Driving after sprained ankle?

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Revbarbarag Aug 2013 2:43pm, 10 Aug 2013 378 posts	0 Revbarbarag I'm looking for your experience of driving after spraining an ankle, to help me set my expectations. It's my left ankle, and I drive a manual diesel car, so a fairly heavy clutch. I know I shouldn't drive until I can operate it pain-free. The sprain is fairly mild, I think, based on the fact that I have been able to walk throughout.
Revbarbarag Aug 2013 2:44pm, 10 Aug 2013 379 posts	0 Revbarbarag And just in case my implied question wasn't obvious - how long did it take you to get back to driving, and how bad was your sprain?
Velociraptor Aug 2013 2:48pm, 10 Aug 2013 26,527 posts	0 Velociraptor I was driving a manual car on the same day as I sustained an ankle sprain (from jumping off a kitchen worktop) that stopped me running for six months.
swittle Aug 2013 2:48pm, 10 Aug 2013 25,208 posts	0 swittle Exercising the ankle before it's healed with prolong the injury: that includes driving and, I suspect, running again. Get pain free, then start steadily with strength & flexibility work. Walking on level grass may help strengthen the damaged limb.
Velociraptor Aug 2013 2:59pm, 10 Aug 2013 26,528 posts	0 Velociraptor For most folk, it's a case of "needs must". My advice would be to avoid driving if you can't operate the pedals without having to brace yourself first, because that would compromise your safety and that of other road users. But if you can flex and extend the ankle freely and comfortably enough to operate the pedals, by all means drive.
thuginasuit Aug 2013 4:15pm, 10 Aug 2013 81 posts	0 thuginasuit Easy answer swop for an automatic.
Revbarbarag Aug 2013 4:37pm, 10 Aug 2013 383 posts	0 Revbarbarag Expensive solution to a temporary problem...