What To Do If You Sprain Your Ankle: A Guide For Runners

The bane of every runner’s existence…rolling or spraining your ankle. It’s frustrating. It’s upsetting. It’s paralyzing and it just all around SUCKS.

How long recovery takes after rolling your ankle depends on the type of sprain you have. There are three different types of ankle sprains.

Grade 1- This is the best of the worst-case scenario when you roll your ankle. There’s a small amount. of pain and swelling but only lasts for a few short days.

Grade 2- This is a bit more severe and can take you out for 1-2 months. A grade 2 ankle sprain will result in swelling, bruising, and a difficult time walking.

Grade 3- The most severe of the three, a grade 3 is a full ligament tear. With a grade 3 sprain, you’ll need to get to an orthopedist to evaluate treatment.

Regardless of the level of sprain, the sooner you can get to a physical therapist (preferably one who sees runners), the better off you’re going to be. Too many runners brush off ankle rolls and get back to running as quickly as possible without doing the necessary rehab and strength work to ensure that they can continue to run strong. A physical therapist will not only help with evaluating the injury, but will do soft tissue work to speed up recovery and give you exercises you can do to strengthen your ankle.

But what do you do immediately after you roll your ankle?

Step 1: Rest, elevate, mobilize, and try to bring the swelling down.

Immediately after you roll your ankle, GET OFF IT. Sit or lay down and elevate your ankle. We all know R.I.C.E. (Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevate.) but physical therapists and doctors are torn about icing an injury. Some say it’s great, others believe that ice can cause more harm than good but most agree that small time periods is a great way to bring swelling down. If you ice your injury, try not to ice for longer than 10 minutes at a time.

IF YOU CAN’T PUT ANY WEIGHT ON YOUR FOOT, GET TO AN URGENT CARE FOR AN X-RAY.

Hot and Cold Therapy

Hot and cold therapy can help speed up recovery. Just remember to alternate hot and cold therapy (icing/hot water) in 10-15 minute increments.

After I sprained my ankle, my ankle was so bruised! (Even my toes were bruised) I use voodoo bands every day to help with swelling and blood flow.

Compression

Voodoo bands (also known as muscle floss) offer compression and are a tool every runner should have at home. Not only are they great to incorporate throughout training, but they are EXCELLENT resources for ankle sprains.

Compression

Another invaluable tool to help speed up recovery is compression socks. Limiting and minimizing swelling is the name of the game after an injury and compression socks give your injury a tight little hug to help with blood flow.

Step 2: Get your ankle support.

How easy it is to get around is going to depend on the level of your sprain. A Grade 3 sprain may require immobilization while it healts. A Grade 1 or 2 may require you to wear an ankle brace to help with additional support while your ankle heals. Regardless, a brace is a great thing to wear for the first few weeks.

Ankle Brace

One of my favorite ankle braces is the Shock Doctor Ultra Knit Ankle Brace with Figure-6 Strap. This ankle brace has a compression sock to help with swelling, gel inserts to offer rigid support of your ankle, and straps to offer flexible support.

Step 3: Get to a physical therapist.

Any runner knows how frustrating it can be to have to take time off when you get injured. But too many runners rush recovery or fail to rehab their injury when it stops hurting. Physical therapy is a huge privilege because it can be expensive but it’s so important for your long-term health. INVEST IN PHYSICAL THERAPY IF YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO SO. If not, head online or reach out to your doctor for exercises you can do to help strengthen your ankle post-injury.

I lean on Physical Therapy in New York City to help keep me strong and injury-free. They’re the first call I made after I rolled my ankle. I know how important it is to be patient after an injury, but it helps to have someone remind you that you need more time when you think you can start moving again.

Step 4: Patience.

I know, it’s not what you want to hear. But patience is everything when rehabbing an injury. There is no set timeline because every injury is different. DON’T RUSH YOUR RECOVERY. Recently, I was a few weeks away from a half marathon when I rolled my ankle. Everything in me wanted to run that race but my goal is to run for my entire life. Rushing recovery and not rehabbing injuries means more injuries in the long run. So, I had to make the painful decision not to run both of my Spring Half Marathons. It sucks. It’s frustrating. I’m sad. I’m mad. But, it’s the right call.

I know it sucks to not get to run a race but what really sucks is just not being able to move in ways that make me feel good. I can’t walk with friends. I can’t run. I can’t really ride my bike. Not for the first month.

When you’re injured, it’s the PERFECT time to start a mindfulness and meditation challenge. Anything you can do to help your parasympathetic nervous system is a gift. Meditating really will help you recover faster. TRY IT!

Patience is the hardest muscle to strengthen, but if you want to enjoy running, you need it. And an injury is one of the best ways to work it.

Patience is everything.

Step 5: Soft tissue work at home.

Once you get cleared by a PT (or test it and it doesn’t hurt), soft tissue work can be a great way to help with recovery.

One of the best investments you can make as a runner is on a Theragun. YES, they’re expensive and YES, they’re worth every penny.

Step 6: Do Your Strength, mobility, stability, and Flexibility Work.

Once you get cleared to start working to strengthen your ankle, DO YOUR EXERCISES TO HELP YOU REHAB YOUR INJURY. I’m going to leave it at that. DO IT. WARM-UP before your workout. Give your ankle the time it needs in the months after an injury.

Step 7: Once you’re cleared to run, continue to take care of your ankle! Do your warm up and cool downs.

Enjoy this video with coach Amanda to help strengthen your ankle after you’re cleared to run.

There you have it. When you’re a runner, spraining your ankle sucks. But try to focus on what’s inside of your control and do what you can in the time you have. While you can’t magically make your injury disappear, there are things you can do to accelerate recovery. Do what you can. That’s all you can do. But patience! One day at a time. Sending you speedy recovery vibes. And hopefully, this sprained ankle guide helps you get out there as soon as possible.