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Thread: Strapped ankles ?.

  1. #1
    Master Nathaniel Lee's Avatar
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    Strapped ankles ?.

    I've noticed footballers have pretty much for decades strapped their ankles to help avoid injury. I know it is a completely different sport but would this work with Fell running and help avoid injury or would this restrict you in anyway ?. Any footballer/fellrunner types have an answer ?.
    They called me mad and i called them mad and damn them they outvoted me !!!.

  2. #2
    Senior Member ratfink's Avatar
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    Re: Strapped ankles ?.

    hiya matt

    loads of fell runners strap their ankles following an injury

    the main reason is that when you've had a bad sprain (or injury) the muscles can be a bit damaged or weakened AND the nerve feed back that tells your brain what position your foot/ankle is in can be out of squiff. this feed back is called proprioception and is part of how you balance - with your muscles using the position feed back to constantly adjust.

    taping can achieve two things
    1) physical support
    2) aid proprioception (as you feel the ankle going over cos the tapes pulling on the skin)

    If you had an injured ankle you might tape it supportively for an important race or event - but you probably wouldn't do this long term as you could stop the supporting muscles building back up.

    You might stick a lot less tape on the sides for example to help with proprioception.

    I ain't no physio so someone might correct me but if i have sprained my ankle i try do this

    1-3 days - rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE , rest off it as much as possible, keep it propped up, ice it for 10-20 minutes every 1-2hours, double over tubigrip on it during the day - off at bed time (tubigrip toe to knee)

    4 days - continue with icing and compression - depending on severity - gentle walking around (consciously trying not to limp), while sitting down gentle rotation movement - trying to move it (up down, side-side) as much as possible without loading it - trying to keep range of motion

    now again depending how its going - i might exercise bike for a bit before running

    build up running very slowly from short distance - on level surfaces (be a bit disciplined and make your self a build back up plan based on how long you've had off - then instead of panicking about how much training you've missed - you feel positive cos your building back up in a constructive way)

    try and use a wobble board and/or balancing exercises to build up proprioception (and muscles associated with balancing in this way) - there are alo strenghtening exercises you can do with a theraband (stretchy elastic thing where you do range of movement type exercises pulling against the band).

    - some peoples ankles are so buggered from repeated injuries - they do tape them all the time (or for all/most races - ie when the level of tiredness and down hill daring are going to be highest)

    wow i've written an essay - i've sprained my ankles quite a lot (both bouldering and running) - if you can afford it (or are covered through work) its worth seeing a physio - they can help advise you when to start running, give you exercises etc

    If you've sprained your ankle and are on your way to get it x-rayed its worth stopping on the way for some frozen peas (or other ice type thing) and a tubigrip - as your unlikely to get either in a&e - and you could spend the hours there usefully icing it - instead of it swelling to the size of a melon.

  3. #3
    Master Nathaniel Lee's Avatar
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    Re: Strapped ankles ?.

    That's brilliant Ratfink. Thanks you certainly seem to know your stuff that will be really helpful.
    They called me mad and i called them mad and damn them they outvoted me !!!.

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