<p>I'm on the running team at my school, and I recently sprained my ankle. It is my first time spraining anything, so I'm not too sure what to do. I didn't get crutches because it wasn't too bad and I could still hobble around on it. Plus crutches are too expensive. Well it's been like...2 weeks since I sprained it, and it doesn't hurt to walk on it anymore but when I turn my foot certain ways, it still hurts. Is it bad to finish off my year running while my foot still hurts only when I turn it, or should I stay off it?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Honestly, I wouldn’t risk it. I run cross country and last season, I experienced a terrible series of injuries that worsened because I kept running on them. Basically, my shins started hurting so I thought, “AHH shinsplints, I’ll ice them and keep it moving”. I kept running and the pain became almost unbearable. I could barely walk and each time I moved my leg a sharp pain shot through both of my shins. Eventually, my calves and hamstrings began hurting as well and I finally went to the doctor. He told me that I had a stress fracture (almost full break) in each of my fibulas, I pulled both of my calves, and pulled my left hamstring (all at the same time, mind you). So obviously, that was season ending injury that happened back in September. I’m just now able to run without any pain (yay!!!) after like 7 or 8 months. So, just from personal experience… don’t run on it if it hurts! You never know what it can turn into!</p>
<p>Try jogging on grass or something soft gently on your own first. If you don’t experience any pain you could try running again, but as the season is nearly finished anyway I would just keep resting it.</p>
<p>Take the rest of your season off.</p>
<p>A very similar thing happened to me, haha. I sprained my ankle near the end of my Cross Country season. I rested it for a little while to the point where I could walk without pain, and then finished off the end of my season. My ankle still bothered me a little, but nothing to serious. The problem? I ended up spraining it again since my ankle had never fully healed. Now my ankle has cause me so many problems, and I would have been so much better off if I ha just let it heal completely in the first place. So, take some time off until you have no pain. Good luck, and trust me, it will be worth it!</p>
<p>Thanks guys! I have one more mile race today, so I think I’ll just finish this off and then stop running until it doesn’t hurt anymore. Yay for fast feedback! Thanks somuch :)</p>