Can You Ride a Bike With a Sprained Ankle: Know Now!

Several medical conditions that disrupt bike riding performance primarily affect the lower limbs and an ankle sprain is one of those many medical conditions that can happen to anyone due to random events.

I remember an ankle injury I had recently, which happened when I was on a cruise ship part. After taking multiple drinks, I felt lightheaded and couldn’t control my gait. As I was about to get off the ship, I felt my feet roll inwards until I fell to the ground. For 5 minutes, I stayed on the floor in pain, unable to move. Eventually, I summoned the courage to lift myself despite experiencing the most intense pain ever. I first applied ice packs to the affected area and then took a deep rest.

As a medical student, I understand that avoiding any form of physical activity and taking complete rest after any injury helps prevent long-term damage and aid in faster recovery. Not taking sufficient rest after an ankle sprain can potentially complicate things and cause you to end up on a surgical bed, an expense you can avoid.

Now let’s delve deep into the conversation to discuss more on the science, anatomy, and functioning of the ankle.

Understanding the anatomy and functioning of the ankle

The ankle joint is a weight-bearing joint that connects the bones of the lower leg to the bones of the feet. It functions to move the feet up-down and a little sideways.

Three of the major bones that form the ankle joint include – the shinbone (tibia), the calf bone (Fibula), and the ankle bone (Talus). Other structures that support the ankle include the ligaments, cartilage, and tendons.

When you place excessive force on the ankle, the ankle ligaments, cartilages, and tendons that keep the joint together are prone to overstretch and rupture, making the joint a bit lax and vulnerable to a sprain at any given time.

What is an ankle sprain?

An ankle sprain is a common injury that occurs when the ankle shifts away from its midline to either side. This is usually associated with pain, swelling, and walking difficulty.

There are 3 grades of ankle sprains

• Grade 1 (mild sprains) – An ankle strain with a very minimally torn ligament.
• Grade 2 ( moderate sprains) – A partial tear to 1 or more of the ligaments associated with pain, swelling, and walking difficulty.
• Grade 3 (severe sprains) – A complete tear of 1 or more ligaments, plus excessive pain and massive swelling.

Not managing an ankle sprain can lead to associated complications such as bone fractures, tendon tears, and so on.

What could result in a sprained ankle?

Many factors could lead to a sprained ankle most of which revolve around twisting the ankles beyond the normal angle of motion. Here is a brief list of factors that could lead to spraining your ankles:

• Any fall that causes you to twist your ankles.
• Walking, running, and cycling on an uneven surface.
• Running into someone or someone running into you during any contact sport.
• Poor strength of your ankle due to an underlying medical condition.
• Using ill-fitting shoes or wrongly sized shoes that puts you at risk of a fall and eventually causes you to sprain your ankles.

Symptoms that indicate you have a sprained ankle?

Ankle sprain just like any other foot injury can present as

• Pain: This is the most common symptom to can encounter as you try to bear your weight
• Joint Swelling: This happens due to the inflammatory mediators released after the onset of an injury
• Difficulty walking: An ankle sprain is an inflammatory process with typical symptoms of pain and swelling that eventually leads to difficulty walking and a decreased range of motion
• A popping sensation at the time of the ankle sprain: This could indicate a ligament tear.

What are the next best immediate steps after an ankle sprain occurs?

The simplest thing to do after an ankle sprain occurs is to engage in RICES. RICES is an acronym representing a sequence of activities that help conservatively manage an ankle sprain.

RICES means Rest, Ice packs, Compression, Elevation, and NSAIDs

• Rest: This is for a few days after any injury has occurred. At this point, you need to avoid the urge to do anything. Rest is enough to get you back on your feet for a grade 1 sprain.
• Ice packs: This is applied to the affected area for approximately 15-20 minutes four to eight times per day. It helps numb the affected area.
• Compression: On the affected area, you can wear an ankle band to reduce swelling and encourage proper alignment of the ankle bones, ligaments, and tendons.
• Elevation: Raising the leg above the heart level helps reduce swelling. It is recommended you do this every 2-3 hours per day.
• NSAIDS: The use of over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help reduce the severity of pain.

