I was in the process of recovering from a broken ankle, and I planned to take a yoga class as my first fitness activity since the injury (other than PT). Unfortunately I sprained the same ankle (long story) and ended up on crutches again. Is there any way I might be able to take this intermediate class without putting weight on the ankle? I really wanted to do this, and I’m really bummed that Ii might not be able to.
[B]Additional Details[/B]
18 hours ago
Esp. interested in input from yoga instructors who might have had to work with students in a similar situation…
I’m not sure it’s the best idea to jump right into this and risk hurting yourself more, but it’ll definitely help the healing process once you’ve recovered. Unless your instructor can suggest a way to modify your practice enough to remove the risk of making things worse, it would probably be best to wait. Speak with the instructor and see what happens.
That being said, one of the best instructors I’ve come across used yoga to stay strong when he learned he had cancer. He picked it up just after his chemo and found it so therapeutic that he never stopped after that, even when he relapsed and had to be treated again. Now he is both a full-time instructor and an inspiration to those who are intimidated by the limitations they feel they are working against.
Hello Misk.
You’ve not provided enough information for a yoga teacher to properly respond to you. So I will improperly respond.
Do you have a background in yoga or was this upcoming class your first venture? If you do have a background please illuminate “us” as to how long and what style of yoga you’ve been accustomed to.
So you had a fracture in your right ankle? And that was casted? Which bone was fractured please? When was the cast removed? How old are you and what is your health and fitness background? The fracture was fully healed and then you sprained the ankle? And that was 18 hours after the cast came off or 18 hours ago or 18 hours before the class???
The “intermediate class” you are mentioning, in what style of yoga please?
A student unable to bear weight on a recently broken bone, especially a bone in the lower extremities, has no business in an intermediate class. A private session perhaps with an instructor who’s trained in therapeutics may be appropriate.
More importantly, you may want to consider heeding the messages of your body. You’ve already broken the ankle and then sprained it. These are fairly strong messages from the physical body that beg for your attention and a subsequent change or transformation in the way you are doing life business. I’d much rather you spend an hour sitting quietly having a dialogue with your ankle to determine its message than to do an Asana practice. Which one serves your higher purpose more fully??
[QUOTE=miskgrad;4882]I was in the process of recovering from a broken ankle, and I planned to take a yoga class as my first fitness activity since the injury (other than PT). Unfortunately I sprained the same ankle (long story) and ended up on crutches again. Is there any way I might be able to take this intermediate class without putting weight on the ankle? I really wanted to do this, and I’m really bummed that Ii might not be able to.
[B]Additional Details[/B]
18 hours ago
Esp. interested in input from yoga instructors who might have had to work with students in a similar situation…[/QUOTE]
Some explanation: This is not my first yoga class. I’ve taken many classes over the years, mostly in what is termed ashtanga. The class I want to take is Anusara (sp?). I started out years ago with the book Essential Yoga Hatha, by Swami Satchidananda. I practice poses, etc. on my own a lot when I’m not taking a class. While I’m interested in religion and spirituality (have a minor in comparative religion, actually) I admit to being mainly interested in the physical aspects of yoga.
The eighteen hours thing: That doesn’t refer to the time since I injured my ankle, or how long ago I’d had the cast removed, etc. I originally posted this on Yahoo! Answers, but then I thought perhaps I should post it on a more specialized forum. So I cut the question and pasted it here. The eighteen hours refers to the length of time since I had posted it on Yahoo Answers, and I forgot to cut it from this posting. Anyway, it is not relevant. Sorry.
Anyway, the ankle was fractured in three places, w/ a lot of soft tissue damage (ligaments, etc.) lower tib/fib, and talus. I was in a cast for over three months, a boot for three more weeks, and I’ve been out of the boot for about two weeks. I had a lot of surgery to fix the original injury.
The original injury was freaky–stepping blithely off a porch that had no railing, but was five feet off the ground, in the dark. The sprain was a result of stupidity and overestimation of my abilities at that point. I’m typically very fit, even athletic.
