Week Ankle - Keep spraining it while riding trails

GSP1984

I seem to have really week ankles... recently I have been landing off drop offs and jumps and really hurting myself.

What I seem to be doing is pointing my heels down on the pedals, with mre of the front of my foot/toes on the pedals themselve, nor more so than SPD pedal would have you doing. Then when I land my toes extend to close to my shin. But it's not my tendon that pulls, its the area on top of my foot and the flesh infront and around my pointy ankle bone bit itself.

It never swells or bruises though and will hurt for a couple of day but still feel week. Doctors have no idea, contemplating going to a physio but thought I would check to see if this is common first.

Maybe it's my technique thats's wrong, or maybe I just need to do some excersise to strengthen it.

blablablacksheep

First thing is
RICE (rest ice compress elevate)

Next thing, rebuilding the muscles you have weakened.

Once you have sprained a ankle you develop a weakness within the muscle and so will constantly have a weaker ankle unless you redevelop those muscles you damaged.

Also you need to redevelop your balance as your nerves also get damaged so you need to practice balancing on the weak ankle to redevelop those damaged nerves

Exercises.

1:Rebuild muscles+nerves= When brushing teeth balance on 1 foot for 1 min then the other for another 1min.(then do same but close eyes for 10 secs then repeat increasing time closed ect)

2:standing on one ankle hold a ball (small size ie footbal ish) with both hands...

Now pretend to put the ball down to one side but dont actually put the ball down, this reaching down motion to one side also develops ankles.

Also "point and flex" toes helps flexability in ankles, good example is lying on back holding one leg below the knee, then pretend to "push the gas pedle" thus pointing foot, then release, and repeat 20 times.

main point here is this, you need to develop your muscle+nerves that have been damaged before trying to put pressure or weight on them as this doesnt do anything but further damage them.

A good exercise bar none is cross -country running once your ankles are back to normal as this helps sooo much to further develop balance+stability

hope this helps

GSP1984

Sounds good, I'll try strenghthening with those tips.

I've sprained both ankles a few times but always just live with it and never really gave any consideration to proper rest or training afterwards.

blablablacksheep

I've sprained both ankles a few times but always just live with it and never really gave any consideration to proper rest or training afterwards.

join the club, have done both ankles too with running off-road without any pre-training

Also forgot to mention core work also helps in keeping your body upright and stops you "face planting" when you get tired

rhyko7

i used to get similar problem when i used to ride BMX, they take forever to heal. I ended up getting recommended an 'air cast ankle support', i spent big bucks on one and found it to be really good, much better than all the cheap ones i tried

grim168

Buy a wobble board. something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Height-Adjust ... 45fdff3ab7 I have weak ankles and was leant one by the physio at work. He gave me progressively harder exercises to do on it. My big problem was crap balance so kept goi g over on my ankles.

butcher of bakersfield

The trouble is, once you do it once, it's easily done again, at least until they're healed 100%. I broke mine, and it took over two years to get back to full strength again. I wouldn't expect anywhere near that amount of time for a simple sprain though.

But yes, exercise.... I used to watch TV with foot on a stool, rolling foot round and round. Back and forth. It becomes habit after a while and you start doing it without even thinking.

Standing on one foot...throwing ball at a wall. Looking upwards. Etc.

Squat on a basketball....(only if you're not in any pain - it can be quite strenuous)...that'll work some strength back into them.

Stand on one foot and stand on your tiptoes....

Those big physio 'elastic bands' (I forget what you call them) can be good too.

If you're still feeling pain though. REST. The exercises shouldn't hurt.

GSP1984

I really buffered it again falling off at Llandegla at the weekend going to stick to swimming for fitness until there's no pain left at all which sucks.

There's no swelling or bruising just pain around the joint when I try to move my foot in certain positions, I can't point my toes inwards at all on the bad ankle now.

I'll rest for a week or two and see how it goes.