After your ankle strain gets better, you should adopt some rehabilitation exercises that can help strengthen the muscles that surround the ankle.

Other conservation methods that can help manage ankle strains are

• The use of heat: Applying heat encourages blood supply to the affected area and speeds up healing.
• Stretching and massage: Just like heat, gentle stretches and deep tissue massages can also encourage blood supply to the affected area and help strengthen the muscles around the ankle that may have been weak or worn out due to overuse.

What is a non-conservative method to help manage sprained ankles?

Foot surgery is a non-conservative method used to treat ankle sprain in rare cases. Surgery always comes into play in situations when you have a complication with your sprained ankle.

How long does it take to recover from a sprained ankle?

The healing of any sprained ankle takes some time, depending on its severity. Studies show that the healing process of a minor sprain could take up to 2-4 weeks, while a moderate to severe sprain could take up to 6-12 weeks.

What are some Rehabilitation ankle exercises?

A step further to healing any ankle sprain injury is engaging in rehab exercises. Before engaging in any rehab activities, seek advice from your physical therapist. If you engage in these exercises at the wrong time, you may cause severe complications and damage to your ankles.

When engaging in any of these exercises, you should focus on four vital factors: Range of motion, Strength, Flexibility, and Balance.

Now let’s discuss more on the specific exercises assigned under each factor.

1) Range of motion: The exercises here help restore the limited motion of the ankle as the sprain can cause stiffness to the joint.

Examples of these range of motion exercises include –

• Ankle circles: These involve circling the foot and ankle in a clockwise or anticlockwise manner.

• Side-side knee movement: Place your feet on a flat surface and then move your knee side to side.

2) Strength: Once your ankle can achieve a complete range of motion without difficulty, you should focus on increasing the ankle muscle strength.

An Example of these exercises includes –

• Elastic band heel push: This involves using a resistance band against the heel of your feet while it is above the floor and pulling it at both ends.

3) Flexibility: To further improve the ankle’s range of motion and body support, you need to work on its flexibility by engaging in some stretching exercises.

An Example of these exercises includes –

• Towel stretch: This is similar to an elastic band heel push where you use a towel instead of an elastic band at the heel of the feet, then you pull both ends of the towel towards you. Here is a video description of it.

4) Balance: While you work on strength, flexibility, and range of motion, you shouldn’t leave out the ankle’s balance.

Here is a balance exercise example that can help the ankle maintain balance

• Single Standing balance: With your eyes open, stand in a doorway. Then stretch out your hands with your hands stretched out to the door frame. Lastly, stand on the injured foot for up to 60 seconds. Repeat for 60 seconds but with your hands across your chest. Repeat for another 60 seconds, but this time with your eyes closed to check the level of your balance.

As you engage in any of these exercises, avoid putting excessive strain on your ankle. You could also use ankle braces, compression socks or casts recommended by a health care professional or a knowledgeable foot specialist to help align the ankle and support it until it heals. When you engage in any activity, ensure you check to see if your ankle is doing well and not getting worse.

What are some activities that should be avoided with a sprained ankle?

Once you realize that you are experiencing a sprained ankle, you should refrain from any activity that puts pressure on the ankle. These activities include excessive walking, running, jumping, or intense bike sprints.

For the first few days, you should rest. Also, do not use heat on the affected ankle as this may cause a worsening of the swelling.

On the other hand, it is safe to engage in low-resistance activities, non-weight-bearing activities, and your daily normal activities.

Final Words

Now let’s finally answer this question, “Can I still ride a bike with a sprained ankle?”

You should not cycle with a sprained ankle, but if you desire to cycle, then you can do so using a stationary bicycle that would offer a low impact to your ankles while helping to improve your ankle’s range of motion and strengthening the muscles that surround it.