Sprained ankle...time to see a physio?

[srothman]

I sprained my ankle about 4 weeks ago. I rubbed and wrapped it up, and I've been coddling it ever since.
All the pain is gone, although I sometimes feel a very slight discomfort when I move my foot a certain way, and it is still a little bit swollen around the ankle compared to my other foot, as well as how it was.

For the best part of my day I go about my business as usual, not paying too much attention to it and I have full range of motion, but I want to get back into my training routine, but the symptoms I mentioned earlier has me a little worried that I'll find myself back at square one.

Should I get an assessment from a physio? How long do these normally take to heal? I haven't had a serious sprain since forever, and the slight mishaps I've managed to get myself into usually walk off in a day or so.

 

[syntax]

See a physio.
The R450 is worth it to find out if you have other damage.

I usually go to the physio once, find out what rehab exercises I need to do and do them myself at home. I find physio's tend to milk you a bit.

A decent sprain is usually 4 - 6 weeks from my experience.

 

[srothman]

4 - 6 weeks
Suppose no point in rushing it. Will make an appointment to go see someone.

Thanks

 

[ChilliGirl]

Has your foot been xrayed?!?

 

[Arthur]

Best and latest sports medicine treatment is to stimulate blood flow. This is primarily done by keeping ankle in ice-water for as long as you can tolerate, at least twice a day. I recently had a severe Achilles Tendonitis. Three days of physio and anti-inflammatories did little. Then saw a good doc, who prescribed ice-water, and the physiology behind it. He explained that this is why every top level rugby game has buckets of ice water at the ready ... to treat sprains and other muscle and tendon injuries ... by far the most effective. My ankle was serviceable within 24 hours of two ice-water dips.

See a doc who's up to date on these treatments, and not stuck in wrong-headed med school notions from 20 years ago.

 

[srothman]

@ChilliGirl: Nope, nothing of that sorts. Honestly didn't think it would be necessary.
@Arthur: I'll give it a shot, thanks. There's a physio at my GP's practice that deal specifically with sports-related injuries, and will make a plan to go see her today or tomorrow. I suspect it might just be that my ankle is stiff due to the lack of activity (ignorant, I know ), and I hope she gives me the all-clear.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

A ankle injury can take up to two years to completely heal as its not always possible or practical to give the injury time to heal correctly.

My ankle injury has only come right now after 26 months but I still have to be careful. In my case I feel down a flight of stairs and landed on the ankle. Nothing broke but it felt like it.

 

[srothman]

Sheesh! At least I only stepped skew during our warm-up jog. Thanks for all the input all, much appreciated. Will report back what the doc said once I get around to visiting.

 

[srothman]

So, got back from the physio and she benched me for at least the next week.

turns out the little exercises I've been doing (out of pure ignorance) was a good thing, i.e. writing the alphabet n the air with my foot to help with the range of motion, the mild stretching and the "light duty" exercises like walking and cycling. She said I can start jogging as per normal, albeit shorter distances, but it'll still be at least a couple of days and some rehab before I can get back to kickboxing and Krav Maga because of the strain of kicking.

As an FYI, things I could/should have done was to visit her sooner, 24-48 hours of actually sustaining the injury, both to start rehab on the affected joint and muscles. She actually said that if I started right away, a couple of sessions with the ice-water would have sorted it right out in a couple of days, but it is now a matter of recovering and re-strengthening the damaged muscles because I left it for this long.

Gave me a bunch of exercises to do with an elastic band and got another appointment with her next week Tuesday to check my progress, but she is happy that there's no long-term or severe damage to the ligaments of joints and i should be able to get back raining in about two weeks.

 

[syntax]

So, got back from the physio and she benched me for at least the next week.

turns out the little exercises I've been doing (out of pure ignorance) was a good thing, i.e. writing the alphabet n the air with my foot to help with the range of motion, the mild stretching and the "light duty" exercises like walking and cycling. She said I can start jogging as per normal, albeit shorter distances, but it'll still be at least a couple of days and some rehab before I can get back to kickboxing and Krav Maga because of the strain of kicking.

As an FYI, things I could/should have done was to visit her sooner, 24-48 hours of actually sustaining the injury, both to start rehab on the affected joint and muscles. She actually said that if I started right away, a couple of sessions with the ice-water would have sorted it right out in a couple of days, but it is now a matter of recovering and re-strengthening the damaged muscles because I left it for this long.

Gave me a bunch of exercises to do with an elastic band and got another appointment with her next week Tuesday to check my progress, but she is happy that there's no long-term or severe damage to the ligaments of joints and i should be able to get back raining in about two weeks.

Depending on the strain, i would still avoid martial arts for a bit longer.
Any kind of contact sport where you can get an unexpected movement could give the ankle issues.

I have found after sprains that my ankle tends to be a bit unstable for a while and "give's way" a bit easier. I strap it up before sports to make double sure it wont be injured again. This is usually for 2 or so weeks after I have been given the all clear to play sports.

 

[srothman]

Noted, thanks. What I thought as well.
Figured I would spend at least the next 3 weeks or so off the mat. We have a couple of events happening in August, and will rather take it easy now to be ready for then.
Frustrating things is though that nothing hurts, although I know it isn't 100%

 

[JonnStar]

I sprained my ankle very badly like 15 years ago or something and braved it out.

To this day the fekking thing clicks almost every time I take a step.

Get it checked out rather

 

[DerpiesFreud]

See a physio.
The R450 is worth it to find out if you have other damage.
+1,observe damage,ignore pain
I usually go to the physio once, find out what rehab exercises I need to do and do them myself at home. I find physio's tend to milk you a bit.

A decent sprain is usually 4 - 6 weeks from my experience.

Yeah I mildly sprained my ankle too a few months ago,took me 3 weeks or so

4 - 6 weeks
Suppose no point in rushing it. Will make an appointment to go see someone.

Thanks

I sprained my ankle very badly like 15 years ago or something and braved it out.

To this day the fekking thing clicks almost every time I take a step.

Get it checked out rather

Yoh thats hectic :erm:
I just went to a nurse who said I should use a crutch for 2 weeks though mine was probably far less severe than yours