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Sprained ankle- strap or tape?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Sprained my ankle (Grade 2 but pushing grade 3) two days ago. Couldn't bear weight yesterday but can hobble today for 10/15 steps at a time. Have been taking ibuprofen & paracetamol and elevating and icing.
Recently started training on an indoor slope twice a week, one day racing one day freestyle. Not particularly fussed about freestyle but want to keep up the racing ready for university championships.
a) How long can I get back to skiing?
b) should I wear a brace/strapping/tape/nothing?

TIA!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
When I had a badly sprained ankle I wore nothing for skiing as the boot held my foot like a cast and there would not have been any room for a wrapping. But.... getting the boot on took 2 people and 10 mins of agony. A handy tip is to insert your foot with a plastic bag wrapped round it that you can pull out once your foot is inside the boot.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Scarpa wrote:
When I had a badly sprained ankle I wore nothing for skiing as the boot held my foot like a cast and there would not have been any room for a wrapping. But.... getting the boot on took 2 people and 10 mins of agony. A handy tip is to insert your foot with a plastic bag wrapped round it that you can pull out once your foot is inside the boot.


Fab, thank you! How long do you reckon I should give it til I start skiing again?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
Afraid it's hard to say really. It was about 6-8 weeks for me I think but mine was an off road motorbike crash which had half my lower leg purple. Defo get a balance cushion or wobble board (both about £14 from Amazon) it helps so much with the rehab. Once you get movement back then just give it a try, the ski boot will prevent further twisting to the ankle but you don't want to push it to the point of severe pain.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@k_slatch, can you see a sports physio at all and get some advice as to when to get back to skiing?
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
IME a sprained ankle will heal much quicker through skiing on it than through rest. Therefore as soon as you can get the boot on, go skiing. Vibrations caused by rutted ice or jumps will hurt but it's not going to get any worse. The compression and exercise will increase bloodflow through the joint removing all the damaged tissue very quickly. If you have the opportunity to ski on it all day, you can probably heal it 80% within a few days. I've done it.

Once it's a bit stronger and you have some forward range of movement, start doing one legged "pistol" squats in bare feet without holding on to anything. It's a fantastic exercise for strengthening weak ankles as well as quads and glutes.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Cortisone shot into the ankle worked for me. Pros and cons of course...
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@kitenski going to go to the student medical practice this week and see- I know they have a resident physio!

Thanks @raceplate! Regained some movement now so should be good to go soon-ish. Also bought a balance board which should be coming in the next couple of days so should be getting there!

@JamesHJ Not sure how I'm feeling about a cortisone shot! I'll see how it goes and if I get any recurring issues.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Damn how do you tag people?? Blush
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@k_slatch, Stand on the board in a ski position and turn as you watch Ski Sunday Madeye-Smiley
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@k_slatch,

Definitely see a physio.

I badly sprained my ankle playing rugby, when I was a student. I couldn't walk on it for the first couple of days. After the initial rest-ice-compression-elevation period (a few days) I got physio on it (ultrasound, if I recall correctly.....it's a long time since I was a student) and my physio recommended a regime of alternate baths (i.e. fill a bucket with hot water and another with iced water: immerse your foot and ankle in the hot water for as long as you can take it (- about 5 minutes: the hot water should be as hot as you can stand - but not scalding!) then transfer your foot to the other bucket. Continue for about half an hour. This worked pretty well. Try and keep the ankle mobile, without any high impact activity - I was told that cycling was good (which was just as well, since it was the only means of transport I had at the time). I was fine again in about a month (my physio was a VERY scary man, who had no time for people who skimped on their rehab: I certainly remember that one one occasion when he was confronted by a patient who he thought wasn't working hard enough on his recovery, he (the physio) dropped his trousers to display a series of scars across his thighs and declaimed "that was a Japanese machine-gun in 1944....they told me I'd never walk again" - very motivational).

I should note that this was all about 40 years ago.................it's quite possible that medical technology has moved on. I should also note that the physio was a private practitioner: my doctor recommended that - if this thing was likely to happen to me often (a very percipient man, my GP) that student membership of BUPA was (i) cheap and (ii) covered all the physio costs so long as I was referred by a doctor. I certainly wouldn't have got the frequency or quality of treatment on the NHS then, and I doubt if it would be available now. (I don't know how much BUPA membership is for students, nowadays, either - back in the 1970s it was a really good deal). On the positive side, since you're obviously young and committed to getting fully fit in the shortest possible time, you should expect to fully recover quite quickly. Just don't try and do too much before you're ready: pain is nature's way of telling you when to take it easy, sometimes.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Somehow my magical body has gone from not being able to weight bear at all, to being able to walk normally with little instability, in 48 hours. I have no pain on walking, can balance on one foot without any discomfort and can happily lunge. What's going on?!! Can't complain but wow!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@k_slatch, Maybe the ligs were just stretched and not torn Toofy Grin Sounds a damn good result though. I still have ankle pain 7 years later after my one, guess I need to get motivated to do some more balance work on it.


Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much on Tue 18-10-16 17:16; edited 1 time in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Bandaging/tubigrips are rarely used nowadays. Good footwear (think approach trainers), exercises, analgesia, ice (for first few days). Good exercise would be using a sports band and goin' through all range of movements. Try balancing on that leg while cleaning teeth.

Physio I am sure would be great but you are young and fit and the body should heal.

Just take take getting into situations where you may go over again on the ankle as it can become a downward spiral and you will become very familiar with the physio.

Sounds like you are getting better - is not the body wonderful!!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Hey guys!

A little update- bought a Velcro strappy support thing for day to day use and I'm all good now! Did race training at Castleford on Tuesday for a couple of hours and my ankle held up really well. Got some intense bruising but very little pain now!
The balance board is defs helping.

Thank you all for your help!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I prefer straps because with tape you can go wrong if you dont know what you are doing and cause more problems You could buy a knee sleeve which wont restrict movement as much as a brace. for example

https://nuovahealth.co.uk/shop/knee-support-brace/


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 10-02-17 13:52; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yeh I have heard taping can cause mor hamr thna good as well.
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