try anything that people like me suggest.
I hope your ankle starts improving soon
 
I sprained my ankle last summer (early August). Took me almost the whole month to actually be able to walk without any tenderness. As for playing, you gotta be kidding!

Immediately ice the ankle after to reduce the swelling. Try not to put any weight, if possible. When sleeping/lying down, elevate the ankle. I also apply some chinese herbal lotion to help with the tenderness. Bandage up the ankle or use an ankle brace.

It took me about 8 weeks or so before the ankle felt good enough to play and it was tough the first few sessions. The ankle would feel sore the day after and I would walked with a noticeable limb. This eventually goes away but I find that if I had a pretty intense session, the soreness would come back the next day.
 
Thanks for the comments! Fortunately, I did ice the ankle immediately and do wear a brace as often as I can stand. I also found the Biofreeze gel helps the pain a lot. It's just frustrating that the ankle is still weak and a little swollen after 2 months. :confused:
 
Ankle sprain

I too went over on my ankle just last week ......not as bad as yours sounded.

I immediately iced it off/on over the next 36 hours, then applied heat thereafter for the next 4 days. I also elevated it right from the minute I got home and also kept an ankle bandage on it, along with anti-inflammatory cream (applied 3 times a day) over the following 5 days.

It certainly improved a lot over day 3 to day 6, and so I am planning on having a gentle run-around tonight.

One thing you need to do is right from the 3rd day, start to massage it with something like moisturing cream.

I plan on wearing a ankle support for a while and also do some ankle specific exercises to help strengthen it up ......wobble board, specific foot rotations, standing on toes and gentle hops.

I suggest you do things like this which will stress it .... but dont over do it.

Sean
 
With sprains, immobility will actually lengthen the healing process. Apart from early bandaging and applying ice to keep the swelling down, the key is to use the joint as much as you can, but rest if it if the swelling increases. If your physio says "rest", he or she probably needs an update on rehabilitaion issues...

The loud pop could indicate that you tore a ligament. This could require surgical treatment. Did you not see a doctor about this?
 
From Mag:
With sprains, immobility will actually lengthen the healing process. Apart from early bandaging and applying ice to keep the swelling down, the key is to use the joint as much as you can, but rest if it if the swelling increases. If your physio says "rest", he or she probably needs an update on rehabilitaion issues...

The loud pop could indicate that you tore a ligament. This could require surgical treatment. Did you not see a doctor about this?

Hi Mag,

I saw a doctor right after the sprain and X-Rays of my ankle/foot were taken. The doc said there were no broken bones or fractures. Her remedy was bandage and RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). I did try to stretch the injured ankle slightly (mainly to see if there's still pain). There's definitely improvement but it's slow. Maybe my badminton, hiking, and biking activities are slowing down the complete healing.:cool:
 
The magical powers of Anicca Cream..

I agree with Mag regarding the 'rest' thingy. In the past, people always think it's good to rest whatever that you've injured. However, with sprained ankle, as soon as you can, start walking on it as this will allow the blood circulation to flow actively through your ankle, and this in turn will quicken your healing process and also blood flow will help tissue repairing better too.

Also try this..get Anicca cream..I swear by it (some ppl take the anicca pills but I like the cream better)..especially straight after you've twisted your ankle..apply the cream straight on to your ankle and massage it. Then ice it (10 minutes on, 3 minutes off) for a few times, and then apply anicca cream on it again. This is a very good cream, kinda like anti-inflamatory cream, but it also works wonders on swelling and bruises and well, it feels like your healing process is quickened by it :)

And hehe, if you are a girl..I find (depending on how you twist your ankle) generally that a day or so after you twist your ankle, or as soon as u can walk, wear high heels! Apparently, walking on high heels seem to reduce pain on my ankle and walking on it just made it better faster..(odd I know..but it worked for me! ) :)
 
Re: The magical powers of Anicca Cream..

Originally posted by adelina76

And hehe, if you are a girl..I find (depending on how you twist your ankle) generally that a day or so after you twist your ankle, or as soon as u can walk, wear high heels! Apparently, walking on high heels seem to reduce pain on my ankle and walking on it just made it better faster..(odd I know..but it worked for me! ) :)
Click to expand...


Hmmm... wearing high heels to serve will give you a height advantae, wouldn't it? But would be a killer on the floor. :D :D
 
Last edited:
Originally posted by jdileo

Hi Mag,
I saw a doctor right after the sprain and X-Rays of my ankle/foot were taken. The doc said there were no broken bones or fractures. Her remedy was bandage and RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). I did try to stretch the injured ankle slightly (mainly to see if there's still pain). There's definitely improvement but it's slow. Maybe my badminton, hiking, and biking activities are slowing down the complete healing.:cool:
Click to expand...

It's good that you saw a doctor, but normal X-rays doesn't show a ruptured ligament (Cheung, can you verify this?). Did your doctor give you a rehabilitation excercise program, and if so, have you been sticking to it? Your recovery time does sound unusually long.
 
I've got dodgy ankles and if I sprain my ankle, I won't go to see a doctor unless its REALLY bad. From previous experience, the doctor has just told me to bandage it and rest it, which was probably not the answer I was looking for! My advice would be to go to a physiotherapist or sports injury clinic. They will be able to tell you exactly what you've done, and give you exercises to help with the rehabilitation.

I now have a wobble board at home, similar to the sort of thing they might have in a physiotherapist's. Its a flat board with a semi-spherical bottom that you use to improve your balance. They can help a lot in rehabilitation I think, and also they can help to prevent future injury. I use mine every week. See the attachment for a wobble board picture.

I've also found this: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/ankle/anklerehab.htm

which is a rehab program for a sprained ankle. It shouldn't be a substitute for seeing a specialist about your ankle though!
 