Anyway, I’ve given up on the class I was thinking of, but if you have any other suggestions, I’m open to them. Having a dialogue w/ my ankle? Hmmm…
[quote=InnerAthlete;4886]Hello Misk.
You’ve not provided enough information for a yoga teacher to properly respond to you. So I will improperly respond.
Do you have a background in yoga or was this upcoming class your first venture? If you do have a background please illuminate “us” as to how long and what style of yoga you’ve been accustomed to.
So you had a fracture in your right ankle? And that was casted? Which bone was fractured please? When was the cast removed? How old are you and what is your health and fitness background? The fracture was fully healed and then you sprained the ankle? And that was 18 hours after the cast came off or 18 hours ago or 18 hours before the class???
The “intermediate class” you are mentioning, in what style of yoga please?
A student unable to bear weight on a recently broken bone, especially a bone in the lower extremities, has no business in an intermediate class. A private session perhaps with an instructor who’s trained in therapeutics may be appropriate.
More importantly, you may want to consider heeding the messages of your body. You’ve already broken the ankle and then sprained it. These are fairly strong messages from the physical body that beg for your attention and a subsequent change or transformation in the way you are doing life business. I’d much rather you spend an hour sitting quietly having a dialogue with your ankle to determine its message than to do an Asana practice. Which one serves your higher purpose more fully??[/quote]
The bones in your foot will heal strongly and rapidly. The connective tissue heals a bit differently.
Since you are only interested in Asana then I will respond only in asana.
Many poses can be done though some are riskier. For example doing Sirsasana is fine. However, coming down may place strain on the ankle before it’s time. And we can’t, as teachers, get by on something like “come down with the other foot first”. The student forgets one time and the ankle is damaged (again). That’s no yoga.
You can find all the actions in the foot and lower limbs though without too much friskiness. I don’t think an Ashtanga practice (with jumping) is the best for you with this sort of freshly acquired injury.
From a pace standpoint Viniyoga would be appropriate but I cannot say if the actions taught would be ones that would build the strength and repair in the legs.
You may have an easier time with dorsi flexion and plantar flexion than you do with inversion and eversion (of the foot). There are so many things to do. If you were my student we would work together for perhaps four sessions with the goal of building a home practice that would reclamate your ankle.
Where are you located? Perhaps I know someone in the area.
joining the broken ankle recovery discussion! i was out trail running this w’end and took a fall resulting in left distal fibular avulsion fracture. ouch. otherwise i am fit, healthy, active, runner/biker/yogi… am working on a sequence of poses that don’t involve the injury… welcome suggestions. poses on the belly, and seated, and on the back, work pretty well. and of course some standing poses on the right leg… ideas?
Hello Ktucker,
Since the body is a synergistic organism each part affects the whole.
Our body’s immune system “battles” things that are “broken” or invasive and, ideally, heals them. That process is most effective when the central nervous system is parasympathetic. Therefore those things in yoga that move your CNS toward or into parasympathetic are helpful for healing while those things that move you toward sympathetic are counter-productive to optimal healing.
However if you are merely looking to do some exercise, contortion or gymnastics and, in that work, not place weight on the foot, then some supine and prone positions might be more comfortable.
I personally would not pursue, nor would I advise my students to pursue, a practice of accelerated heat, pace or other fire when trying to maximize their healing potential.
