Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Labor Day weekend 2009 will forever be burned into my memory for two reasons. The first reason is that I almost died. The second reason is that it forced me to look at my body in a way that has directed me in how I treat patients with movement dysfunctions and orthopedic problems.
An explanation is definitely in order.
The day was not as warm as we had hoped for as a small group of friends and I sat on the beach. After a few hours of playing Frisbee and watching volleyball in the direct sun, I was finally breaking a sweat and was motivated to get my feet wet.
For those of us familiar with Rehoboth Beach, the grading of the sand as one walks into the water is strange. There is an immediate – and quite a steep – drop off in depth of the ocean floor. You could be up to your shins in water at one point, and ten feet further out, the water is up to your neck. This makes things potentially dangerous for waders, especially if there is rough surf. On Labor Day 2009, the surf was not quite rough enough for the lifeguards to close the beach, but in retrospect it was a close call. The powers that be probably should have barred people from swimming.
I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to getting my body immersed in cold water. I rarely just “jump in” to a pool. I prefer to walk into the shallow end and slowly get my body acclimated. It annoys many people. At least the ocean works for my philosophy.
As the water was quickly becoming more than waist deep, I used the strategy of floating over the oncoming waves before they crested. This was going very well for a minute or two. I would bob over the oncoming waves and be placed back on my feet.
Suddenly a rather large wave was coming at me. Most of the people around me chose to dive under the wave, a smart move as the wave looked like it was about to break. But not me, of course; I had to keep my hair dry and stick to my philosophy of gradual entry. It crested immediately before I attempted to float over it.
It is hard to describe the amount of force that I felt as the wave hit me. I have never played football, but I imagine getting hit by that wave felt like getting broadsided by a linebacker. It took the breath out of me and threw me violently towards the shore. Time slowed down as my body figured out what to do. I was about to get slammed down into very shallow water headfirst.
Thank God for reflexes. Within half of a second, I instinctively righted my body. That probably saved me from becoming a quadriplegic. From the moment that my body became upright, I had a small amount of time to take voluntary action in terms of how I was going to land on my feet.
This is where things get a bit weird.
I am very, very right leg dominant. For as long as I can remember, my right leg has been larger and stronger. If given a choice, I would much prefer to balance on my right leg, jump off my right leg, land on my right leg, and use my right leg for a million other tasks that are not worth mentioning right now. When my body was confronted with the impending impact, I definitely wanted to brace myself with my right leg.
In the small amount of time that I can remember before making impact with the sand, I willfully spun my body 180 degrees so that my right leg was closer to the shore than the left leg. I knew that I had a better chance of absorbing the impact this way.
Maybe if I had a tiny bit more time to react, things would have turned out better. My right leg was not yet in an ideal position to land when my foot made contact with the sand. I felt a horrible series of snaps as my right ankle turned a full 90 degrees outwards in relation to the rest of my leg. I was thrown down onto my right side as my ankle thankfully snapped back into a neutral position.
The damage was done. There I was, rolling around in two feet of water with a severely fractured lower leg. It took a few minutes for my buddies to realize that I was missing. I spent that time stabilizing my lower leg with my hands as successive waves continued to pound me and roll me around in the surf. I wasn’t in any danger of drowning, but there was no way that I was standing up on my own. My friend who scooped me out of the surf commented after the fact that when he first saw me, he thought that I was “trying to be funny and do some lame synchronized swimming routine by myself”.
It is worth mentioning at this point that I am intimately aware of how my body works. I have observed patient movements and treated orthopedic conditions (like the one I had just given myself) for over eighteen years. It is what I do for a living. The thing that kept bothering me about my incident is that I willfully chose to turn my body around when I probably would have been better off bracing myself in my original upright position. The bottom line is that I just wanted to take the impact with my right leg despite being grossly out of position. Could have I avoided the multiple fractures that I sustained if I had not turned? I can’t be sure, but my guess is yes.
So what did I learn from all of this?
Side dominance is a weird thing. We all have it to a varying degree, some people more than others. I would say that the strength difference between my legs was more profound than in the average person. I cannot help but think that the years of reinforced usage of my right leg in jumping, playing sports, and generally supporting my weight contributed to those strange series of events.
There is a silver lining to what happened to me on that ill-fated Labor Day weekend many years ago. My left leg has become much stronger as a result of the damage to my right leg. I can say with confidence now that I am much more comfortable balancing and generating strength from my left leg than I used to be. It will forever be my goal (and the goal of my many patients) to be as symmetrical as possible in terms of leg stability.
This experience has changed how I evaluate my patients. If there is a notable difference in stability and strength between legs, you can bet that I am going to address that. I do think that we can become better prepared to deal with episodic injuries and falls if we have better symmetry.
Image credits: Top © Gary/Fotolia; Second © Christin Lola/Fotolia.
pl advice sos for repeated sprain.
I would recommend getting a stabilization / lace up brace for when you are performing sports or hiking / walking on unlevel surfaces. “Swede-o” makes nice ankle braces. Aside from bracing I would work on strengthening all of the muscles around the foot and ankle. It may be worth your time to see a physical therapist to get some good ideas that are safe for you.
Single leg balancing is a great way to strengthen around your ankle, just make sure that you are cleared from your doctor or therapist first.
Hi, I have a sprain about 6 weeks ago. The swelling and bruising initially took about 10 days to heal because I walked a lot on the foot, and the pain killer the doctor gave numbed me too much of the pain. From week 2-4 after the injury, I walked a lot on the foot too. Went to a physical therapist to get my ankle checked out because it did not seem to be healing to discover that my foot is mildly dislocated. He then proceeded to set my ankle. The relief then was marvelous. The swelling and pain reduced tremendously.
Now at week 6 post injury, I feel that my ankle is strong (about 80-90% the original strength), BUT a small bulge is still visible on the lateral side of my ankle bone. It’s very minimal (imagine bubble wrap thickness) but it’s still there and it bothers me. If I touch the lateral side on my injured and uninjured side, I can feel a difference. The injured side still feel softer while the uninjured side taut and strong. (So I guess it’s not fully strong yet) :(
My concern now is my heel. It feels as if it’s a tiny bit too curved into my sole. So when I’m walking, it feels wierd because my foot just doesn’t feel right (left side = injured side). When I stand straight, the sole of my left foot doesn’t feel as if it’s completely straight like my right foot. Help. could something happen to my left heel or is it just because of some tautness that still remains. I wear ankle brace if I need to go out from my home. I walk around without ankle brace at home. Next week I plan to visit the PT again…
Have the PT check out the lateral side of the ankle bone when you visit the next time. It is common to feel that the foot feels strange when walking because there is probably some stiffness in one of the ankle joints. It will take some time for that to lessen. The Pt may also ask you to start some stretching of your ankle while facing the wall.
Vijay see the doctor, then I would recommend single-legged balance training without shoes. If you look on our website under ankle exercises (Media tab, password is “patient”) you can see a demonstration of this exercise.
I’m begging for your advice. 12 years ago I fell down stairs at a movie theatre and tore ligaments in my left ankle badly. My whole foot and all the way up my calf was black and blue and purple. Since then I’ve sprained it numerous times ( it will jut give out on me) I’ve also broken my fibula. My foot is horribly crooked on my leg. It’s beyond obvious. It’s swollen most of the time and I’m always in pain. It used to pop all the time but that pretty much went away but is still swollen and curved kinda like a sideways banana. It’s the outer part of my left ankle. When you compare the two ankles to each other the left one points to the right. Do you think I’m going to have to have surgery to fix it? Please any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Katie
Katie is sounds like to me that your lateral ligaments are stretched out considerably. I would get a stability brace for the ankle, the type that slides over your foot and laces up around the ankle. One company that makes good ones is named “Swede-o” (easily found on the internet). I would wear it whenever you are out and about.
I definitely think that you also need to see an orthopedist if you haven’t already. Surgery might be a good option.
I have sprained my ankle 3 times in the past month. I have recently went to a doctor, gotten an x ray, and it shows no serious tears, fractures, broken, or torn ligaments. I am wondering why I am always re spraining it. My last sprain was a week ago on Saturday at a basketball game and I have sat out a whole week, worn a brace, and now the outside part of my ankle feels like it is healing, but now all of a sudden the inside part of my foot and ankle have started hurting out of nowhere and I never hurt it. Do you know what caused this? And do you know how I can get back on the basketball court quickly and maximize my full ankle healing process? Thank you, Joseph
Joseph
An x-ray will not show ligaments, and it sounds like you have stretched out the ligaments on the lateral (outside) of the ankle. Once those ligaments are stretched out, your brain has a harder time figuring out where your ankle is in space. The result is a lagged reaction time when your ankle starts to turn again…… a vicious cycle.
The inner part of the ankle might be hurting if you turned the ankle so far that the bones on the inner part of the ankle actually smacked together. It happens, although not that often.
You definitely need to wear one of those lace-up braces on your ankle each time you play. If there is an athletic trainer around, having the ankle taped helps a lot. You should also get some stabilization exercises from your doc or PT. In the short term you should let the ankle heal for a week or two.
I sprained my ankle on the 11th of may, 2014 and it was poorly managed, and the pain and inflammation persisted and afterwards went way. The problem now is that I have ankle stiffness and i feel my ankle will pull again if i run. And when I do stand for a long time, I feel enormous pressure at my subtalar joint and It usually result in pain at the joint and my lateral and medial malleolus, My plantar and dorsiflexion are full and pain free. My real question is 1) How can I start running again 2) How do I avoid pain after standing for a long time
Frederick I am guessing that there might be some scar tissue and stiffness in the subtalar joint. Have you done some structured physical therapy?? It might help to have the subtalar joint manipulated in addition to muscle conditioning around the ankle. I am a huge proponent of balance training on a BOSU or foam surface for the purpose of strengthening.
I suffered from a severe ankle sprain 14 years ago from running while turning a corner and onto a set of stairs. It became massively swollen and black and blue from the injury and I was unable to walk on it. After getting it checked out at the hospital the following day I was informed that it was a severe sprain and that a bone had shifted over. They gave me a set of crutches and told me to use those and not walk on my ankle for 2 weeks. Well, being a foolish 17 year old at the time I was walking on it two days later.
A few years ago it began to swell where I had sprained it years before, on the outside of my ankle. It was a big squishy lump accompanied by pain. I went to a sports doctor who looked it over (never took an X-ray) and said I needed to do physio, and if that didn’t work I’d have to get surgery. Well the physio treatments worked and I’ve been fine until recently.
Now 14 years since the initial sprain, and approx. 5 years since the physio I’m experiencing a lot of burning pain again, and again accompanied by a giant squishy bulge, only this time with a hard middle. Sometimes it pinches and I can’t walk on it at all until I’ve rested it for several hours. This has been going on for a week now. It actually hurts more when I’m not on it unless I’m experiencing the pinching feeling. I’ve been taking ibuprofen to help with the pain and swelling, which hasn’t been helping at all. What should I do?
Krista it is strange that the MD didn’t order an x-ray at the time of the sprain. I would get an x-ray just to make sure that there isn’t a boney fragment floating around in the lateral aspect of your ankle.
If the x-ray is clear, I would see a PT for some structured rehab and manual therapy. It sounds like the bones in your ankle aren’t moving appropriately.
i sprained my ankle very badly about 30 years ago…doctor said it would have been better if I had broken it, I was on crutches for six weeks and had to use a cane for over two months after that. Now, thirty years later, I am finding that I am losing strength and mobility in my left foot, can’t move my toes, and have been diagnosed with plantars fasciitis. I have also been diagnosed with hip bursitis and have arthritis (mainly in my back). What, if anything can I do to strengthen my ankle at this late stage?