Attachments

  • wobble_board.jpg
    wobble_board.jpg
    6.1 KB · Views: 2,912
Originally posted by Mag


It's good that you saw a doctor, but normal X-rays doesn't show a ruptured ligament (Cheung, can you verify this?). Did your doctor give you a rehabilitation excercise program, and if so, have you been sticking to it? Your recovery time does sound unusually long.
Click to expand...

True, diffiuclt to see a ruptured ligament just by X-ray. A sprained ankle means a ligament has probably been torn (partially). There are 3 ligaments for the ankle on the outside part.

My sprained ankle to ages to heal. stupid me wearing tennis shoes at the time and trying to play badminton (hey, I was young then).

I'd probably be inclined to go to a physio or a doctor with an interest in sports medicine ( and therefore understands the psychology of sports people). they usually are active in sports. As opposed to an ordinary family practitioner.
 
Ice.. continued with massage

This is what i get from my PE teacher...

First, you must not massage it straight away!!! will get worse...
First thing u must do is ICE is first.. 3 to 5 minutes... 3 sets of it...

You must do it everyday until it is around 70 percent healed.. then u can start massaging.... Hope it works.. Get well soon!!
 
Not sure if this question should be in the equip forum or here ...but here goes.

Having sprained an ankle recently, information regarding the prevention of such injuries would be helpful...

1) Any suggestions as to what one should look for in a badminton shoe to help prevent ankle injuries(twisting or spraining); a previous thread implied that badminton shoes could help....
Could someone state specifically what shoe charcateristics, pertinent to the prevention or minimization of such injuries, would be most desirableé

2) Any one know of helpful excercises which could help as a preventative measure

3) What movements have the potential to cause ankle sprains and why do es it happen.


Thanks
 
Hi all,

A poping sound in the ankle? Hmmm, could be a few things, but what someone hasn't mentioned is the possibility of a tarsal coming loose and being dislodged from it's place (the ankle is made up of many tarsals). A tendon going usually makes a snapping sound, but a pop? Sounds like a possible tarsal injury, what do you recon Cheung? Possible?

Matt
 
How I got better

Hi all,

Thanks to all of your tips on ankles and injuries. My ankle is much much better now (almost the same as before the injury, though I sometimes feel some tightness in the Achilles tendon) and I credit the recovery to the following:

1. R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
2. Massaging the ankle with a potent muscle and joint oil that my friend has recommended (available at http://www.edelweissbotanicals.com). This massage oil has also helped prevent several near-sprains by pre-application before matches.
3. Some ankle and leg rehab exercises (but I wasn't very consistent in doing them).

As far as shoes are concerned, please see my previous thread, http://www.badmintonforum.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6556&highlight=shoe+survey

Hope this helps.
 
Hey guys happy new year and all that - thought i'd shed some light and experience on this situation - i've sprained both my ankles in the past and done completely different things, one was playing badminton when i was 16 and the other time was simply going over on it when i was getting down off a chair.

When i was 16 i immediately stopped playing and had it iced and elevated - it swelled up like a balloon as you would expect - i was in a&e the next day with my mum - the doc x rayed it and there were no fractures and he gave me a support and told me to stay of it for a couple of days. NOTE - no exercise regime or anything. FYI - this ankle has never felt the same, it twinges from time to time and sometimes stops me playing completely so i have to rest again until the pain is gone

More recently when i went over on my other ankle, i forced myself to walk immediately - got some ice on it for a bit and then walked on it for two weeks - when it still hurt i finally went to the hospital and he gave me plenty of strapping and crutches, and an extensive set of exercises, i did all of these but kept most of the weight of it for 2 months at least - then i started leaning more weight thru it - which the doc had advised. Now about 6 months later it feels as if i never injured it. fantastic huh?

I think doctors think kids will bounce back from anything or that they are being a bit soft and it's not as bad as they are making out.

anybody else had similar experience

(well it did take three visits to the doctor to get refered to a physio for my back when i pulled it - but thats another story)

See y'all

Happy New Year

Neil
 
Thanks for the insights Neil...
I was walking on the ankle after the first day. Lots of ice about an hour after the occurence and after I had gotten home.

Now after about three days I can walk with some tenderness on the side of the ankle. I think I will continue to walk on it a bit more but with a bit of caution and maybe even try a relaxed game near the end of the week.
Pity as I like a good game to get the blood racing.



:)
 
Well.. I had rolled my ankle like 3 times before.. as what ppl would call grade 1 sprains. Then on Sunday, I had a grade 2 sprain. I lunged for the birdy at front right of court (doubles game).. and instead of landing on my heel.. I landed on the side of my foot. Don't ask me how. Anyways.. I GOT BACK UP RIGHT AFTER. Thought it was just another roll. I iced it.. felt better and played a relaxed game.

On Monday, WOW, it ballooned. LOL more serious than I thought. Got an ankle brace to add some compression.. had some rest and more ice and elevation (RICE).

Today.. Tuesday. No swelling really. Just tenderness. I am now walking. This is kinda cool actually.

The last part to RICE is actually RICEr. Small r for rehabilitation. Which is essential if I don't want it to happen again. Preventative exercises are good. Right now my exercise is walking to put a balanced weight on both feet. I also have been massaging with deep heat rub to get more blood flowing, but walking does the same thing.

I'm thinking of playing on Friday. Heheh not too hardcore of course.. but yeah.. I hope I don't do it again. You know how they say if you do it once, you're more prone to do it again. Hopefully not.

Cheers to all those who've gone through this! Hope you've recovered :)

Calvin

P.S: Yes I wear Asics court shoes with a new real comfy insole. But I think my right ankle was already weak. I've decided to wear an ankle brace as a reminder to be careful with my right foot and to add some support. I'm sure consistent ankle strengthening exercises will help too :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top