So, I was chatting with one of my patients James the other day, he’s a keen runner, clocks up over 20 miles a week… almost addicted!
And he was telling me that this one thing happened to him whilst he was out on his morning run. Chances are, it’s happened to you, too.
And, what’s more, the exact same thing happened just last week to Olympic Athlete and Skier Lindsey Vonn…
If you’re not aware of who Lindsey is, she’s the one who previously dated golfer Tiger Woods AND has 67 World Cup wins, impressive right?
Anyway, Lindsey suffered a painful ankle injury during a training run in New Zealand.
And just like my patient James, Lindsey probably thought right away that she’d have to rest for weeks on end before returning to a regular training regime, as well as having to cancel her summer holiday with friends.
Luckily, that didn’t end up happening after all. With the help of a few exercises Lindsey was able to jump on that plane right away and enjoy the sunshine without any frustrating ankle pain.
Here’s the thing with ankle sprains:
They are one of the most common, if not THE most common, type of running injury I come across. I’m sure you’re familiar with being told that the only way to heal your ankle pain is to rest, use ice, compress and to keep your foot elevated.
However, if you’re eager to return to running as soon as possible and go about your day pain-free…only, AND continually icing the injured area isn’t actually going to help as quickly as you’d like it to.
You see ice inhibits blood flow, and without blood flow, there can’t be a fast recovery. It’s ok in the first 72 hours, after that it stiffens up the ligaments to the point where your ankle’s ability to move is reduced, and that’s the last thing you want to do.
The key to your healing equation is after 72 hours, to keep as much movement as possible, and in doing so, keep the blood flowing.
To do this, let me tell you three exercises that I’ve used myself with patients to get back into running quickly:
Firstly, Alphabet Ankles:
With this exercise you basically write the letters A, B and C with your feet. To perform this exercise – sit on a chair, lift your ankle and write A, B and C with the motions of your foot in the air.
Be sure to perform this exercise slowly at first, as well as frequently until your ankle strength and movement improves allowing you to write those letters faster. This exercise will keep all of your muscles working, whilst increasing blood flow at the same time.
Secondly, try Calf Raises, performing these works as it keeps your ankle safe, whilst placing a slight load on the ankle at the same time.
To do a calf raise, stand on something with a ledge – a great example of this would be the edge of your stairs, go onto your toes and raise your body up and down.
And one more… something called a “Single Leg Deadlift”…
Balance yourself on one leg, stand tall, hinge forward with the hips and get back up again without touching the ground.
I’d advise you to do this exercise barefoot, as it will help strengthen your ankle which means less chance of this happening again.
And if you want more recovery tips like this, go to my website:
www.paulgoughphysio.com/sports-injury-clinic to collect your free report showing you ways to speedily recover from the 7 most common sports injuries.
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
- Great North Run 2024: Essential Tips for Peak Performance - August 27, 2024
- Don’t Fall For These Common Foot And Ankle Pain Myths! - July 31, 2024
- Our Top 5 Exercises To Prevent Knee Pain After Walking - June 20, 2024