Sharon it sounds like you need to see a professional to get things moving again. I would get a prescription from your doctor for some physical therapy. Some of those joints in the ankle will become very stiff after a bad sprain. If they are not moved correctly the stiffness can last basically forever.
I would see your doc and get a prescription for PT. The other problems you described in the hip may also be a long-term consequence of having a very stiff ankle.
I sprained my ankle for the first time last week. I went to the physio the next day and she said its grade 1. Everybody is telling me I will have to be extremely careful now. I enjoy running and my high heels. I’ve set myself to be patient and only start running in 3 months and wear my heels in 6 months. Is this reasonable? Some people are telling me no more heels. That would be sad.
Your timeline is reasonable Karyn. Do what the physio suggests and stick to the exercise program.
You will never get me to endorse high heels.
I would like to say Thank you! I had my last physio session this week. After 4 weeks the swelling and bruise are gone and flexibility is back. I would recommend anyone to see a Physio. They are so helpful in proper healing and recovery process. I can start my strengthening exercises now. Thank you for the videos.
Woo hoo! Now if we can just get you to lose the high heels…..
Good luck!
Ankle swelling can last for quite a long time for a moderate sprain. It wouldn’t hurt to have the ankle looked at by a PT. Sometimes the fibula bone gets stiff after a sprain, having it worked on may usher the swelling away.
Hi, I had a bad sprain in Nov 2014, went to podiatrist, had softcast, Hard cast, black boot period for couple of months, went to PT too. Then I had a Ankle arthroscopy surgery done by Orthopedic surgeon to scoop out loose bodies(seen in MRI) on July 7 2015. I went through non weight bearing for 7 weeks, then boot for 4 weeks and then PT. But still if i stand for more than an hour I get severe ankle pain, foot pain and stiffness in my ankle. Pain gets unbearable for hours an hours, to get back on my feet, i have to do icinig and rest for like 12 hours :(
Please advise what should i do to get better, why it is taking so long.
Ouch, that was quite an ordeal that you went through Jiya. With bad sprains, a few of the joints in the ankle can become scarred up and super stiff. This can unfortunately make walking a real pain to deal with because you lose your normal walking mechanics.
Find a PT who does lots of “manual therapy”. I would have your “subtalar joint” mobilized among other things.
Hi! My name is Sara, I’m 26 years old and about a month ago I sprained my ankle by falling down the stairs. I still have a large baseball size knot on my outer ankle and now my Achilles is starting to hurt and the inside of my foot is starting to swell and hurt. Is this normal? What should I do? Any advice would be appreciated. I wrap it with an ace bandage and walk with crutches. I fell on a Friday night and Saturday went to the emergency room. There were no breaks shown in x rays. The doctor just told me to “baby” it for 2 weeks. Since then I have been walking on it but have a desk job so sit 8 hours out of the day. I had no choice but walk on it to get into work, I did however have a week off last week and stayed off of it. Didn’t know if that information would help. Thank you!
If it is still swelled up I would consult a PT. It sounds like you might need some “hands on” intervention to make sure that the joints are moving in the correct manner.
Sara I thought I replied to this, but I can’t seem to find the text, so here it is again… See a PT. You may have some issues with how the joints are moving, which may be sustaining the swelling.
That does sound like quite the sprain Rob. This may take a month or two to come back. I would say given that you have sprained before, you need to get one of those “lace-up” braces for the ankle. I used to sprain my ankles playing basketball (all the time). Once I started wearing the braces I never sprained them again. (If you check out the product link on our website, you should be able to find the ankle brace I am talking about.)
I would also get one or two visits of physical therapy to get some ideas in terms of what to do for exercises etc..
My Left lower back,Gluteus Maximus has BEEN bothering me.I ALSO had Throbbing Ankle Pain. The Emergency Dr said it was Sciatica. The Pain was so bad I was thinking it was A Kidney STONE, Which I had before…Now I’m Realizing its .My Ankle that is the Problem. I had a chipped Ankle bone in 1992. My Ankle has BEEN Throbbing FOR A week or two. How can I Correct this??
How can I alleviate the PAIN ?? I previously,a few Weeks AGO SPRAINED my RIGHT KNEE. I had an Xray for Knee.
I had catscan for Left side thinking it was a Kidney STONE.
Should I see a Podiatrist for my Ankle ???
I would see an orthopedist Bernadette. You need to be looked at from your spine down to your foot. A podiatrist is not versed in the spine thing.
i suffered a high ankle sprain while playing lacrosse in october, being a person who has suffered many many sprains i did not go to see the trainer till two weeks later after my ankle kept giving out while i was playing causing me to fall and hurt it even more and i had a really bad bruise on the top of my foot. I have started running again for the past couple of weeks but the pain coming back is terrible it is so painful and i have an extremely high pain tolerance. the pain is in the top of my foot and when i take steps i can feel the bones slide forward while the others stay still. How can i avoid this so i can get back to playing?
High ankle sprains are more problematic than regular ankle sprains. They take longer to heal and the pain is generally much worse. At the very minimum I think that you should be wearing one of those lace-up braces when you play (like the tarsal lock brace that we have in our products link on our website), you are definitely a risk for re-spraining.
You should probably do some structured rehab as well. Balance training, elastic band exercises, and hip training might all be a good idea, but I would get it assessed by a PT.
If the MRI’s are clear, it may not be a bad idea to work on some supervised stability training. Single leg balance training is a good way to build up the stability over time. It sounds like you have some instability in the ankle. There are likely a few ligaments that have been stretched out.
I would visit a PT and get some ideas in terms of how to strengthen beyond the balance training.
Hello Dan about 12 years ago I injured my ankle skateboarding not sure of the injury but it swelled up and couldn’t walk i never went and saw a doc it took about a good month and a half to heel I do lots of wade fishing and running and sometimes I wake up the next day from being on my feet a whole day not being able to stand and put pressure on my foot I get a really bad pain from the inner lower of my foot to my chin and knee and the outer foot gets swollen sometimes it takes days to get back to normal do you know what it could be
I mean my shins not chin
I would guess that some of the joints in the ankle are stiff, possibly from the sprain. The shin gets sore when a certain muscle has a hard time clearing the stiff ankle through range of motion. I would see a PT who does manual therapy to get the joints in the ankle moving better again.
An amazing story– I’m glad you survived and gained the additional benefit of learning (even if it was “the hard way!”) to better serve your clients. I’m also glad to learn that there is another person in this world who is like me to slowly to get into cold water and who doesn’t want to get his hair wet! LOL! Thanks for a well-written and helpful story!
Thanks Mike. A good time was had by all on that day……..Live and learn.
Hi Dan
I had an injury to my left shoulder by manuevering a wheelchair out of a handicap van and felt extreme pain in my shoulder…I went to the er and with some xrays they discovered that my shoulder was dislocated, it had to reduced and i was sent on my way..
It dislocated 5 more times over the next 2 months (doing nothing to make it dislocate)…i had an mri done and the surgeon said i should get the bankart repair done , so I did.
When i got home the block wore off and I was in serious pain, ouch…on top of that I got a fever and a really bad cough. The next few days were really rough and I had a lot of discomfort. I had a follow up with the surgeon …I told hom my shoulder feels like it is dislicated again and that I am in alot of pain…he had some xrays done and it was re dislocated….th3 surgein said there is no way it just redislocated unless somethi g traumatic happened to my arm oine i fell or ran into something which I know for a fact i didnt….i am at a loss for understanding what I should do now? I had another mri done and go back to the surgeon in May6th for my results…what are your thoughts?
That is very strange indeed. I would normally think that after the surgery it would take some incident to re-dislocate the shoulder. Maybe when you were sleeping??? Your shoulder is obviously very unstable. I would think that a capsular repair would take care of that. I would probably get a second opinion at this point.
Oh, I just wanted to mention, our first game was 6/5 – not in the winter. These aches and pains have been persisting for the last 2-3 weeks, with knee being the most bothersome and recent…
If I had to guess, I would say peroneal tendonitis. This is a muscle / tendon that snakes down the lateral side of your shin and around the back of the ankle. I would have it assessed by a PT. I bet that your ankle doesn’t move entirely well enough because of your old ankle sprain and fracture. That can place a huge stress on certain tendons with high-impact movements.
When I was in high school I was part of our school’s volleyball team & I keep spraining my ankle a lot that I cannot even remember how many times I did (I got every ankle sprain from landing on my teammate’s foot who accidentally lands on my court side during trainings). Every time I sprained my ankle, my coaches would just advise me to put some ice on it & walk it off. During my fourth & last year of playing, I eventually fractured my right ankle (I keep spraining my right ankle) & my doctor put an orthopedic cast on my foot. Upon returning home, I immediately tried to removed it & decided to walk it off because I am desperate to train again because the volleyball season is coming up. My doctor reprimanded me for removing it and said that it won’t heal properly because of what I have done. He gave my a prescription that says that I have to attend physical therapy. I repeatedly refused to go and decided to attend my trainings instead.
Now (3 years later), not only my ankle is still hurting but now my right knee is hurting too whenever I walk for hours.
Your ankle is probably going to be chronically lax in the direction of your sprains. I would get a lace-up ankle stabilizing brace and wear it EVERY TIME YOU PLAY ANY SPORT, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. I would also see a PT and have it assessed. You probably need to have the ankle and knee mobilized, and you probably need to work on stabilization training.
Hi Dan,
So I sprained my ankle about 5 years ago playing high school soccer. I went to the trainer, had treated it, done PT, and recovered. After that I sprained it one or two more times during soccer, all of which healed. The trainer did say to me at one point that my ankle had the loosest ligament that she had ever felt. After a couple of years I started to randomly get pain in my ankle where it felt like I had sprained it even though I hadn’t done anything to injure myself. I’ve even had instances where I would just wake up one morning with the pain. There hasn’t been any swelling, just pain when I would flex it a certain way. Also, when I have the pain it usually lasts for a day or two and sometimes the pain will stop for a short period of time and come back later in the day; it’s all so random. In the past couple of months this random pain has become a more common reoccurrence. I wasn’t sure if this was something normal with ankle sprains or if there was something else wrong. I’d appreciate any advice you could give me!
I would see an orthopedist who specializes in ankles. There is a quick and painless x-ray test that they can do to measure the amount of lateral ligamentous laxity. If there is too much laxity it might be a problem. Most of the time the ortho will prescribe PT for stability training and manual therapy.
In terms of sleeping, I would un-tuck the sheets at the bottom so that your feet can rest naturally. Many people will slightly twist the ankles while in bed if the sheet are tethering them down. It also is highly recommended that you see a PT to get a list of stability exercises to start on.
Hi Dan,
My name is Santiago, I used to play soccer at a very high level and I’ve always had a problem with my ankles. Usually I had a month of rehab with the team I played. But now that I play only as a hobby I don’t do any rehab and when I play soccer or any sport sometimes my ankle spring and it hurts a lot for a few moments and slowly passes by as I continue playing. So I have some questions, is it normal that when I spring my ankle it hurts a lot but then if I continue playing it stops hurting? Now that I’m starting to make rehab by myself, my ankles hurt while doing the exercises, so even do it hurts do I continue doing the rehab? And finally how many times per week should I be doing the rehabs exercise and should I use ice after I made the exercises?
