Cardio with Screwed Up Ankle?

[mattferg84]

I messed up my ankle pretty bad in April playing kickball thinking I could still run like I was in my 20s. Earlier this month I went to a specialist and they said it was an isolated deltoid (inside ankle injury) - which apparently they usually dont do surgery on. With elk season only 6 weeks away or so I was wondering what options I have for doing cardio? Or if some had a similar injury and just tough it out still doing backpack cardio which will probably prolong my recovery? Should I ice it and wear my boot immediately after or should I just stay off it and not do cardio?

Any tips for faster recovery?

Then during season should I bring a wrap and wrap it every night?

FYI I wear Crispi Summits that give me pretty good ankle support

Thanks for any responses in advance!

 

[D S 319]

Do some ankle exercises get some more blood flow to it to maybe recover faster? Maybe light pack work? I’d least test it out see how it feels doing activity and go from there.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Bicycle riding, then ice it afterward. Stay away from heat pads!

 

[Anglo-American]

I messed up my ankle pretty bad in April playing kickball thinking I could still run like I was in my 20s. Earlier this month I went to a specialist and they said it was an isolated deltoid (inside ankle injury) - which apparently they usually dont do surgery on. With elk season only 6 weeks away or so I was wondering what options I have for doing cardio? Or if some had a similar injury and just tough it out still doing backpack cardio which will probably prolong my recovery? Should I ice it and wear my boot immediately after or should I just stay off it and not do cardio?

Any tips for faster recovery?

Then during season should I bring a wrap and wrap it every night?

FYI I wear Crispi Summits that give me pretty good ankle support

Thanks for any responses in advance!

Swimming is the greatest cardio there is.
Go full beast mode and swim butterfly stroke.

 

[Marbles]

Is the ankle still swelling up? Ice reduces blood flow, early in an injury (like first 7 days) it can reduce swelling and pain. After that heat increases blood flow and supports healing.

Activity is usually important for healing, especially ligaments. It is a balancing act of not causing further injury though. I would guess staying on even surfaces (pavement) and keeping a pace and distance that does not lead to sloppy form would have the least likelihood of further injuring the deltoid ligaments. However, the deltoid is complex, and the portion of it that is injured will alter what movement stresses the injured portion. The extent of the injury will also influence how much stress is safe to apply.

If you were instructed to use an ortho boot by the specialist, I would have a conversation with them and follow their advice.

I screwed up my ankle years ago (it still looks different). Doctor said it was broken, but in a location that does not show up well on x-ray until the break starts to calcify. So got crutches and a splint. 2 weeks later, still no fracture on x-ray. So, off with the spent and no more crutches. I was told "it is gonna suck, but you need to use it." Took about a year before my ankle felt stable again. It was an injury to the outside (lateral) ligaments though rather than the inside (medial).

 

[Mykolaivka887]

As a person who's suffered a multitude of serious limb injuries over the years, both immediately prior to hunts and during hunts in the backcountry, I would strongly advise AGAINST using heat after exercising. Ice is the best thing during rehab, right after exercising a wounded wing (ankle in this instance).

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Rowing machine.

 

[nettereo16]

Rowing machine.

Yup, the rowing machine works great. My ankle was acting up last year most of the summer. I hit up FB marketplace and found a rowing machine for cheap. It let my ankle recover and I was able to still do long cardio

 

[jayhawk]

+1 for a rowing machine. Little to no ankle movement, and it hits a wide range of muscles.

 

[mattferg84]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I think a row machine would probably be the best. I'll try to see if anyone is looking to get rid of one. In the meantime, I'll try to do cardio and ice it as much as possible. It is pretty swollen still and at this point its more annoying than anything.

 

[bobr1]

I messed up my ankle pretty bad in April playing kickball thinking I could still run like I was in my 20s. Earlier this month I went to a specialist and they said it was an isolated deltoid (inside ankle injury) - which apparently they usually dont do surgery on. With elk season only 6 weeks away or so I was wondering what options I have for doing cardio? Or if some had a similar injury and just tough it out still doing backpack cardio which will probably prolong my recovery? Should I ice it and wear my boot immediately after or should I just stay off it and not do cardio?

Any tips for faster recovery?

Then during season should I bring a wrap and wrap it every night?

FYI I wear Crispi Summits that give me pretty good ankle support

Thanks for any responses in advance!

Honestly I’d take recommendiations from non medical personnel with a grain of salt. I’d highly recommend going to a physical therapist, as they are the ones with the actual knowledge of how to treat these types of injuries. I broke my leg and ankle this past winter and tore my deltoid ligament as well. It’s been a long recovery but PT has helped and they have only recommended ice and elevation for recovery after PT and workouts. The deltoid ligament can take a long time to heal, it’s best to take it slower and let it heal properly then pushing through it and having more problems down the road. I’ve also been given Kenetrek ever steps by the VA and they have good ankle support but they are not perfect. Just my 2 cents, but do what you want.

 

[Marbles]

Is it time to put traditional cold therapy in rehabilitation of soft-tissue injuries out to pasture? - PMC

Cold therapy has been used regularly as an immediate treatment to induce analgesia following acute soft-tissue injuries, however, a prolonged ice application has proved to delay the start of the healing and lengthen the recovery process. Hyperbaric ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The R.I.C.E Protocol is a MYTH: A Review and Recommendations

Authors: Domenic Scialoia & Adam J. Swartzendruber Corresponding Author:Domenic ScialoiaSaint Joseph’s College of Maine278 Whites Bridge Road Standish, ME 04084Email: [email protected]: 617-922-0309 Domenic Scialoia is a recent graduate of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine...

thesportjournal.org

What Is the Evidence for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation Therapy in the Treatment of Ankle Sprains in Adults? - PMC

Ankle sprains are common problems in acute medical care. The variation in treatment observed for the acutely injured lateral ankle ligament complex in the first week after the injury suggests a lack of evidence-based management strategies for this ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

R.I.C.E. may not be all its cooked up to be for injury rehabilitation... | BMEG442: Engineering Exercise and Sports

By Eryn Gerber and Morgan Gizzi If you have ever experienced a sprain, it is incredibly likely that your doctor has prescribed the R.I.C.E. method for ...

sites.udel.edu

Do what you want, but short term comfort is sometimes a long term detriment. There is a lack of high quality evidence in this area. RICE first showed up in acute injury management guidelines in 1978. Those guidelines no longer recommend ice. However, it takes a long time for some things to filter into practice. Plus, in an area with low quality evidence there is lots of room to interpret and justify maintaining old practices.

