Mountain goats are an astounding creature. They are able to
bound up and down steep mountainsides with the greatest of ease. Their ability
to traverse rocky terrain at great speeds is an impressive sight to witness.
Sadly humans, with our itty-bitty calves and rotating ankles, struggle on even
the smoothest of surfaces. As runners, we are incredibly susceptible to ankle
injuries. There are a number of ways the ankle can become injured and, chances
are, most runners will experience one of these ailments at some point in their
career.
The first and most common ankle injury is an ankle sprain.
This is an acute injury that occurs when a runner lands on an uneven surface
with a large amount of force, causing his ankle to turn which can stretch or
tear a tendon. This injury will cause pain when bearing weight. Ankle sprains
are most likely to happen to trail runners due to the rugged terrain on which
they run. If you recently turned your ankle on a run and notice considerable
pain, it is important that you immediately employ the RICE method,
which stands for Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. The goal of this method is to
increase blood-flow to the ankle region and decrease inflammation. It is
recommended that you not return to running until the pain has sufficiently
decreased. If the pain persists for more than a few days, you should contact a
doctor to determine if the injury is more serious than a sprain.
A second cause of ankle pain while running is tendonitis.
Unlike ankle sprains, which are always acute injuries, tendonitis tends to be
an overuse injury, though it can be caused by acute trauma as well. Overworking
the tendons of the lower leg leads to them developing small tears that cause
inflammation and pain. The most common form of tendonitis that affects the
ankle region is called posterior tibial tendonitis. If you have not recently
turned an ankle on a run, yet you feel pain on the inside of your ankle, review
this in-depth article about posterior tibial tendonitis.
The final type of injury that can affect an ankle is a stress
fracture (a break in the ankle bone). The symptoms of a stress fracture are
similar to those of a serious ankle sprain: pain when the ankle bears weight
and a dull, throbbing pain when it is elevated. But whereas pain from a sprain
tends to diminish after several days of employing the RICE method, stress
fractures can take weeks or months before the injury is entirely healed. For
this reason, if you experience extreme ankle pain for more than a few days, it
is important to contact a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and discuss
treatment methods.
When an ankle injury heals, rehab is often required before
returning to running. Injuries can leave the ankle weak, so it is important to
properly strengthen that region before pursuing aggressive exercise. While
stress fractures and tendonitis often require specific plans developed by sports
medicine professionals, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society
published a recommended strength routine for those who have recently experienced a minor ankle sprain.
It is important that each runner be cautious when running to
avoid turning an ankle on rugged terrain. Ankle injuries happen to almost every
runner. When an injury does occur, make sure to take the proper steps to heal
it so you can be back running as soon as possible.