Than you very much for your help. Best,
Santiago
I would say that it is common for the ankles to hurt at first and then feel better once you start moving around. In terms of doing rehab exercises, 2-3 times a week should be fine. Given the amount of spraining that has happened with you, I would find some ankle support braces to keep you from spraining while playing soccer. It would probably also be a good idea to check in with a PT to see how the ankles are doing.
Icing after playing is a good idea as well, particularly if the ankles swell up.
I would schedule an evaluation with a very experienced PT who specializes in “manual therapy”. I think that this might have to do with stiffness in certain joints of your ankle that are a result of the sprain.
There is a possibility of a fracture, particularly if you cannot put weight through it. I would see a doc to get an x-ray.
Hi, my name is Brit and about three weeks ago I was hit by a car. It only sprained my left ankle (which then got infected). I’ve been on antibiotics for the infection for about a week and a half now but I’ve been haveing some issues with my knees. I wore a brace for the first week and a half but when I went to the doctors because of the infection they told me I shouldn’t wear it or the wrap to keep the abrasion open. But now my knees are sometimes hurting and buckling when I stand and the right knee will hurt when I walk (specifically when i extend my leg fully) . After the ambulance, hospital, and doctors bills we can’t really afford to go in again if possible so I was wondering if you’d have any advice to help this or anything really. My ankle is a lot better, has almost no trouble with weight or movement, it’s just knees that are making life hard now and really worrying me.
Holy crap Brit, that is awful. I am glad that you are still with us.
It is possible that you did something to the meniscus in that knee. It will probably take a month or two for the inflammation in the knees to calm down. I would not push the knee aggressively into extension. Walk only where you have to. You could work VERY GENTLY on straight leg raises to at least start to try to get the quads to recruit a little bit. If you go into the media tab on my website (the password is patient) and go to the knee exercises you should find straight leg raises there. I would also guess that doing some very slow and very easy pedaling on a recumbent bicycle might help a bit with the circulation and joint motion, but you would have to play it by ear. If it is sharply painful I would lay off that too.
All in all, it is going to take some time for this to heal. Be patient.
Thank you so much for your quick response! I’ll do my best, thank you
Good morning. I sprained my ankle about a week and a half ago. I rolled it on top of a volleyball which I should not have been kicking. I went in for x-rays and nothing was broken, just a nice sprain. I didn’t have any pain with the sprain, just a lot of swelling and lack of motion. I wore a boot to help walk the first week and took the boot off just two days ago. I’m walking much better with a slight limp still. I have a good range of motion when I sit and move my ankle around, although there is some swelling under the outside ankle bone of the foot still. However, I’m not able to walk down the steps. I just can’t get that motion of the foot to work yet. Is that normal and should I just continue to stretch it out? Thanks for your advice.
Stacey
There is probably some inflammation in a few of the ankle joints. This will likely take a month or two to abate. You could try a gentle calf stretch facing the wall with the knees bent. (It is actually called a soleus stretch, and it is on our website under ankle exercises, the password is “patient”).
Hi I am a 24 year old male athelte. I play Basketball and football. I used to deal with chronic sprains so i decided to get the surgery to avoid future sprains. Kind of like what Steph Curry did for his ankles. I used to be an explosive athlete but with the surgery my ankles became so stiff and i feel alot of tightness in the back of my ankle and ive lost all my athelticism. I did agressive rehabing to get back to playing but nothing seems to be working. The anke is strong and stable but It just feels too tight and its limiting my movements. I feel like the surgeon over tightned my ligaments now i wish ive never gotten the surgeries. I have thought about purposely spraining my ankles again so they loosen up. Rehabbing and excersing dont help because they make the ankle tighter. What should i do?
I don’t think that trying to stretch the ligaments in the ankles out is going to do any good for you. You might end up with an avulsion fracture. I would let it be. The main reason that people have the ligamentous tightening surgery is to prevent further damage to the ankles via sprains. It does at least sound like the surgery was successful in that measure.
There is a chance that you may have a lot of tightness in some of your ankle joints from the sprains that isn’t really related to the ligaments. Find a good, manually based PT and get an eval to see if your “subtalar” or “talocrural” joints are scarred up or otherwise stiff. Having said that…….
I am going to sound like an old crabby man here Anthony (apologies), but unless you have a lucrative professional sports contract that depends on your optimal performance, I would adjust your life accordingly to what you can handle. There are plenty of other challenging things to do out there that don’t involve ballistic sports. Get in the gym, pick up new sports, maybe join a reputable Cross-Fit box???
It took me until my mid-twenties to realize that my body is going to have to function for another fifty plus years with what I have. (I stopped all ballistic sports by about 27, and I am really glad that I did) Be careful.
I understand what you’re saying but I’m a young man. I really dont want to quit sports. You said that some of the tightness may be from sprains but they were not this tight before the surgeries. In fact my ankles felt loose not tight before surgery. I miss that feeling but now my ankles are just too restricted. You said may be scarred up or stiff. What is the solution for this?
Find the best manually based PT in your area and have an evaluation done. That in my opinion is your best course of action.
I fell two months ago resulting in a fracture at the base of the third metatarsal. My ankle was swollen and painful as well but no fractures were seen. I was in a hard cast for about 6 weeks and then moved to a walking boot for PWB for 2 wks. After more X-rays I was told I could lose the boot and begin PT. From what I’m learning this fracture is a little more difficult to heal as it is in the mid foot region. I am concerned as my ankle is still swollen esp after walking, painful and limited ROM. I was told it was due to being immobilized for so long in the cast, but worry something else could be wrong although I’m assuming if the ankle had been fractured being immobilized would have helped. I have begun PT but it is slow going due to the pain and swelling in the foot as well as the ankle. Should I be concerned? It’s been 9 wks since the injury.
When I fractured my foot and ankle it remained swollen for six (6) months. This is very typical for a foot fracture Sara, especially since it is in your mid-foot region. Stick with some stretching and exercise with the guidance of the PT. You will get there. As always, if pain is disproportionate you can always check in with the doctor.
4 weeks ago I suffered a severe sprain with a tear to the ATFL & deltoid ligaments also a complete contusion to the talus…I was in a cast for the last 4 weeks. Today after my cast was removed I still had swelling to the outside of the ankle and bruising around thw whole ankle. The pain is very severe with a twist of the ankle to either side and weight bearing is impossible! My orthopedic put me in a lace up brace and ordered PT…she said I would be doing jumping jacks & running in 4-6 weeks with no issue…
I find this hard to believe & feel like I am getting bad advice…I was just looking for another opinion.
Thank you
There is no way that you will be running that quickly. From what you described this sounds like a very bad sprain. Take your time with the rehab, you should expect a gradual return of function over many months.
Thank you for your thoughts…this is exactly what I had figured. For some reason I feel that my doctor is trying to speed up my rehab. I don’t exactly agree with being in a lace up brace already…I felt like I should have gone into a walking boot first in order to strengthen my ligaments…
So a few months back at summer camp I jumped into a pool that I thought was deeper than it really was. My ankle went out and hit the bottom of the pool. I felt a tear, but there was no swelling or bruising, just pain. The next day however, the pain got worse when I bent or walked on my ankle. I had the farthest room away, so the medic wrapped it and iced it about two times a day. It slowly got better. I was still in pain when school started so I wore a compression wrap. I took it off about two weeks ago and felt great. Sadly, while taking pictures for homecoming the grass underneath was wet and muddy that I couldn’t see and my ankle twisted once again. I am in a lot more pain than the first time I hurt it. It hurts to just move it a little or to walk. However, once again there is no swelling and just a tiny bit of bruising. I have the compression wrap on and I iced it. What should I do? What do you think I did? Thank you so much!
I would see a doc and get an x-ray to make sure that there is not a fracture. You probably also would benefit from some PT at this point given that this is a repeat performance.
Thank you. Is there a chance it could be a fracture with hardly any swelling and bruising?
I also am in less pain, but whenever I stand or walk too much it starts to hurt. I hurt it in the middle of July and Saturday afternoon. Flexing it to one side and the other it hurts and flexing it back.
There is a slight chance I would say.
I rolled my ankle last year two times within a month just being clumsy walking. I can still feel the instability in my ankle and now I feel weird tension on the sides of my legs and sometimes in my knee. How can I rehabilitate my ankle.
This sounds chronic. I would consult with a physical therapist. You need to be doing stabilization exercises, and also perhaps wearing a lace-up brace for a while might be a good idea. A PT evaluation should push this in the right direction.
Hi Dan,
Love your website and advice.
I am a 66 yr. old 2x local Mets BC cancer survivor with NED ( No evidence of disease) .Get CT scans reg.
Recently distracted at the Bot Garden, took a tumble, fell forward on my feet and ankles, net result two sprains, one left avuncular ( tarsal?) fracture, right sprain with healing contusions above right ankle, normal brusing, very little pain for all this trauma. Good toe flexiblilty , ankles flexible, etc. Did all the usual, RICE,
ED,xrays,splint, podiatrist, black ankle boots, rollator, now cane outside, use homeopathic meds like arnica, calendula, staphagia, a little Tylenol. Onco
recommended ortho guy soon.
What comes next when you have a pair of sprains and a minor fracture. This has been tricky to find info on pairs of issues. What is typical rehab time frame on painless sprains and mild pain fracture? Have pretty good mobility and being careful. Long term issues to watch out for? BP a little higher than before.
Thanks a bunch.
Noreen
The fracture will likely take at least six (6) weeks to heal, an x-ray will confirm that. In the mean time, as long as the doc gives you his / her blessing, you could start with basic strengthening of the ankle extrinsic muscles. A PT would typically prescribe “rubber band” type exercises such as inversion and eversion. If you check out our media tab on the website, the password is “patient”, feel free to look at the ankle inversion and eversion exercise videos. Give it a look. It may be a good idea to get a session of physical therapy for some guidance.
I sprained my anckle some time ago and now I have hip pain and lower back pain, would you please give me any recommendations to get rid of the pain? Thanks so much Edith
You probably have a stiff ankle which is causing the issues up the chain. Get a PT consult and see if any “manual therapy” to the ankle is in order. This fun stuff happens all of the time.
i know its gonna sound weird but i’ve sprained my left ankle 17 times the last one was 2 month ago right now i feel a weird thing in my left foot it keeps slipping from my shoes like its smaller any ideas about this and thank you
The ankle is probably quite unstable. If the ligaments are stretched out it would be easier for a “hyper-mobile” foot to slip out of a shoe. I would definitely see a doctor about this.
Is it really necessary for me to have the cast for a month or can I get it removed after 3 weeks.Please help.Thank you.
I would stick to the doctor’s recommendation. Better to be conservative about this.
27 male here. 5’11” 180lbs. Former Ortho medical assistant who is now in PA school. I’m embarrassed to say that I have not rehabbed(sp?) my ankles properly after spraining each 5-10+ times over 5-10 years(moreso of late) which I know is protocol. I basically have been the worst patient ever. I have lost so much proprioception in both ankle joints. I can barely dorsiflex my ankles. L>R. Cannot take a single step walking on my heels. I nearly fall. I also get extreme pain and tightness about 5-7 minutes into running on a treadmill. It feels like my anterior tibialis is going to explode in both legs. SO my question is, is that normal for the running to affect me so? Would ankle rehab help that? Am I looking at possible compartment syndrome? It’s painful just to attempt dorsiflexion. But when I run I can barely go half a mile before the tightness, pain, swelling begins….does the ankle instability create that perfect storm? Btw my shoes and inserts are new and fitted for me professionally.
