A twisted ankle can happen in a blink of an eye. Many runners ignore or don’t notice it. Untreated, a sprained foot can turn into a chronic problem depending on how severe the injury is and how well the rehab goes. To prevent further injuries or sprains, it’s important to treat your ankle pain properly.
What is a sprained foot?
It’s important for runners to understand how a sprained foot feels and what to do to treat it.
After an ankle sprain, many runners return to running before the ankle is fully healed. Your normal stance could be affected by the body’s reaction to protect damaged tissues. This can affect your hips and knees. You can develop imbalances which can affect your running technique, and increase your risk of future ankle sprains. (1)
Caution
Untreated ankle injuries may also cause other problems such as Peroneal Tendonitis or Posterior tibial tendonitis, which can lead to a long-term recovery period and even surgery in severe cases. It’s therefore important to take care of the injury initially and allow yourself enough time to recover.
Ankle sprains: How to prevent them
There is no way to avoid a sprained foot, but there are some things you can do that will improve your ankle stability. (2)
Include 15-30 minutes of warm-up exercises and cool-downs before and after you run. These exercises can help prevent all sports-related injuries including twisted ankles. (3)
Exercises that promote flexibility, balance, strength and agility are excellent for preventing ankle sprains and other injuries. These include stretching, balancing and power techniques. Try the 8-week Yoga program in the adidas Training App to increase your flexibility and strength!
If you’ve had ankle problems or injuries in the past, consult a specialist for expert advice on how to improve ankle stability.
What to do if you have an ankle sprain
Ankle sprains are a variety of injuries ranging from a twisted foot to a ruptured ligament. Always let a professional evaluate your injury, particularly if you:
You are in a great deal of pain
You can’t walk
Your ankle still has swelling after 48 hours
First, you will need to wait for swelling and pain to subside.
Once the swelling has gone down and your foot no longer hurts, you can start doing some light exercises. This will speed up the recovery process. Do not run yet! Try these exercises, or go for a walk. You can also swim, cycle, or do any other activity that does not cause you pain.
Exercises for mobility, balance and strength
Exercises that focus on three aspects of ankle recovery following a sprain include:
Mobility exercises can release tension
Exercises that require controlled strength and stability
Stretching exercises to restore flexibility in the affected area and surrounding areas
Restore mobility by releasing tension
Exercise 1: Knee Circles
How to perform the exercise
Standing with your feet touching, place them together. While keeping your chest raised, bend your knees a little and place your hand on your kneecaps. Imagine that your kneecaps are drawing a circular motion as you move in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. This rotation is also a good warm-up for exercise.
Exercise 2: Pronation/Supination
How to perform the exercise
Standing with your feet hip width apart, stand up. Turn both your feet simultaneously outwards (supination). Then inwards (pronation). Pronation and supination are both included in one repetition. Repeat 10 times.
Flexibility
Exercise 1: Achilles tendon & calf stretch
How to perform the exercise
Standing on the edge of the step, with your heels off the ground. While keeping your knee straight, lower the heel of your injured foot to the ground. This will stretch your calves. To stretch muscles near your ankle, bend the knee. Choose the option that feels best to you. Repeat 2-3 times.
Exercise 2: Heel Sit
How to perform the exercise
You can also sit on your heels and kneel with your legs extended. Feel the stretch in your ankles and shins. Repeat 2-3 times. Hold for 30 second. You can increase the stretch by pulling your knees towards your body.
Restore balance and strength
Exercise: Single Leg Standing (Versions)
How to perform the exercise
Try to balance yourself on one leg. After 30 seconds of holding the position, you can try another variation. Move your head in a sideways direction or close your eyelids. While standing on one leg, you can lower your hand until it touches the ground behind you, in front of or beside you.
Exercise 2: Single Legs Squat
How to perform the exercise
Straighten up. Keep the knee extended and lift the foot that is not injured from the floor in front of your body. To squat, push your hips forward and bend the knee on the leg that is standing. You can only squat as low as it feels comfortable to you without losing balance. To get back to standing, push the heel of your standing leg down to the ground. Repeat 2-3 times. Do 5-12 repetitions.
Take a look at this:
To achieve symmetrical strength, it is important to do single-leg exercises on both sides. Always start with the side that is injured.
Sprained ankle: When can I start running again after the injury?
You can start a small test run once you have successfully moved your foot and are walking without pain. If you are still experiencing pain when running or you’re not ready to begin, you should focus on the rehab exercises above to help restore your tissue strength before you start running again. You can gradually increase your daily distance if everything goes smoothly.
Remember:
Long-term, a proper recovery is worth it! You can return to running slowly after a long break, even if that means taking a lot of time off.