A quote for those who do not want to read the entire article. "We have to keep in mind that anything that reduces inflammation also delays healing since the process of inflammation is an essential aspect of recovery itself. Although cold therapy typically slows the soft tissue swelling to some extent, it does not hasten the recovery process. Ice could be a useful option when our treatment goal is to limit the extent of the oedema[17], since too much or prolonged swelling has been proved to impede the healing process during the recovery period[18], which is typically seen in severe joint sprains. However, when the edema level is not severe (e.g., muscle tear), cold therapy may not be helpful but rather act as a barrier to recovery."

 

[Trr15]

Airbike is another option. You can leverage your upper body more to take stress off your ankle when needed

 

[mattferg84]

Honestly I’d take recommendiations from non medical personnel with a grain of salt. I’d highly recommend going to a physical therapist, as they are the ones with the actual knowledge of how to treat these types of injuries. I broke my leg and ankle this past winter and tore my deltoid ligament as well. It’s been a long recovery but PT has helped and they have only recommended ice and elevation for recovery after PT and workouts. The deltoid ligament can take a long time to heal, it’s best to take it slower and let it heal properly then pushing through it and having more problems down the road. I’ve also been given Kenetrek ever steps by the VA and they have good ankle support but they are not perfect. Just my 2 cents, but do what you want.

Thanks Bob. They did recommend physical therapy - I'm gonna call next week and see if my insurance covers it.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Do what you want, but short term comfort is sometimes a long term detriment. There is a lack of high quality evidence in this area. RICE first showed up in acute injury management guidelines in 1978. Those guidelines no longer recommend ice. However, it takes a long time for some things to filter into practice. Plus, in an area with low quality evidence there is lots of room to interpret and justify maintaining old practices.

A quote for those who do not want to read the entire article. "We have to keep in mind that anything that reduces inflammation also delays healing since the process of inflammation is an essential aspect of recovery itself. Although cold therapy typically slows the soft tissue swelling to some extent, it does not hasten the recovery process. Ice could be a useful option when our treatment goal is to limit the extent of the oedema[17], since too much or prolonged swelling has been proved to impede the healing process during the recovery period[18], which is typically seen in severe joint sprains. However, when the edema level is not severe (e.g., muscle tear), cold therapy may not be helpful but rather act as a barrier to recovery."

R.I.C.E is applicable to immediately after an injury occurs and applicable to rehab (physical therapy and workouts). It's a well proven treatment for rehab patients. But, the application of heat therapy after PT and works will really f**k you up man, big time.

 

[Fatcamp]

Get an Assault bike, or as I like to call it, Satan's Little Helper.

Ya, the whole ice/heat thing is complicated, and I honestly think different people react to treatment in their own way. Some trial and error involved for sure. Getting a good PT should be a priority.

 

[Fatcamp]

When to treat to pain with ice vs heat? | Orthopedic Blog | OrthoCarolina

Inflammation and pain is the body’s natural reaction to an injury. To ease that pain and help the body heal faster, is it better to use ice or heat?

www.orthocarolina.com

Alternating as referred to in this article has done me some good, but is a hassle.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Yup, the rowing machine works great. My ankle was acting up last year most of the summer. I hit up FB marketplace and found a rowing machine for cheap. It let my ankle recover and I was able to still do long cardio

I shattered my ankle a few years ago, can’t run anymore but can do as much rowing as I want. It’s my main genetic cardio these days. I try to get around 75k meters each week.

 

[Marbles]

R.I.C.E is applicable to immediately after an injury occurs and applicable to rehab (physical therapy and workouts). It's a well proven treatment for rehab patients. But, the application of heat therapy after PT and works will really f**k you up man, big time.

Can you cite a source? Something that discusses the evidence that makes it "well proven?"

The commonality of a recommendation is worthless and only shows it to be common. I was taught RICE in school, but not provided with evidence. Once I looked into it I neither use it myself nor recommend it any longer.

The little evidence there is suggests icing tradeds short term comfort for delayed healing. As there is a darth of evidence, a good RCT could come along and prove otherwise, but as I don't have a cristal ball and cannot see into the future, I can only go off of the current evidence. Perhaps you know of a high quality RCT that I do not? If so, please share and I will gladly shift my position.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Can you cite a source? Something that discusses the evidence that makes it "well proven?"

Ice and elevating doesn't provide comfort after exercising, per se. It's used to reduce swelling of the exercised extremity.

In every instance where I went through rehabilitation (physical therapy) myself, after surgeries for broken bones, or torn ligaments, or ripped tendons, or shredded muscle tissues - well after the incident of injury and even when doing my own long-term rehab work (physical therapy) - every doctor and therapist I've worked with, and including a few who are hunting clients of mine, strongly urge the use of ice packs and elevating after exercising a recovering limb.

Again, I'm talking rehabilition, not like, "oh shit I just fell off a cliff and sprained my ankle and broke my arm" [been there, done that] "should I ice it or wrap it in heat?"