Although ankle instability is an effect of chronic ankle spraining, I don’t think that this is what you are experiencing. This sounds like your subtalar and / or toalocrural joints are scarred up or stiff. This would make dorsiflexion very stiff indeed. It sounds like your anterior tibialis has to work overtime in order to get you into range while running. As long as those joints are stiff, you are at risk of overloading the anterior tibialis (tendonitis!!). I would stop running and have the ankles manipulated by a PT to chase the dorsiflexion.
It’s been roughly 2 years after I fell on ice and fractured my ankle. Had brackets and screws put in to help heal. The doc said it was a bad one… I still don’t have a good range of motion and it’s still kind of swollen. Is there anything aside from the pt exercises and masageing my scares to help reduce swelling and get my range of motion back
Maybe some manual intervention? Some PT’s are really good at manipulating the ankle to gain more mobility in the subtalar and talocrural joints. That can really help with the mobility. It is just a matter of finding someone who does that.
Hello,
I my hobby is skateboarding and in the last year i sprained my ankle multiple times, something beetwen 5 and 7 times. The last from was 6 month from now and i wasnt go skateboarding now for something about 3 monath but it still does not feel alright und after a skate session it still hurts. Will just more rest make it will be just like the other one? Or may some tipps what i can do for a faster recovery?
Thanks in advance
Given the number of times that you have sprained the ankle, I would definitely get one of those “lace up” ankle braces to wear while skating. It sounds to me like it is also a good idea to have the ankle checked out by a PT or a doc. You may benefit from certain exercises and joint mobilization.
Problem is, i tried all of those things you suggest alread. The ankle brace does help a bit but always wearing it sucks, and it still does not feel like ist has to be after skating. And i already visited 3 different orthopedics and all of them couldnt realy help me, they were just like „you can walk so everything ist fine“. And i do exercise with an elastic tape every morning and afternoom about 2 month now. But this does not seem as it would help as well. Perhaps there are different exercises you would suggest? Or do you think surgery would help?
I mean elastic theraband
I would still wear the brace even though it doesn’t fee great. You might want to try a different brand of brace to see if it is more comfortable. In terms of exercises, we do get a lot of our ankle sprain patients here in DC to do single leg balance training on a BOSU board or a foam mat.
Hey My name is Jovanni and I had a high ankle sprain last year from playing football. I’m 17 and I had to stop lifting weights because my knee hip back and shoulder were messed up. By messed up I mean the muscles that should have been firing were not and other muscles are compensating to balance the weight of my body. This has led to an uneven center of gravity. I haven’t worked out in months and I am really upset about it. I have tried therapy, I’ve must have seen like 5 doctors, and I tried looking up some youtube videos but really nothing helps. I just want to get back to a healthy state with no pain and no discomfort so i can lift again. Thanks for all of you help anf this article was really helpful!!
High ankle sprains are usually much worse that typical ankle sprains. They take significantly longer to heal and they can result in significant ankle stiffness. I would try to find a manual treatment based physical therapist or perhaps an osteopath to work on the ankle. We need to make sure that all of your joints are moving the correct way.
Hi very useful information and a good read!
Just after a little bit of advice…
Just before Xmas 2015 I fell and heard a “popping” noise in my ankle. It swelled up quickly (and bruising appeared a few days later) The morning after my Mam made me go to A&E (I didn’t want to waste their time as I often sprain my ankle) they sent me for an X-ray and said it was suspected ligament damage. And sent me on my way without crutches or strapping it up. (they did find an old break and a floaty bit of bone!) 2 weeks later the dog ran into my foot and I hit the ground again damaging the same ankle. Again was forced to got to A&E where I saw a lovely Dr who sent me for another X-ray and said I’d done the same again and mentioned I had a hammer toe and high arch. He put a tubular on and gave me crutches and said by Easter I should have completely forgot about it and no discomfort. If not to go see my GP and asked tonne referred to orthopaedic surgeon. I am waking ok a bit wobbly on un even surfaces if I kneel and sit I get a lot of discomfort and when moving my foot upwards it feels as tho something is moving/rubbing (hard to explain) at the very front/top of my foot (where it joins my leg!) I don’t want to go to the Drs and waste their time if it’s something I have to get on with! But recently I’ve been getting a bit of a sore hip on the same side as my “dodgee” ankle. Hip seems to be worse when I get out of bed. Not sure if this has something to do with it after reading your article or whether that’s something else! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would definitely see a good physiotherapist about this. There are probably some stiffness issues going on in a couple of those joints in addition to the laxity that resulted form the sprains. If they get chronic they can cause pain up into the knee, hip, or lower back because of the change in walking mechanics.
I’m in the marine Corps and 2 days ago I was in the middle of a hike on a flat surface and my ankle rolled from there on out the last 6 miles every time I took a step my ankle would give out and roll even when I tried to put my foot flat on the ground. Bas sucks and won’t look at it till Monday. The foot is swelling and in some pain but my ankle will hurt whenever I put pressure on it, the more I walk the more it will hurt. I did have some foot pain last week after running.
You should probably get that ankle x-rayed. In the mean time, rest, ice, elevation, and compression are advisable.
Hi years ago I did high jump at school and I sprained my right anckle and even after all these years my anckle bone is still swollen and it cracks a lot but now it’s aching all the time why is it please? Thanks Helen
I would have it checked out by either a doc or a manually trained PT. It sounds like there is some deep stiffness in one or two of those joints that needs to be addressed.
Hi, I fell down the stairs and twisted my left ankle real bad about 6 years back. I had swelling and pain for around a week and then it was alright. But after a year or so, it started paining again, without swelling. It wasn’t often so I ignored it. But now not only my ankle hurts but I have severe pain in my left leg and it’s too often. I cannot stress on it by playing any sports or long walks. What should I do?
See an experienced physical therapist. It sounds like that ankle is not moving the right way and needs to be assessed.
sir,i got my right ankle(inside)injured while playing soccer on (9th october 2016),it was an eversion,but i continued playing soccer using a crepe bandage although i was able to see blood inside the skin(for two or three days maximum) when i sit cross legged but i use ice for that but unfortunately pain was still there below the inside bump of my right ankle and a little swelling too. i went to a orthopedic on (10th feb 2017).he asked for an X-ray but everything was alright and then he asked for MRI on (22 feb 2017) and it was found in MRI that i had a 40-50% tear in my tibio-calcaneal ligament and minimal injury in tibio-talar ligament and mild effusion.i feel pain when i shoot the football and a minimal pain in running.but i know there is something wrong with my right ankle as ligaments are damaged,and i have a little swelling too in the inside bump of my right ankle(can it be a scar tissue coz i over used it for 4 months after injury without any rest and all??)……..pls tell me approx. how much time will it take to heal and what should i actually do to recover and can i get recover or not…..and yes i have no problem with range of motion…i just feel pain during eversion.
what diet should i take??please answer my all question sir…..i am feeling very low as i don’t know if i am able to continue soccer again or not.
I would get a list of stabilization exercises from a physiotherapist or doctor. A few of your ankle joints might be stiff as a result of the sprain as well, this may also need to be addressed. It sounds to me like working on the strength of the surrounding muscles of the ankle would be a good idea. Single leg balance on a foamy surface is a great exercise for ankle sprains in my opinion. This may take several months to heal and stabilize. I am not a nutritionist, but a healthy diet low in processed sugars is always conducive to healing.
One final note, a physiotherapist or doctor might recommend getting a soft stabilization brace for you to wear while you play sports. It depends on the degree of laxity in the ankle, which needs to be assessed in person.
i feel tingling or needle and pin kinda pain in my inner part of my right ankle too…and does scar tissue stop the process of the torn ligament to heal??
It totally depends on where the scar tissue is. If there is a bit of scarring along the lateral ligaments, it may actually help to stabilize the ligaments. If the scarring is more in the ankle joints away from the ligaments, this can make you unnecessarily stiff. I have no way of knowing specifically with your ankle.
should i stop checking my ankle on my own,i actually do eversion on my own in a span of 10 days just to see if i still have pain or not….should i stop that??coz i dont think its actually healing i feel same amount of pain every time i do eversion on my own.
Hi Dan.
I tore my left syndesmosis 7 months ago and had surgery done to put screws in, which were taken out 2 1/2 months ago. My recovery has been good so far, but the one thing that isn’t progressing is the upwards flex you mention. When I try bend my left leg it bends about half as much as the right and feels very stiff. Is there any other exercises you would reccomend besides the soleus stretch? Also, with proper rehab, should my left ankle flex return to normal within a few months?
A lot of the time it will help your range of motion if the ankle joints are mobilized by the physical therapist. A few of those joints will get very stiff after that type of surgery, and they often need a bit of a push to come around.
I would keep up with that soleus stretch as well.
Hi Dan, I recently injured my left ankle. About 2 weeks ago, I slipped and fell while running downhill on a steep part of a mountain. I hurt my knee and it took me a moment to be able to walk and eventually finish my run. I recovered quickly from this event. 10 days ago I ran downhill on the same mountain and twisted my ankle. Since then my medial ankle hurts and I cannot walk without a limp and pain. I followed RICE however it is difficult during work day. I have been taking 400-600mg Ibuprofen every 4-6hrs for about a week now. Ankle is slightly swollen. I have full range of motion without much pain except when stretching my foot and moving it upward. I bought a brace which helps slightly. How long should I wait before seeing a doctor? Thank you
I would maybe see a PT instead. It doesn’t sound to me like you fractured it, but a PT would at least be able to screen you and figure out if you needed to see a doc. You could also get started on some specific exercises to stabilize the ankle.
I sprained my ankle playing football 23 years ago. I took enough time off the field to get it taped up and back on the field since it was a nationally televised game and the team needed me. The next day, I got fitted for a boot. I didn’t want to lose my spot so despite what the trainer said, I came back to practice the next week and played with a brace and pilled out on pain meds. That was basically the extend of the rehab since that was my senior season.
Now, about once a year my ankle swells up and I can barely walk. The pain lasts for about a week and then it slowly subsides.
Are there any solutions for my issues I can do on my own, or do I need a doctor? My issue is I’m poor and have no medical coverage at both jobs I work.
That is strange that it does this once a year. Is this activity based, or does it just creep up on you for no apparent reason?
3 and a half years ago at age 13 I fractured my left ankle roughly an inch from the growth plate and pinched a nerve going to my second toe. I have sprained the same ankle 4 times since, and also get pain and swelling. There is also not a full range of motion. The ankle ankle cracks as well and is prone to bouts of swelling.
I would go with the conservative management at this point. Find a good physical therapist. You may very well be able to get back a good amount of mobility in addition to getting some godo ideas in terms of building stability around the joint.
