Niggly ankle!

[Juniper]

Hello!

I am a beginner runner who combines twice weekly resistance training with once or twice weekly 5k treadmill runs - all in the name of losing a couple of stone.

I know that there are a million benefits to running outside - I'm building up to it But during the dark evenings, I prefer the safety of the gym to the shady pavements....

Recently my ankle has been giving me a bit of grief - I seem to have lost some flexibility in it when doing squats, and when I came into Moti on Saturday for some new trainers, my ankle almost gave way when I did the 'knee dip' - it was quite painful too.

It doesn't hurt when I run, walk or cycle, it just hurts a bit when I squat. Someone at my gym reckoned it could be the start of a shin splint, possible caused by running at a steady pace for long periods of time (relatively speaking that is, in terms of my own fitness!).

Could he be right? Will my shiny new mizunos solve the problem? How should I treat it?

Thanks

[mbeveridge]

@juniper
Your description doesn't indicate typical causes of shin splints ...the runs don't sound too long, frequent, or suddenly increased, and you have a little cushioning from the treadmill. You also don't get the pain during a run, and don't say that you had a blow to the leg, nor that Moti put you in different shoes (for stability)

Apparently "shin splints" is an overused layman's diagnosis that rarely relates to actual "shin splints" (which itself can cover a variety of pains). In all likelihood, you don't have it ...I say that in case you're worried from reading about it

Typical treatments for shin splints symptoms - rest, ice, compression, new shoes - may help and won't do any harm. But you don't necessarily need that. Most likely is that you aren't stretching properly (and should be)

But it could be something more, and seeing a therapist would get you a proper diagnosis and start on treatment, if that was the case. If you're concerned, I'd do that (or post a bit more detail ...which part of ankle, type of pain, etc)

[Juniper]

Hello again,

Thanks for the advice!

The pain seems to be at the front of the ankle, right in crook of the 'bend' so to speak. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse at the moment, so what I'll do is wear my new trainers in a bit more to see if that helps, and I'll see how I get on as my running frequency, pace and distance increases (I've entered the Bristol Half, so I'll be running a lot more in the coming weeks).

If it doesn't shift, I'll pop into Moti to see a therapist.

Many thanks

[mbeveridge]

@juniper
That sounds like a mild ankle sprain to me ...but I'm no expert, and I'd have expected you to notice a specific event (stumble, or whatever) before the initial pain

If so, normal treatment is Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE), when you feel the pain. Then improve flexibility with exercises eg. "ankle circles", drawing letters with your toes, etc. Swimming with fins may also help, beyond that (but do it gently!). And if the initial 'cause' was 'poor' technique (weak hips?), there are drills and exercises you can do ...but that's really beyond what you asked

I don't think new shoes will make a difference to your existing problem, but if they (now?) fit properly, you're less likely to repeat it

Good luck