Blew out my ankle during squats - advice please

[Jariel]

While squatting yesterday my ankle snapped. I knew it was bad, but thought it was a sprain and would heal on its own so I went out later that night. By the end of the night it looked pretty sick - it swelled up like a balloon and I took my shoe off and my foot pointed at an angle.

After going to the hospital I found out I've torn a ligament, and it's very severe. I'm in plaster and on crutches, need regular assessments and may possibly need surgery. I'm following doctor's orders and resting it, keeping it raised and so on, but was wondering if anyone here has any advice.

Firstly I'd like to know if there's anything I can do to speed up recovery. I.e. consume more protein, glutamine or anything?

Secondly, does anybody know the potential long term damage from this kind of injury? Are my squatting days over?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Jariel, I'm so sorry to hear that. It's always bad when you injure yourself lifting, although this is the first time I've heard of ankle ligament damage while squatting. Really sorry bro.

Ligaments aren't the same as muscles and so extra protein etc in your diet won't really help. I would just do whatever your doctor says and don't attempt any sort of training until it's completely healed.

But I don't think your squatting days are over, people have recovered from far worse and trained normally again.

 

[insidious]

Ouch, man how did that happen?
You were wearing shoes, correct?

A few years ago I took a tumble down some stairs and broke my tibula and completely tore the ligaments in my ankle. Had surgery, they inserted a pin which they removed once they were comfortable that healing had occured. My
ankle is now fine, I rarely have problems with it, and I'm an old fart. You can do it dude, just follow the dr's orders and take it easy. Sucks that you'll have to take a break from lifting, but what can you do?

 

[Jariel]

Thanks Alex, that's what I wanted to hear! Meanwhile I'll just follow the advice I've been given and hope for the best.

Insidous: I was wearing totally unsuitable shoes (flat soled work shoes) and it could be exactly why it happened. I was in a poor frame of mind for training too and let my form slip.

Sounds like you had it really bad - much worse than me, so that gives me a lot of hope. thanks man!

 

[insidious]

Thanks Alex, that's what I wanted to hear! Meanwhile I'll just follow the advice I've been given and hope for the best.

Insidous: I was wearing totally unsuitable shoes (flat soled work shoes) and it could be exactly why it happened. I was in a poor frame of mind for training too and let my form slip.

Sounds like you had it really bad - much worse than me, so that gives me a lot of hope. thanks man!

Yeah man, shoes will do it. I started lifting seriously in January and I was using these lame flat soled Vans type of shoes to do squats in...on one squat, I felt a strange twinge in my bad ankle. It was lightly sore for about 2 weeks, but that put a big scare in me. I started using serious athletic shoes after that, espcecially in light of that ankle's history. A lesson learned. People understimate the importance of footwear, especially when the weights start to get heavier.

Good luck, sorry to hear about things like this.

 

[Drum&Bass]

LOL you wore formal working shoes to the gym...and did squats in them

LOL you were in a poor frame of mind and let your form slip (I guess being sad is more important than paying attention to a few hundred pounds on your shoulders)?

way to go genius !!

 

[Throttle]

maybe some kids will read this thread and realize how important form (and proper frame of mind) is! sounds awful, good luck with your recovery.

definitely be careful & take the recovery slow -- I know a few folks who have torn a ligament (usually ACL or MCL in the knees) once partially only to push the recovery too hard (often after outpatient surgery & therapy) and blow it out completely, thus requiring truly invasive surgery. OTOH I've seen folks come back from that and end up doing everything they did before & more.

your doctor will be able to give you a long-term prognosis better than any of us. with this stuff it's always "it depends."

(BTW: terminology-wise, a torn ligament IS a sprain: folks often say sprain when they really mean a much less severely twisted ankle.)

 

[LoneSilver]

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Hang in there and look toward the future and envision yourself training again.

LoneSilver

 

[simon]

Good luck, man.

You might wanna check out some other lifting forums, (ironaddicts, mind+muscle, t-nation, doggcrapp's etc.) to check if anyone else has had such an injury.

 

[comic_relief]

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Hang in there and look toward the future and envision yourself training again.

LoneSilver

It's a proven fact that visualization creates results just as well like the guy that was stuck in a vietnamese prison for a couple years and visualized that he played golf everyday while there. Eventually he got out of it and went and played golf. He played something like 20 strokes under his average because he visualized it.

World class athletes visualize their success and manage to create it in real life. Jim Torme, the decatholon athlete from the 1960's, only was able to train two out of the four years before the olympics, and made a gold medal I believe. Visualize the results you want and your brain will help create them.

best of luck on your recovery,
comic_relief

 

[sactown1]

Read the following link:
http://www.caringmedical.com/sports_injury/meat.asp

Do not follow the R.I.C.E. protocol for more than a few days, after that you are just prolonging healing.

 

[spesmilitis]

Good luck, man.

You might wanna check out some other lifting forums, (ironaddicts, mind+muscle, t-nation, doggcrapp's etc.) to check if anyone else has had such an injury.

add sherdog S&P to that list: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

 

[blinkwatt]

Good luck on the recovery! I was playing basketbal with some buds and I came down on my foot the completely wrong way,imagine your right foot bending 90 degrees inword almost to the point to were the side of your ankle is touching the floor. I made a "Y" shape with the bone in my foot and tore some ligaments around my ankle. My foot region healed pretty well,just don't be stupid and I'm sure you will heal quicker then me. Just listen to the doctor,take a multi twice a day(AM & PM,couldn't hurt),take your physical therapy serious,become friends with machines in the gym and you will be cool. Again good luck!

 

[Flyer]

Yeah man, shoes will do it. I started lifting seriously in January and I was using these lame flat soled Vans type of shoes to do squats in...on one squat, I felt a strange twinge in my bad ankle. It was lightly sore for about 2 weeks, but that put a big scare in me. I started using serious athletic shoes after that, espcecially in light of that ankle's history. A lesson learned. People understimate the importance of footwear, especially when the weights start to get heavier.

Good luck, sorry to hear about things like this.

what kinda athletic shoes are you talking about?

I'm sqautting in runners... is that okay?

 

[Warboss Alex]

squat either barefoot or in chuck taylors or squat shoes. nothing else..

 

[wolf116]

At the powerlifting gym I go to, they say to just use any flat souled shoe. chucks or dunlop vollies are fine. no runners.

 

[Jariel]

Thanks for the support guys! I had my first assessment today and have to go through 4 weeks of physio therapy before I know whether I'll need surgery.

Luckily I have a weight bench at home so I can continue working my upper body - just for my own sanity if nothing else.

But yeah, let this be a warning to anyone trying to rush through a gym session and about the right footwear. I'd just been to a lecture at uni, didn't have my gym equipment with me so I just decided to drop in and do a few squats in my jeans and shoes. It was really stupid to say the least!

Anyway, thanks again for the feedback and support!

 

[itishe]

I wish I could keep squatting barefoot. The ****s at the gym tell me it's not safe and I could suffer injury if I drop a weight on my foot... apparently that material that composes my Nike's can deflect 45lb weights now days.

 

[Flyer]

I wish I could keep squatting barefoot. The ****s at the gym tell me it's not safe and I could suffer injury if I drop a weight on my foot... apparently that material that composes my Nike's can deflect 45lb weights now days.

haha. like dropping 200lbs on your shoe is gonna make a difference. :crackup:

wishing you a speedy recovery Jariel

 

[mrRuckus]

haha. like dropping 200lbs on your shoe is gonna make a difference. :crackup:

Um. it would make a lot of difference