Hi, sorry that this is so long. I sprained my ankle on the 26th of March at a soccer game. The ball was kicked and was coming in my direction, but to the left of me. I didn’t have enough time to move, so as a reflex I stuck my left foot out to stop it. I stopped the ball and it started hurting a lot. I was trying to walk it off, but it hurt to walk without a limp. I tried running and it hurt to take a step, but eventually it didn’t hurt that much. Then the pain was gone (or at least I didn’t feel any). I kept playing for about 10 minutes, then I sat out for the rest of the game. I thought I had walked it off, but when the game ended and I tried to stand up to high five the other team it hurt as bad as when I first sprained it. I was limping and I thought I would walk it off again. We had another game in 1 hour and 30 minutes, so I took off my shoes. I tried to move my ankle and it still hurt. When I was getting ready for the next game it hurt to put my shoe on. I untied my whole shoe and my foot could went in, but when I tried to walk it still hurt, so I told my coach and I iced it and sat out the whole game. Two days after and I could walk with a little limp. Going up hill and down hill hurt and turning my ankle outward hurt. It still caused pain for two weeks so I went to the doctor on April 15. I was told it was a sprain on one of the outside ligaments. He told me to ice in a bucket for 10 min and to take Advil for 3 days. I did that after about a week I could walk without a limp but going up/down hills and stairs still hurt. I went back to the doctor on the 24th and he told me to try running on a flat surface. It hurt to run but it wasn’t excruciating. The pain was bearable. I decided to play two games that weekend. One on saturday and one on sunday. After my game on saturday I iced it, and it hurt a little to walk. I still played on Sunday and a girl stepped on the inside of my ankle but it didn’t hurt that much. When I took my sock off,after the game, there was swelling and a bruise on the inside of my ankle. I iced it when I got home. After two days the swelling went down. I decided to stay out for the rest of the season. Today, it hurts to jump on it and sometimes hurts to run. I haven’t gone to any physical therapy, but have looked up exercises to do online. I have a tournament that starts on June 30th that I want to play in. Should I go to some sort of physical therapy?
Again, sorry that you had to read such a long passage.
One visit of PT to have the ankle screened might be a good idea. The PT might want you to get an x-ray, it depends on the exam findings.
I recently sprained my ankle at work. I drive double decker tour busses. I parked the bus, let down the wheel chock and when I stepped out of the bus, missed the step and my ankle rolled on pyramid part of the chock. Extending it even farther, kind of like falling off a curb.
My ankle swelled up immediatly. The medics on grounds put ice over it, gave me some pain killers and wrapped it. They thought it might be broke. So I was sent for xrays. Nothing broken, pheeew!!!
I was on crutches for about 5 days, not able to move very far, with an extremely swollen ankle, given anti-swelling meds and pain relivers. But by the 5th day, I was putting some pressure in it and walking (awkwardly).
My 2nd week & 2nd doctor visit, I the swelling had gone down alot and my foot was now quite black and blue. I was given and ankle brace to wear. I was still using crutches when u was not at home.
By my 3rd week & 3rd doctor visit, i was walking, with pain, but walking, still some swelling and tenderness. The doctor seemed shocked i was walking at all. He said i was healing very quickly. I told him I’d done ballet for almost 8 years and was used to having a strong ankle. I was still on restricted work and was beginning to get frustrated with my stupid ankle. I began physical therapy.
By my 4th visit, i was walking normal. No pain and still going to physical therapy.
Its my 5th week, I have now been released from care and no more physical therapy but my ankle is still not back to normal. It is swollen a little only noticeable to me. I ha e very light tenderness in some areas and cannot stretch it as far as i used to without pain.
Will it ever be the way it was before? I know it will be stretched out and more if a hazard than before, I just want to be able to move it like I did before without any pain :( how long will that take? What can I do to help it along besides the stretches and exercises they gave me?
It will probably get back to normal, but given that this was quite a sprain this may take many months. The single best thing that you can do long-term in my opinion is single leg balance training. I would get the okay from the physio and maybe demonstrate something like that to him or her so that we know that you are safe. In terms of working and walking on perturbing surfaces, I would get a simple neoprene brace to give the ankle a bit of support.
I twisted my ankle 3 years ago and it bothered me for about a week, but since then I have twisted the same ankle about 5 times from missteps that to me seem should not done so. My question is could I have weakened my ankle 3 years ago?
Those ligaments are stretched out (the plastic that surrounds a six pack is the analogy that I usually use). That happens with repetitive sprains. It would behoove you to get some skilled rehab in regards to this.
Hello. I just recently injured my ankle about two weeks ago. I was at work when it happened and had to be rushed to the ER because I was in EXCRUCIATING. The doctor there did an X-ray and told me it was just a sprain and that I should be able to walk on it in three days and go back to work at that time. That never happened. Three days later my ankle was still swollen to the size of a soft ball and I could not beat any weight on it. So I went to see an orthopedic doctor. This doctor did not take any more scans. She basically reread the last scans and told me what I already know. The doctor did give me a boot; however, due to the fact that I can not bend my ankle 90degrees or put any pressure on my foot, I still have to use crutches. I have been doing everything that I was told to do to help it heel. I’m going on week three without being able to walk or put weight on my ankle. When I do put weight on my ankle or flex my foot, from my big toe all the way to my heel goes numb and a stabbing pain shoots through my ankle and leg. I have been anxious and paranoid because I don’t know what to do. My gut is telling me something else is wrong but I don’t know if I should seek a second opinion or just wait it out until my next appointment. I just feel like I should be able to bare weight by now.
Something isn’t right here. I would bring this to the attention of the treating doc as soon as you can.
This can get a bit tricky because this is a work related injury and is likely covered under worker’s compensation insurance. WC insurance is notoriously dismissive and tries to get the patient back to work as quickly as possible. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! Keep a journal of the dates of your appointments and a recollection of what happened. I would also ask for all treatment notes. This way they know that you are serious. I would also consider getting an attorney if the WC does not act on your injury in a timely manner.
Please get a second opinion and MRIs! I was misdiagnosed by a primary care doctor who did not have knowledge of the ankle beyond whether there was a fracture or not. He said I’d be ok in a week. Two weeks later, still hobbling around in great pain, I went to a podiatrist and was diagnosed with tendon and ligament issues that required surgery. It sounds like you have something more serious than a run of the mill ankle sprain. Good luck — proper medical care is important!
Good afternoon,
I was fit and active and I broke my right ankle 4 months ago. It did not require surgery but my lower leg was kept in a cast for 6 weeks.I had a few sessions with a physio who gave me exercises, and I am now able to walk normally again. But my ankle still remains very stiff and painful when i am trying to run on it and I start to have some discomfort starting on my left hip when I walk.
Do youn think that my muscles around my ankle are not strong enough to support my weight when i run ?
I don’t know what to do. Thank you per advance.
.
I had almost the same fracture and treatment as you. My guess is that a few of the joints in the ankle are stiff from the original trauma. I would find a physical therapist who does manual therapy and get a few sessions in. The muscles may also be weak, but my guess is that is secondary to the stiffness problem.
I sprained my left ankle in my 20’s haven’t had any problems with it except it seems larger than the right ankle. I’m now 64 and my left ankle has been swelling on and off for a year or more especially after sitting. X-ray shows not even arthritis which seems odd?
My question is could this be a result of the sprain 40 some years ago?
Thanks
In my opinion, I do think that the swelling could be a direct result of the sprain that you had 40 years ago. I would see a PT and have the ankle mobility assessed. I am guessing that your subtalar joint and distal fibula are stiff (for starters).
Thank you that makes sense to me as I have a very bad back and my gait is off
My right leg has a length discrepancy (shorter) by about 3/8 inch so I think my left leg has taken a beating when I walk. And my ankle seems to swell also when I’ve walked a lot or as well as sitting. I definitely will see a PT . Thanks again
Hi there,
I sprained my ankle badly around 4 years ago… at the time I was told there was no break (no X-ray). However since it has always felt weaker which I understand after a bad sprain, I play basketball and now no longer have to wear uncomfy ankle supports…but my ankle does get quite warm, and swells and often aches after playing or being on my feet a lot. It also has always has had a mild purple tone to it since.
I went docs few years back and they said it was just scar tissue due to bad sprain- could this be the case?
I would see a physical therapist about this. Your ankle may have some very specific areas that are slightly stiff. MY guess is that your distal fibula is a bit sticky.
Hi. I rolled my left ankle two years ago and while that was healing, I favored my right leg more, then whamo two to three days after the left roll the right one rolled. what a crazy time that was (ouch) and then a few months ago it rolled again !. I constantly have swelling around the right ankle and knee is hurting as well. Not sure what to do. I wear orthotics, but if on my feet too long my right leg bothers me and it hurts on the non swollen side or kind of all around if I stand to long, but I notice it more when I get up from sitting. what should I do?
I would find a good manually based physical therapist and have a thorough evaluation done. It sounds to me like the fibular bone is stiff and causing issues both in the ankle and in the knee.
High. Last thrusday i went to step down my porch stairs and i folded my ankle and foot completely inwards and fell theres was a popping noise so loud my son also heard it, instintly was horrible pain and i felt like i needed to puck and was thristy all at same time along with sweating like crazy all instintly well i. Went to er they did xray said it was sprain i could go to work next day and a brace that goes on both sides of leg. Well my foot is still swollen and continues to swell specially if i have on brace or shoe and the swelling will go to my knee with numbness felling. Also where my leg turns into foot is huge hard and will not move. The swelling does no stay in ankle my entire foot to my toes is huge and like i said before it goes up my leg is that normal or is something else wrong
I would give it another week to heal a bit and then get in to see a physical therapist who specializes in manual therapy. It sounds like you also stretched the nerve that runs down the side of the leg in addition to severely spraining your ankle.
Hi,
17th of June I fractured my right ankle, I was told it was fibula But doesn’t need surgery. Was put in a plaster of Paris cast and after like 5 weeks it was changed to a boot cast. I have a boot cast now for like 3 weeks and it was getting better, just 2 days ago my little son was running and bump into me and I fell forward with the fractured ankle in the boot cast, and feel instant pain and since than it been a bit swollen and I turn the ankle it hurt. Do you think I might have broken another bone again? Thank you for your anticipated response.
* just to add that the pain is at neck of the ankle. Thank you
If you were in the boot cast the fibula is probably fine. It is possible of course that you sprained other areas as a result of the fall. It might be a good idea to follow up with the doc. An x-ray might be in order.
I sprained my ankle playing basketball a few days ago and didn’t have a chance to ice it right away but tied my shoes tighter and kept pressure on it. I iced it the next day and submerged it and ice bath for over and hour. The pain is going away but the swelling is still bad from the top of my foot to both sides of my ankle. I can walk on it more and more each day but the swelling isn’t going down. Should I be concerned yet or should I continue to ice it?
Probably a moderate sprain. There is a slight chance you might have fractured it, an x-ray would show that. I wouldn’t do anything too intense until you get it checked out.
Hi, i sprained my right ankle 2015. To this day bending it outward or lying face foward gives me a sore pain on that ankle. Is it more likely to sprain it again over a small thing since it’s been sprained once?
Yes, the sprained ligament(s) are not as effective at telling your brain when the ankle goes out of position. This is why I recommend a stabilization brace with high level activities on uneven surfaces (like hiking etc.).
I badly sprained both of my ankles two years ago. At the time, after being x-rayed, I was told nothing was broken. My feet have been painful ever since, but recently, since I’ve taken up walking long distances, the pain is very severe. I had an x-ray last week and was told that I have an ‘old avulsion fracture’ in my right foot. Strangely, my left foot is much more painful!!! The doctor didn’t suggest any treatment. As I am going on a week long walking holiday in six weeks, I am extremely worried about the pain. What should I do???? I am 64, overweight, female. Thanks so much.
PT! Definitely see a skilled PT about this.
9 years ago I broke my ankle and leg in three places. Had plates and screws put in place. Healing went ok, in a cast for 7 weeks and then boot for a couple of months to assist walking. This last week I’ve had calf pain and knee pain and slight achy feeling in my leg. Could this be caused from my break? I do normally get a bit of a achy feeling in my leg but feels a lot worse now
I think that this may be a long-term effect of the break. I would have a PT look at the mobility of the ankle. One way to check mobility yourself is to look at how far you can bend the ankles “up” while your legs are straight (as if you are trying to bring your toes up towards your face). If there is a significant difference between the left and right side you probably have a problem.
