Exercise and how to start

srobertson06

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This may sound a little daft but I sprained my ankle almost 3 months ago - I am still strapping my ankle up to go to work.
I need to start to build up strength in my ankle and having not been able to do much in the way of walking or my usual exercise, I am at a loss as the best way to improve my health.

It has been a really difficult time all round and have struggled with the diabetes management as well - so feeling like it is all too much for me.
Thank you for any advice.
 

LittleGreyCat

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Swimming?
That is not load bearing but should give your ankle a decent work out for flexibility.
There are also Yoga exercises which can strengthen ankle joints.

Hove you considered self referral to a physiotherapist?
That is the way to get free expert advice.
 

Rachox

Oracle
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This may sound a little daft but I sprained my ankle almost 3 months ago - I am still strapping my ankle up to go to work.
I need to start to build up strength in my ankle and having not been able to do much in the way of walking or my usual exercise, I am at a loss as the best way to improve my health.

It has been a really difficult time all round and have struggled with the diabetes management as well - so feeling like it is all too much for me.
Thank you for any advice.
Sorry to hear that you are still struggling after three months. There is a belief that strapping up an injury reduces the rate that strength will return. Have you tried a gentle walk without the strapping? Is that possible?
Maybe a referral to a physio might be in order?
 

KK123

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This may sound a little daft but I sprained my ankle almost 3 months ago - I am still strapping my ankle up to go to work.
I need to start to build up strength in my ankle and having not been able to do much in the way of walking or my usual exercise, I am at a loss as the best way to improve my health.

It has been a really difficult time all round and have struggled with the diabetes management as well - so feeling like it is all too much for me.
Thank you for any advice.

Hi there, if I was you, with an ankle I was still having to strap up after 3 months I would go to the Doctors. Forgive me if you've already been but if it still needs strapping then it needs looking at. x
 
M

Member496333

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Upper body resistance training. You can even do dumbbell curls sitting down. Great for helping to burn off some of that pesky glucose. It's not going to do much to improve cardio fitness, but it's what I'd be doing if my mobility was limited and I wanted to stay active.
 

VashtiB

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Hi I feel your pain- I had an ankle reconstruction a couple of years ago after spraining it about 10-20 times a year for years. Does your ankle need strapping for any walking or just for work because it is the full day? If you need strapping to walk you need to see a doctor or physio.

If you can do any walking without strapping my suggestion is was pick a small oval or path and just try to do one lap. This is how I started back. I would do just one lap and see how I felt. The oval I use has a path outside which is used by cars and so is very level. Because it is only 400 metros around there is no pressure to walk any further. I recently had a plantar fasciitis and rebuilt my walking up using this method- I'm now up to an hour but 6 weeks ago could only do one lap. Obviously this does not work if you can't walk at all without strapping

I also like the idea of walking in a swimming pool to get the muscles working without weight bearing. That will also give you some cardio fitness.

Good luck- I've spent a lot of time on crutches or in strapping and it is frustrating!
 
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Brunneria

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A sprained ankle really should not take that long to heal. Really.

Worth finding someone qualified and experienced to check it out further.

All my life I have displaced/dislocated my ankles in situations where other people sprain them.
I get the same type of pain, and varying amounts of swelling, but instead of getting better like a sprain would, I am left with a weakened sore ankle until I visit either an osteopath or a chiropractor.

One treatment, and clunk click I am back to normal, pain free and walking normally.

I have found my doctor utterly unhelpful in these circumstances. The first time i was sent for an xray, told there was nothing broken and told to exercise it.
Thank goodness i found an osteopath to treat it, otherwise i would have been walking on a dislocated ankle for the last 3 decades!
 

Mbaker

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The thing to not do is put your feet up, metaphorically speaking. Mobilisation is a vital part of rehab. Listen to your body in terms of how much work (weight baring) to put in. Personally I would not do any anti-inflammatory drugs where possible, as these will hide your bodies feed back mechanisms i.e the level of discomfort tells you when to back off.
 

dipsydo

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175
I agree with the others that I would have thought the sprain should have resolved by now,although NHS site does say it can take months for a severe sprain to heal. Nevertheless I would think that well worth getting a doctor or physio to look at it. As regards exercise none weight bearing exercises which you can consider are swimming or aquafit , you get a bit more exercise with aquafit but of course you do need to like public pools and have them near by at reasonable cost.
 

srobertson06

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Messages
321
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Cycling, Exercise Classes
Thank you everyone, I have been to the doctor who has said it is a sprain and that because I am in a seasonal job understands I cannot take time off and we are now close to the end of the season.
To explain further I work 6 days a week around 50 hours, I strapped up the ankle to stop the swelling and to ease the pain, I have a fitness to work certificate now and my employers have placed me where I am able to sit during my working hours and I am so pleased as I am no longer in constant pain. Today is the first day I have come to work without the support on - so see how it goes - I do have it with me just in case.
Yes a long road but that is mainly due to the amount of standing I was required to do at work - so it was not healing.
I am doing around 15 mins of walking at the end of the day and I do feel it is helping, I am also doing some exercises to strengthen the ankle and I have gone from only being able to do a couple to being able to do all of them so it is coming on.

I would swim but have no access to a pool.

Thank you all once again.
 

HSSS

Expert
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Having had numerous quite severe ankle injuries over my life one thing the physios always talk about is proprioception. This is the ability of your ankle to know where your body is and it’s ability to make tiny adjustments to balance. It is reduced after such an injury and unless and until it returns you are at a higher risk of reinjury. In its simplest form just standing still on just the injured leg reeducates this skill. It can progress to small dips on the leg, closed eyes or uneven surfaces, small jumps etc. All increasingly challenging it. Have something to catch hold of if you wobble too much.
 

VashtiB

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Great to hear that you have been progressing I did wonder if your job needed lots of standing
 

srobertson06

Well-Known Member
Messages
321
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cycling, Exercise Classes
Thank you - yes job did require a lot of standing and I had to get a move of office to reduce this to allow the ankle to heal. Thankfully it is improving, I am walking on it without support now and I am doing exercises to improve the strength. I am finally not living in constant pain which was really getting me down.