gordon
hi gordon, your responses were very informative and i would really appreciate any feedback regarding my particular injury. I am coming off a severe ankle sprain on my left foot. Prior to the sprain i was in the best shape of my life. I am 32, have been practicing yoga for 11 years, waxing and waning at various times, getting more involved with my pilates practice at one time, I began running and loving it for the first time in my life, i also began incorporating biking, and p90X into my standard routine, the last thing i experimented with was boxing (which I loved). So then i sprained my ankle running down a sidewalk before work. I had a second degree sprain on all three ligaments, i found out 4 weeks later with an MRI and at that point the Dr. put me in a walking boot. I got the boot off after 3 weeks i think it was and i’ve been in sneakers for 2 weeks i believe; all in all Oct 8 will be three months, i’m not sure if that math adds up…
I recently started a yoga teacher training program (began last weekend). This is actually my third time going through the program; i dropped out half way through the first time because my father’s cancer took a turn for the worse and I went to be with him for the last 7 months of his life. The second time around I was in the midst of a divorce with my husband. So completing the program will be a big marker in my growth process. And i am hoping that going through the program with this injury will make me a better teacher - more understanding of limitations, most importantly my own. But i’m new at dealing with an injury and i’m very much used to pushing myself. I do not want to do any more damage to myself - i am ecstatic to be out of the boot and able to walk. I took one beginners class - i think i may have stretched a bit to much. Would you maybe recommend i stay away from deep stretches of the ankle and focus on strength at this point? I feel the answer coming will be of balance; and i get that but it’s very hard to tap into what’s too much and what is not enough? There is absolutely pain - how much of it do i work through? I do not want to hurt myself again. Thank you for listening; and i look forward to hearing from you.
It is absolutely tricky stuff to self-determine what is too much and what is not enough. And as though that is not tough enough, it can vary from day to day, mood to mood, and most importantly part to part.
Ligaments are designed to hold things together and have a certain tension to them. When they overstretch or sprain the true recovery period can vary. I would generally say, with students I am working with, to wait LONGER than the treating physician recommends.
It appears to me, based on experience and observation(s) over time, that some people learn after being told while others seemingly have to injure themselves several times before they actually amend anything at all in their living. Rest and a walking boot is not amendment, it’s merely “wait and see”.
Of course the immune system, the system responsible for getting things back to operational, that system works best when it is properly nourished. I once saw a woman hobble in to the local co-op on crutches only to order a double-something latte. I am frequently baffled by people trying to heal without putting the very best of fuel into their body. But people are people, I am told. I keep hoping.
Pain, to me, indicates a beckoning for attention. For what you describe I would not return to anything but the most mindful and gentle of practices which did not at all in any way, shape, or form cause pain, trigger pain, or exacerbate pain whatsoever. That’s pretty clear, right?
I find the two ironies in your post fascinating and there’s far more yoga to be unearthed there then one will ever find in a 90 minute asana class.
I would also add that there’s no reason you can’t go through a sound teacher training without balancing on your thumbs. You’ll likely learn far more than your peers since your will not be sidetracked into ego by unbridled asana work.
Complete the training and stay off the foot. 
Hi there! thanks so much for the insight. I have been busy moving and had yoga training all weekend so i haven’t had a change to respond. I will absolutely heed your cautions. I feel like i’m getting stronger and am able to do more. The pain i will say doesn’t really come when i’m doing something - it comes after i’ve been doing things. Like now for example - i’ve been pretty pain free all day - did light yoga - walking. But now i’m laying in bed and i’m sore. I also had to take the dog out and had some sharper pains in my heel.
Also, i have to know what the “two ironies” are that fascinate you! I’m so curious and I think it’s even more curious that I’m not sure what you mean!!!
Thanks again, have a wonderful night
It has been my experience that overstretched or “loose” ligaments feel good to stretch in the moment.
But they become very, very painful within three days time.
So it is absolutely (to me) one of those things where the taste of the moment is completely deceiving.
I’d liken it to ice cream.
We know the dairy and sugar are not good for us but opt for something that tastes good in the moment.
Yip this is my experience also. I put this down to the stretch or myotatic reflex.This is why stretching can lead to tightening typically over a couple of days perhaps 2 later but feel to be of benefit at the time. That’s why if you stack one asana session after another it could make things progressively worse.The right approach, a broader toolset & perspective which carries a steeper learning curve is a good idea.
Over-pushing is not the best idea but easy to to do. I would take the TT relatively easy and restful.