Hi I broke my right ankle 4 months ago. It did not require surgery but my lower leg was kept in a cast for 6 weeks. I received a few sessions with a physiotherapist who gave me exercises, I am now able to walk normally again. However, my ankle still remains very stiff and painful if I try to run on it and I have noticed some discomfort starting around the left hip when I walk.
The joints of the ankle are still a bit stiff. I would see a manually based PT who can get those joints moving again through mobilization and manipulation.
I fractured/sprained my left ankle playing soccer 5-6 years ago. The fracture was more of a chipped bone. I was given a boot and then that lace up brace. I was able to start playing 3mos later. Fast forward to now.. my ankle has been hurting the past week in the same place of old injury- I did not do anything to reinjure it. Tonight-my ankle is swollen and painful after working all day. I worked this last weekend with pain but not swollen. I’m a L&D RN 12hr shift.
Is it arthritis? My sister pointed out that I am now old😳😂 at 48. Thoughts? Thanks!
Lisa
my ankle is quite swollen
It would be worth getting an x-ray. That sounds like a sprain, but if you don’t think that you turned it, you might want to cover your bases.
Lisa,
Have you done PT? If not I would start there, based on your pain levels and progress in therapy they may refer you to get an MRI, or maybe your progress will be sufficient enough to manage your pain. What you did sounds like an avulsion fracture which is when your ligaments can actually get pulled so hard they pull a piece of bone off with them. There is a possibility of degenerative disease here, osteonecrosis is a condition when the blood flow to the bone ceases and the bone begins to die essentially, this can be caused by an untreated injury. That would probably be the least likely, I would start at PT and then go from there!
Broke my ankle doing gymnastics two years and was close to needing surgery. I was in a cast for 6 weeks but no PT afterwards. It’s been two years since, I don’t play any sports, and my ankle is still sensitive to touch, slightly bruised and will sometimes hurt if I’m doing something where I turn too quickly and my ankle gets stuck. Is this normal ??
Uhm, no that isn’t normal. I would schedule an evaluation with a PT if possible. We need to see how well the joints in the ankle are moving. In all likelihood there are things that can be done to improve this.
I went for 56k steps in a week and then did a bike ride trying to lose weight, next day I couldn’t walk. Since then I have been to PT and had cupping and dry needling. Slowly things have improved but I am 5 months in and I have to stretch 3 times my hamstrings and calves to walk a mile. I foam roll twice a day. Have had a lot of ankle instability due to peroneal tendonitis. Investigating Platelet Rich Plasma injection of tendon to hopefully avoid surgery. Slowly degrading my life.
I would build up the strength slowly, and allow 1-2 days in between strengthening sessions to recover.
I sprained my ankle 18 weeks ago, I’ve seen a physio therapist and she’s helped with the ankle movements but it still gets very swollen and extremely sore. What should I do?
I would see if the fibular bone is stiff in the posterior direction. That fibular bone, if it is even a tiny bit stiff, can cause what you are describing. Maybe try a new PT who has extensive manual therapy skills?
I got ankle sprain 6 weeks ago, my ankle was wrapped with elastic band. If i dont move, there’s no pain, but if i stand or walk by the injured feet, the pain level is 10. Now i am waiting for MRI. How do you think about my injury? Is that grade II or III? I dont want any surgery. How long can i recover to be normal?
I would get an x-ray or MRI. It should not really be that painful at this point if it were just a simple sprain. It would be very difficult to determine how long this would take to recover without seeing the ankle.
Hi my name is David. In 2012, I rolled my ankle while running in high school. In the 5 years since then, I have rolled my ankle countless times and it seems to happen every couple of months now. I do a lot of walking around outdoors for my job and it could be on hills, uneven ground or flat ground and my ankle just gives out and rolls. What would you recommend I do to treat this
A trip to the orthopedist is a good idea. I would also recommend structured rehab / PT to get the ankle strength and stability idealized. If you are super-motivated you could get by with only a few PT sessions for guidance. I would also get a lace-up style stabilization brace for the job walking activities. One brand that comes to mind is “Swede-O”.
I have to wear boots for my job and have been wearing just a pair of pull on boots and have been wearing a compression sleeve with those. Would a lace up ankle stabilizer fit inside of lace up boots
It might. Take a look at some of the braces online. Some of the slimmer fits might work.
Dan:
I’m a very active, Independent, worked in nursing 25+ years ago & have a high pain tolerance woman age 56. Therefore, when I went to hop out of my husband’s pickup quickly, to grab the mail for him, I found myself getting acquainted with the driveway, as I missed the side step getting out and dove in the driveway.
Yes, my pride got the best of me, because I was embarrassed of my clumsiness. My husband (who is part of Fire/Rescue) jumped out, ran over & literally carried me in the house. We acted fast with “P.R.I.C.E.”
& yes, my left foot swelled up, turned black/blue/purple, we continued R.I.C.E. and after two weeks began more movement & stretching, along with continuing wrapping it with an ACE bandage. It has now been about 6-7 weeks and though I haven’t used crutches past about 4-5 weeks and can now place flat shoes on, I am still experiencing pain at night, whenever my ankle touches covers. It’s really a pain trying to sleep, as I lay there thinking about it. I’m thinking it’s most painful at the end of the day/bedtime.
I hate to be a whiner & see a doctor now for no reason, but don’t want to wait too long and I do know it does take time for these time injuries to heal.
Any suggestions?
Thank you for your input!
The covers on the legs comment concerns me, we don’t need your ankle becoming hyper-sensitive. I would get it checked out by the MD to be safe. I do also think that you are going to have some residual stiffness in some of the ankle joints which should be addressed perhaps with some PT. It is entirely possible that you fractured the fibula.
I ruptured my atfl and cfl and partially tore my deltoid (as per MRI) whilst orienteering 8 weeks ago, am due to get out of a boot this week & hopefully get fully stuck into PT. the ankle is ridiculously stiff and achey still ( also had bone bruise to talus, calcaneous and lateral malleolus) it clicks/snaps if i am walking out if the boot (ie at night / shower) So, realistically will my ankle heal well enough to run xc and orienteer again or will i be stuck with a dud ankle for ever? I also have a physical job and have been unable to work this whole time.
That sounds like a really bad sprain. I would go through one course of rehab and see where you are. If the ligaments are fully ruptured you will at least need to be wearing a lace up brace with orienteering, probably permanently. I would try that first and see how the ankle feels. Realize that this whole process will take at least three to four months, bone bruises add significant time to rehab. If you are still super unstable after this, talk to the ankle ortho about possible ligamentous repair.
Thankyou Dan. I hope i can run again & will investigate braces
I sprained my ankle badly 4 weeks ago while jogging on an uneven surface. It was excruciating when it happened but I was able to put some weight on it the next day so assumed it wasn’t bad enough to necessitate a Dr visit. I followed RICE and have kept it wrapped with an ace bandage. I’ve stayed off my feet, and have been using crutches or an aircast brace when I can.
I can put full weight on it now but am still having a lot of difficulty walking, to the point where I can only walk extremely slowly and not with my normal gait. The swelling and bruising are mostly gone but I’m incredibly sore unless I’ve been sitting with my foot elevated literally the whole day. It also happens as soon as get up in the morning and start walking around. The soreness occurs underneath and behind the outside ankle bone and extends up the side of my leg, and sometimes the top of my foot where the ankle meets the foot. It feels like a very deep ache but feels good if I massage it lightly. I also have a clicking type feeling around the ankle bone when I do range of motion exercises, and the same type of clicking/popping feeling underneath the middle of my foot when I walk on it, which has been there since the day I got the injury. I sometimes have soreness/sensitivity to the touch but not with any regularity. Twisting the foot too far in still hurts very sharply.
Since I never went to the Dr I’m not sure what I’m dealing with. Clearly it’s worse than I originally thought, but I’m wondering if my progression sounds normal at this stage? Is it possible the soreness is more than ligament damage or would you expect the muscles to be that sore after a sprain?
My range of motion has increased significantly and I do feel like I’m improving but the length of time I’m having to rest and the level of soreness have me wondering if I’ve been stupid not to go to the Dr. at the initial injury. I haven’t gone due to financial reasons but if I’m causing long term problems by not going I will find a way to make it work. Should I be going to PT or is it not necessary? Regardless I’m planning on continuing range of motion exercises and starting strengthening exercises as soon as I can but I’m unsure if I should still rest it for now.
What would you suggest I do?
I would get an x-ray. It is possible that you have a minor fracture.
Thank you so much for your advice. I went to see a Dr (GP) who did an x-ray that showed no fractures or breaks. He told me to begin wearing an orthopedic boot and scheduled an MRI. I asked if getting an MRI is necessary (because of cost) and he said I needed one prior to PT. Does this sound correct?
I don’t think that you would necessarily need a MRI prior to starting PT, but he must have some legit reason????
I’m wondering if I should get a second opinion from a specialist since it’s such an expensive test. He is not my regular GP and was not very helpful or thorough in explaining things.
A second opinion is not a bad idea.
I sprained my ankle nearly two years ago. I was in a boot, continued to work. I have not had issues until about the last 3-4 weeks where the lateral side of my entire lower leg is painful. I have also noticed I do not have the same ROM as I do with my left ankle, I cannot plantar or dorsiflex the same degree. Putting weight on my heel is painful and occasionally I will have numbness to the lateral side of my foot. I have chalked this pain up to changing weather (yeah, sound like an old self diagnosing person!), but after researching a little further, and reading others’ posts, I wonder if there is actually something physically wrong that would benefit from some treatment and therapy. Any suggestions? Thanks much!!
I would definitely see either a PT or an osteopath. The stiffness does have some long term bad effects. My guess is that there are a few joints in the ankle that are stiff.
I sprained my right ankle three years ago.I aldo underwent a surgery to clean up the bad tissue formed around the ankle join which the doctors said might be the reason for ankle stiffness .But even after the surgery about an year ago,I still cannot perform dorsiflexion and complete plantarflexion like the other ankle .My ankle heel doesnt bend on the ground and i cannot perform a lunge kind of exrecise unlke the other ankle .Will i be able to cure this??.I perfrom exercises everyday ,but i experience pain (not unbearable ,but uneasy pain).I have had several sessions of physiotherapy to improve my ankle mobility ,but were of no use .I feel like my tendon has become short or compressed ,but during my injury there were no damages to the tendon.Reports say all the ligaments are fine .but i dont understand why has my tendon become hard and compressed and i feel that stiffness .
I am so passionate about sports,yoga and dancing ,after my injury i have lost the flexibility to perform some basic postures in dancing and yoga which demotivates me so much.Also i am unable to enjoy sports and play complete .
Was the ankle mobilized / manipulated by the PT? I do not think that doing exercises alone is enough to improve the mobility. I think that you need a lot of “hands on” type work.
Hello Dan
Thank you very much for your response
.A part of the pysiotherapy was something like where the physiotehrapist used to massage and push my ankle hard .
What is meant by hands on? type work?.Could you please name some.
Subtalar joint distraction, talocrural mobilizations, fibular mobilizations with motion are a few.
Hello,
My son (13) lightly sprained his ankle at the beginning of football season. He sat out of practice for a couple of weeks but still tried some light work. I taped his ankle, securing the ankle with the bottom strap and a few figure 8’s, and bought an ankle brace for while at school. He is now out of football and wants to start training for summer ball but says that his ankle is still lightly painful (like a 2 on a scale to 10, 10 being excruciating). I have been thinking about talking him into see the doc, but is this just normal rehab? If he ice’s and elevates along with stem would this be enough or would you recommend the doc?
