I have sprained my ankle multiple times over the last 25 years of running. The last time I sprained it was 2 1/2 months ago. I took 10 weeks off from running and started back slowly. I continued to have pain and flexibility issues. I went to a friend who is a Podiatrist. He diagnosed me with ankle arthritis and told me to stop running. Is there any way to keep running without doing anymore damage to my ankle? ( i.e. Different gait or running form, shoes) I would rather, give up running than to have an ankle fusion or an ankle replacement but I love running and triathlon! Is there anyone with a similar ankle issue that could give me help?
I have terrible arthritis in my ankles as well as other parts of the body, but ankles are top on the pain list. Because I have both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis I did 3 things that really helped and now I can run again, yes sometimes pain is a factor depending on weather and distance but I am running.
- Looked into the arthritis diet and changed what works for me
- Change my daily schedule to make sure I can do what I want
- I run the Jeff Galloway method now. Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minutes and I have PRed!
Oh and Yogi, joint tea every night as well as keeping my ankles warm with socks. And I am med free.
Good luck!
Good luck!
I broke my ankle when I was 18 and had surgery (two screws) to set the bone. About 8 years ago I severely sprained the same ankle and it wasn’t improving very quickly after 8-10 weeks so my doctor ordered an MRI. The PA told me that I had arthritis. She showed me on the picture that my joint space was narrowed but didn’t compare it to another picture. Who knows. It gets a little dull achey once in a while but not bad. Not sure if that’s psychological or real since I worry about it. Ran 18.5 yesterday and it felt fine and feels fine today. I fell short of my 20 mile goal not because of the ankle but general fatigue/nutrition. I.E. running 20 miles is just freaking hard.
I dunno, give it some time…a bad sprain can take a year to heal, unfortunately. You may not be completely out yet.
I’m going to do one, maybe two Ironmans, and break the 5 hour mark on the half (hopefully on my very next one) and I am done with running…going aquabike.
Best of luck and give it some time.
Thanks for the info!
Did you do any PT, and if so, did it help?
As for PT, nothing doctor prescribed. Just ankle stretching exercises walking / hiking as tolerated lots of ice and rest. If you sprained it really bad you can have a bone bruise / damage that can take a long time to heal. Seriously, like up to a year. And unless your doctor had an MRI or XRay…he can probably only say that arthritis is likely but can’t confirm. You may have just done a number on your ankle. You may be surprised how much it improves over the coming months. Best of luck.
My doc told me I have the same thing after I broke my ankle last year. I have also sprained them multiple times as well. I still get a sharp stabbing pain every now and them but have done a lot of PT exercises and strength training on it that has helped a lot. I did a marathon two weekends ago and it didnt bother me so just keep at it and you should be good to go in no time. Best of luck!
When I sprained it 2 1/2 months ago I was running in a trail race. I sprained it real bad but I was able to keep running. I ran at least a 1 1/2 miles on it sprained. Not very smart!
It’s the start of winter so I don’t mind taking a running break. Maybe I can start back in the spring. Thanks for your help!
Thanks, your reply is very encouraging. I really hope my running days aren’t over. I plan on taking a break from running and maybe getting some PT. Thanks
My doc also told me no more running… that was two half marathons, HIM and a marathon later and I’m fine…
Yeah, how can you break your ankle and have arthritis overnight? It takes years.
However, I have heard of people getting really bad arthritis in just a few years after a bad break and torn ligaments.
I broke my ankle 26 years ago. Do I have some arthritis? Probably. Am I in constant pain (or any significant pain), nope.
You will get more miles out of it if you stay off the technical trails. (I know, trails are more fun)
I had always had pain just wasn’t diagnosed until the break when they did days and whatnot
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Don’t stop doing something you have enjoyed for 25 years based on the first diagnosis you get. If you took 10 weeks off it’s likely a lot of your stiffness is due to not running. Stick with it and if you don’t feel like you are improving go to a sports doc who is going to help you get back on the road.
Thanks, great advice!
My surgeon and follow-up surgeon told me that all repetitive impact sports were over for me after ORIF on right ankle. Fortunately, I managed to get the surgeon ‘on-board’ before cutting into me: he did a great job! I kept looking for good people for my recovery team. Within 11 months I completed a sprint and olympic tri and made it to the AG podium.
Baxyl’s hyaluronan really seems to help (other hyaluronic acids haven’t helped as much as Baxyl’s), as does now’s Joint Support Powder. Proper nutrition and strength training are perhaps the most important aspects for long term health. With resistance bands, do inversion, eversion, and plantar flexion isotonic exercises. Walk on your heels with toes up (dorsiflexion). Do heel raises & lowers. Read Jay Dicharry’s Anatomy for Runners. If the joint space has narrowed there are fluid injections to help maintain the space, but you really need to reduce (lengthen) scarring and strengthen the muscles of foot, ankle, leg, and hip. As other’s have said, it takes 1-1.5 years for hard and soft tissues to heal. Stay motivated!!
Thanks for your post!
I got a MRI and it shows that I have a large 8mm osteochondral lesion in the the medial aspect of the talar dome and some adjacent marrow edema. This sounds and looks bad. Does anyone know if this will heal on it’s own or will I need surgery?
Most ankle injuries do heal on their own in time. Own, meaning rest and physical therapy. However when I hurt my left ankle 3 years ago it was beyond rest. I needed surgery, waited 6 agonizing months before getting it. Repetitive impact when you have bad form (I heel strike) can cause not only ankle problems but throw off your entire gait. I would consider doing physical therapy, whether on your own or with a professional for a few weeks and see if range of motion gets any better. You know your body better than anyone. If it’s still not right, it’s time to get surgeon’s opinion. If it’s manageable you can look into getting a quality ankle brace whether compression based or a bulkier one, depending on your stability needs. It will get better in time.