Having an eval is not a bad idea.
When there’s a loss of dorsiflexion. Is there a way to gain that range of motion back through therapy or surgery?
I too cannot place my heel fully flat on the floor and it’s effecting how I walk, play sports, and function on a daily basis. Its been one year since the injury has occurred. Is it still possible to repair this function?
Yes, it might be possible to correct through manual therapy. I would see a manually based PT and have an assessment.
Hi. I sprained my ankle going down steps 3 weeks ago. I heard 3 loud pops when I stepped off of stairs. I sat there for 5 minutes in excruciating pain. I could barely put weight on it and had to hop quickly afterwards. I automatically thought it was broke from popping noises. X-ray showed no fracture. I have been on crutches for 3 weeks (now down to one) I can bare weight somewhat but it feels pretty unstable. After the first week my big toe went numb and feeling hasn’t came back. I occasionally have sharp pains and have to sit down.I go to PT 3xweek. Everytime after therapy my foot feels 10x worse! I go for MRI next week. Does this sound more like a grade 2 or 3?
Sounds like a grade 3, but MRI should be definitive.
Thank you for your response. MRI came back as Severe sprain and tendonosis or tendonitis. And bruised bone. MRI did not say anything regarding the grade of the sprain.
PT women is telling me nothing is torn according to MRI saying severe sprain. Does that sound right? Severe sprain sounds worse than a small tear. But I am also not a doctor or a PT.
A bone bruise by the way takes a long time to heal, many times up to 6 months or more.
Had an ankle fusion 20 years ago. I am 45 years old and I sprained my ankle 2 months ago same ankle, they said nothing it’s broken but after 2 months in crutches and a boot I can’t put hardly any wait and hurts really bad have done 8 weeks of PT and not improvement. What could be the reason. Or what needs to be done. Thank you.
The weight bearing tolerance should be slowly improving. If you have just come out of the boot and crutches it may take many weeks to acclimate to weight bearing. Your foot and leg are weak from the immobilization. I would start with only basic standing and walking, and then slowly work your way up.
Hi,
I play ultimate frisbee, and rolled my ankle badly when I landed after jumping for the disc at a tournament this November. At the moment it hurt so badly I did not even remember jumping for the disc (my teammates told me). I saw the club sports trainer, who recommended I self-treat with RICE, and do exercises. I did not see a doctor for it, as I could still walk, albeit slowly and painfully. Two months later, I can run, but I need to ice after, the swelling has still not come down entirely, and my ankle now aches on both sides (whereas before it was only on the outside). Additionally I do not have full range of motion, and dorsiflexion is the most painful. Also, the weirdest part is that if there is an upward force on my heel (ex: I step on a curb or stair with my heel as I walk), it is very painful, and it feels like my ankle slides forward? What could this be? Should I see an orthopedist? Or do I just continue to ice, wear support, and take Ibuprofen for the swelling (aka is it worth it for me to see an orthopedist or would the orthopedist likely tell me to continue what I am doing)?
That sounds like a bad sprain. I would at the very least see a PT about this as it sounds like you have considerable stiffness in a few of the ankle joints. Some of those joints might need to be mobilized a bit to get things moving better. The PT could evaluate you and refer you to an ortho if he or she feels if it is necessary.
Hi. I fractured my ankle around 18 months ago. It was dealt with by the hospital but I never received any physio after the cast was removed. Lately I have started running again and was having no problems. One day I did half a mile more than I had previously as I was building up my distance and as soon as I left the treadmill my ankle was sore. In the week since it has become swollen as much as it was when I fractured it and is sore and aches. It doesn’t feel like I’ve fractured it again though. Are my running days over??
I don’t think that you are doomed. I would get see a physical therapist about this. What we find here at the clinic in Washington DC is that sprains lead to stiffness in the rearfoot joints and midfoot joints. It might help to have those joints loosened up with some mobilization, the PT can do this. I would just make sure that the PT that you see is versed at doing this type of treatment.
Thanks for the reply. Would come to your clinic but unfortunately I’m in the UK so couldn’t justify the flight costs! Is there anything I can do short term to get me back on the treadmill or is it rest until the swelling goes down?
I would give it at least a week to let things calm down. I would also call around and find a PT.
I fell in a ditch back in September. X-rays showed no fracture but I couldn’t walk on it. I spent 9 weeks in a boot, did PT and another 3 weeks in a brace. I still have pain (nonstop dull pain) and I’m unable to walk without a slight limp. Dr ordered an MRI which showed bruised bone and a torn ATFL. The doctor said the tear must have been pretty bad originally to still have a tear showing on MRI. He ordered more PT. My question is how long is this going to take to heal and will my ankle ever feel “normal” again? I can’t exercise, hike or anything I used to enjoy.
Bone bruises take a long time to heal, usually 3-6 months. I would guess that some specific joints in the ankle are now super-stiff. Make sure that the PT is doing fibular mobilization (probably posterior), and possibly subtalar distractions / talocrural mobilizations. If the PT has no idea what that is, find a new PT.
I sprained my ankle badly about 5 years ago, I was on crutches for 10 days and had a limp for 6 months until I had a bit of physio which helped get most of the movement back but it is still slightly less flexible than the other ankle. I have recently noticed slight numbness and tightness on the outside of the ankle. 3 months ago I started a new job in an office that means I am sitting for about 9 hours a day and the numbness is especially bad then. Apart from that I am pretty active and walk 3 miles to and from work most days. Is the numbness likely to be due to the sprain? The only other thing I could think of would be bad circulation as my hands and feet are always quite cold
How deep is your chair? I have seen that type of numbness occur from either crossing of the legs while sitting, or having the back part of the knee pressing excessively against the seat because the seat is too deep.
it definately is so much worse when crossing my legs, sometimes it still feels slightly numb a few hours after too. the chairs are pretty deep, they arent that comfortable either
I would try to get another chair, one that is a bit smaller, and try to stop crossing the legs.
About a year and a few months I sprained my ankle and it’s lightly swollen. My ankle doesn’t hurt but i start feeling pain, if I sit in the same position for a while or if I move my ankle towards my leg.
Probably some stiffness in some of the joints of the ankle. It might be worth your time to have it checked out by a PT.
Hey I’m 21years, about 4-3 years ago i played in a regional football competition, I sprained my right ankle but the very next day we had our final so i had to play with a bad ankle, it was sore, after few weeks I got selected for the state level competition, i still had pain in my right ankle but i went there and played, i sprained my bad ankle again, it felt worst..since I have sprained my bad ankle 4-5 times.. yesterday i was playing football, i was tackled but i tried to jump and i tripped off falling on my bad ankle again! Now it’s swollen and hurts even worse..is there any possibility that I can heal my ankle back to it’s original state ? Please help
At the very least you need to be playing with a lace up ankle support brace. I would also see an orthopedist about this given that this has happened multiple times. The ankle ligaments really don’t go back to their original state once they are sprained multiple times. You might be able to rehab it.
Hello! I am a 12 year old girl that recently minorly fractured my ankle and sprained a couple muscles around the injured area. The swelling has completely gone down, there is no bruising, barely any pain when I run on the ankle, and no pain at all when I stand up. The orthopedic put me in a boot and said to keep it on for about 3 weeks, but I’m starting to question if this is necessary. I have had a past that is full of injuries that are supposed to be severe but clear up in a few days. For example, I grade 3 sprained my wrist, but with some ice and ‘active rest’, the pain/swelling/bruising cleared up in about 5 days. There isn’t any scar tissue from that injury as far as I know, as I have no problem playing instruments and writing for long periods of time. Do you think it’s OK if I ask the orthopedic to look at the ankle again? My parents and I are reluctant to do so because we were just there 3 days ago.
I would keep the boot on for the prescribed 3 weeks. You may not feel much of anything, but these types of fractures can get WAY WORSE if you put too much weight through them. I liken it to a windshield on a car that has a few cracks in it. If those cracks are not fixed it can easily lead to the whole windshield shattering. Believe me, you don’t want that.
I am female, 64 years old. 10 days ago I got a high ankle sprain, nothing broken. Felt 2 pops, just a little discomfort, but was able to finish cutting the grass. The pain and swelling started about half hour later. The Med Clinic Dr. put me in a boot and crutches. The pain and swelling are still pretty bad and I can hardly stand the pain of where the boot presses down on the ankle area. I am not wearing the boot as much because of this, but I do use the crutches. Since I’m in my second week, would a wrap be sufficient or since I’m still having pain, should I get an MRI? Also, does the ankle still need to be immobilized?
High ankle sprains can be nasty and take a few months to get over. I think that this at a minimum warrants a trip to the orthopedist or a PT. In regards to the boot, if it is killing you I would try something less bulky and still use the crutches, with a gradual increase in weight bearing as tolerated with the crutches. You should get specific timelines from a medical professional based on your presentation.
Hi there…
I sprained my right ankle quite lots of times. There will be atleast once a year. But there were minor once like I sprained while walking just with sandals (i dont wear heels). And like I stepped on something like a rock or little things on the floor. It will heal for just 2-3 days.
But the worst was when I was 16 years old when I didnt realised that my marching boot’s sole was peeled off only the heel area was still hanging on (the opening was so big) so I fell while walking on it and it takes me for around 2 weeks for me to fully heal.
and the most recent one is a minilor one when I nearly tripped on a steel that was on the floor. My ankle hurt just a little but it’s been a week already and I can still feel the pain but i shrugged it off but i’m still worried.
What should I do? Should I get an x-ray?
I think that an eval from a PT might be a good idea. With a sprains that occur over and over again, you probably need to be doing some stabilization exercises. If the PT suspects a fractures he or she might ask you to see an orthopedist to get an x-ray.
I been an athlete all my life. I have sprained my ankles many times. And, I’m wondering why they both still look like tennis balls?
Well, that is probably a product of your natural alignment and the sprains. Some people just have prominent distal fibulas. Marked sprains can also have the tendency to keep a low level of inflammation for long periods of time, and some PT’s argue that severe sprains will sometimes actually pull the fibula slightly forward, making it look a bit different.
Hi, I sprained my ankle 9 weeks ago: there was a popping sound; I iced it immediately and could put on weight after. I thought that with ice and rest it would get better. I went to doctor 5 days later as I could barely walk due to lack of strength and function. I’ve been to the GP several times since…
When I try to walk it feels like the leg isn’t “long enough” to conclude it’s movement and the calf area gets stuck at the end of the movement, the foot doesn’t bend and so I limp. I never had a lot of pain (although pain has been located in different places on the foot and lower leg) and the swelling is more visible now after 9 weeks than early on (at the end of the day and after showers). I could never walk normally again, i limp, dorsiflexion was always limited (and has regressed in the last 2w), my foot is generally very cold, I had regular episodes of numbness, tingling and spasms. This last week the foot was swelling (without increase of activity or apparent reason) and the toes started contracting a bit over themselves (like curling towards outside-under the foot). I’m walking less than 1km/day alltogether, wearing an elastic band since day 5 and elevating foot at the end of the day. I’m unable to lead a normal life while also spending a lot on taxis as my work requires regular travelling; it also requires alternating between sitting days (I’ve found a way to elevate foot) and standing for public presentations.
A bif more on the evolution:
W2-3 I mostly rested, the leg had no strength, it was often numb, swelling was not major, bruising around the ankle and during shower different areas of the foot would become purple, the foot and leg were stiff;
W4-7 I tried to progressively walk more + did your video exercises: function was still limited but there was progress on the distance I could walk and on strength, bruising disappeared by w7.
Since W 6-7 my function regressed to what I described above. At this stage the doc had suggested I stop your exercises while waiting for an r-ray and MRI.
He put me on antiinflammatories for 7 days now and is recommending a week more. I finally got an x-ray this week, which confirmed no fractures. I’m waiting for an MRI, but it can take 2 weeks; rehabilitation has been prescribed but they need the MRI first to provide it within the public health system.
I want to recover asap. Should I look for a PT on my own? Is it safe to do the exercises from your videos knowing that the x-ray didn’t show any fractures? Thanks a lot for your advice.
I think that seeing a PT is a good idea. It does sound like this is quite a sprain, so I would get the okay from an actual PT prior to doing anything substantial. The joints are most likely quite stiff and need some work done on them by the PT. I would of course say that PT now is a good idea, but if you have to wait a week or two that is not the end of the world.
Many thanks for your advice. All the best for your work and your website
I twisted my ankle during my junior year in hs, 5 years later it’s still causing me a lot of pain since I didn’t think it was that serious back then and I never got my injury treated. Could it have gotten worse since I never went to a doctor? Is it muscle or ligament injury related and would I have to get surgery done?
My guess is that you have some appreciable joint stiffness that resulted from this. I would think that this is not something that would require any surgery. I would however recommend an evaluation from a PT or an orthopedist.
Today it will be six weeks since I fell down a flight of stairs. My initial diagnosis was a grade 3 ankle sprain along with a high ankle sprain. Two weeks into this “journey” we decided to do an MRI.
Results: posterior malleolar fracture, osteochondral lesion of the medial corner of the talus, moderate effusion, tearing within the deep aspect of the deltoid ligament involving both anterior and posterior tibiotalar components, tearing of the anterior tibiobibular and anterior talofibular ligaments laterally, peritendon fluid involving posterior tibial tendon as well as flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus tendons at the planter surface of the foot.
I have be in PT 3 times a week and am still not weight bearing! When I push myself I have these horrible shock like pains (pins and needles) that shoot through my toes/foot. I am 38 with children and this scares me. With your experience is this normal?
That is a very substantial injury Heidi. In my estimation this is going to take many more months for you to get back to baseline. My advice is to try to tolerate the weight bearing as much as the doc and your PT will allow. I would also allow for a full day of rest in between workouts. This whole process will annoy you I am sure, but I do think that in another three months or so things will be looking much better.
A little over two years ago, I sprained or dislocated my right foot while walking (I’m not sure exactly what I did). I had two MRIs and several X-rays. Neither showed anything too remarkable. I also had my veins checked out, they are in excellent condition. I do have a bone spur on the top of my foot, which might indicate some arthritis. The foot swelled excessively after I injured it and while the swelling has gone down (about 50%), I still have pitting edema across my metatarsals and the right dorsal side of my right foot. I am currently seeing a PT, who has been working to mobilize all the joints in that foot. They are now moving much easier. But he is puzzled about the pitting edema that still continues to hang around. It gets worse when I sit–even for short periods, but does lessen when I prop the foot up. Today he used ultra sound therapy alternated by icing to try and get more circulation to that area. He concluded the session by applying KT tape to the swollen section. I’m just curious to hear your thoughts about other treatment ideas and whether or not you think the pitting edema sounds like something that will resolve itself given additional time. Thank you for responding.
How about a compression sock? The pitting edema could be age related? The next time you get a physical bring this up with your primary care physician. There might be a medication that could be prescribed.
I was running around my backyard without any shoes while my friend was trying to throw me in the pool. I suddenly felt my left leg go numb and when I stopped, I looked back and saw a trail of blood leading to my foot. There seemed to have been a thick tree root sticking out that I didn’t see and it penetrated thru the middle of my left foot. I was taken to the emergency room right after. The doctor cleaned it up and did an X-ray scan on my foot but nothing out of the ordinary showed. He wrapped my foot and sent me home on bed rest for two days then return to normal activity. 6 years later it causes me a lot of pain to the point where I’ve had to catch myself by putting down my right foot as fast as a I can. Sometimes I can’t walk on it and I need to have an ankle support on. Any idea what could be the problem doctor?
I would get an evaluation from an experienced physical therapist. This could be a ligamentous instability, or possibly a few joints in the ankle that are chronically stiffened from the original accident.
Hi there. I’m a 20 year old male. Almost 11 weeks ago now, I twisted my ankle very badly doing indoor climbing. I’m due to have a CT scan this Monday. When i saw my doctor 6 weeks ago he said from the x ray scan that i had after the injury, I’ve got an osteochondral defect on my talus. I’m just really scared at the moment. For a month now I have started to walk slowly without crutches but with a persistent limp, and I have pain in my talus when i do so and I’ve also started to have foot pain on the outside in the past week. I still have constant pain on the inside joint of my ankle which I believe is the talus if I’m not wrong. I’m just really scared DR as before this, playing sport and exercising is a big part of my life. I’m worried if this pain will ever go, and will I ever walk normally again without a limp and no pain. I’m also scared I will never be able to play sport like Tennis which like to do. I don’t want my life to be ruined at this age. I’m really worried that this problem is something chronic which I will have for ever. Will I be able to walk normally again like before the injury, as I’m also starting my second year of university in September, and will I still be able to play sport further down the line in the future?
Sorry I just wanted to add that I have been PT since I saw the doc 6 weeks ago. He gave me 3 exercises to do each day 3 times which I’ve been doing each day. Ankle circles, sitting toe raise, and sitting heel rise. When doing the sitting heel rise exercise in which I have my ankle and leg in a 90 degree angle, when my heel is on the ground I have a constant sharp pain in my talus, this has been the case non stop every day.
I also have a lot of clicking in my ankle as well, sometimes painful, is this worrying?
That was a pretty hefty sprain. From what you described, and with the osteochondral defect, this may take six to twelve months to rectify. You are going to have to be super patient about this. The OCD is often not a long term problem, particularly if it is not a big tear. I would also recommend a lace-up ankle brace for all sports once you are back to it.
Oh right ok, thank you very doc. So do you think eventually I will be walking normally again like I was before?
I would guess that at your age you should be able to get back to normal, but like I said, this will probably take some time.
Ok, thank you very much, appreciate it.
Hi there I am 27 year old female who has had constant pain in my right ankle.I sprained it really bad when i was 17 running up some stairs and just let it heal on its own. since then ive reinjured it a couple times but most recently was when i broke my left foot i was putting all the weight on my right ankle. I used to be pretty active but i sit for work a lot now and am noticing so many weird things just on this one leg. It goes up into the shin/calf muscle. I’ve done PT, leg stands, and i am pretty thin and try to continue to walk on it but i am now getting really bad hip pain which they discovered i have a hip impingement and i believe this is from the old ankle injury. They found that there is a tear in a ligament and calcium deposit sitting near the ankle bone in an MRI. I saw someone who wanted to do surgery and someone who said i can continue to do the stabilizing and stretching my calf muscles since you can live without these certain ligament(the one thats torn) but i feel like im going in circles and my right leg is starting to be cold all the time. Im not sure whats happening or what i should do. Like i still try to stay pretty active but last year was a hard year for me as i broke my other foot and got a concussion/neck sprain. Now im really have back and leg pains. please help!
This is a complicated case. Find a super-experienced PT in your area and get a fresh set of eyes on your problem. The hip, the ankle, and the spine all need to be taken into account in regards to intervention.
On July 1 2017, I slipped into my pond and knew instantly I hurt my ankle (not my first rodeo lol … more on that later). I went to the doctor, they said it was a sprain and it would heal in a week or two (I have high pain tolerance and was bearing a little weight). August comes around, still not improving and go in for a re-check, still say its a sprain *sigh* End of August comes and still having pain, so back to the doctors I go, finally a MRI was ordered. I receive the results few days later… two torn lateral ligaments with no sign of healing. Put into a walking boot and sent to orthopedic surgeon, surgery is scheduled November 3rd. Surgeon stated that she repaired the ligaments, took muscle that was being pinched in the joint out of the joint and removed so much scar tissue (remember this isn’t my first rodeo … apparently I am not good at rodeo’ing … lol or walking for that matter apparently) and my foot was very floppy after she removed the scar tissue.
After surgery I was in post surgery wrap, then I was put in a cast for 4 weeks and then a boot and started physical therapy. Few weeks in doing pt exercises at home rolled my ankle I had surgery on towards the inside and sprained the deltoid ligament and I was again back in my boot. Continued with physical therapy for 2 months, released.
Here is is middle of July 2018, ankle is swollen like it was before surgery (looks like half a circle sticking off my lateral ankle bone), still have pain in the ankle (behind the ankle where they “fixed” the ligaments, in front of the ankle bone and in the deltoid ligament on the posterior side). With the swelling also comes pain and i continue to have numbness about 1/2-3/4 inch above the scar. The end of the scar (closest to the toes) approximately 1 – 2 inches of it has keloid (i have other keloids from injury and surgery). The pain is very similar to the pain from before surgery. I have a lace up brace I use and that doesn’t stop the swelling, neither does compression socks; all it does is make it really tight and increases the pain. So I am in pain regardless in a brace or without a brace.
I was told that swelling would last about a year (give or take), but that there should be no pain. I wish that was true as the pain radiates down from the ankle to the outside of the foot (where it attaches) and I do limp and not walking isn’t an option (I work mental health in a jail). Elevating my foot doesn’t really help either. I know you are going to say go see your surgeon, however we have moved and with my work schedule that is not feasible and there are no orthopedic surgeons in the town i live in.
I would actually try seeing an osteopath or a very experienced, manually based physical therapist. I am guessing that there has to be some marked stiffness in your mid-foot that may be messing up your walking mechanics.
Jut got a grade 2 ankle sprain about 5 days ago. Pain is gone and swelling is way down. Bruising is now showing up but it isn’t very tender, mostly stiff. I’m trying some exercises to try and shake out the stiffness, it’s still causing me to walk a little funny. I was curious how long that would last? Also I wrap it before going to the gym and haven’t been too worried about upper body weights but I’ve kept myself seated on the bike for cardio. Would the elliptical be ok? I know I’ve got a few weeks before the stair climber and treadmill but i feel my cardio slipping. Side note: I am a little overweight, maybe 20 lbs (?) but 24 and in great health.
Also it is an eversion Sprain. Not sure if that makes a difference. I had an x ray to make sure everything was ok since I heard a fracture was common with those. Just a grade 2
It is a better idea to allow the ankle to heal for a week or two. The stationary bicycle is a good idea and should be better than the elliptical given that this sprain just occurred. It may take up to a month for sufficient healing, but let pain and swelling be your guide.
Thanks doc. Guess I’m just impatient like most. I know better than to force it, don’t want to reinjur it or make it worse.
I sprained both of my ankles playing high school basketball back to back 2 years ago.. did some stretching and strengthening but to this day they are very weak and i can’t even squat down and stay like that for over 30 seconds because they hurt and even when i sit down on my knees with my feet pointing back my feet go completely numb and that never happened before i sprained my ankles.. any recommendations because I’m started to get a little frustrated as to how much they hurt sometimes and get numb.
I would see a PT about this. It sounds like there is joint stiffness that is preventing motions in the ankle. That can be worked on.
Hi Dan,
I am having a lot of popping in my ankle 5 years after a really bad sprain. I also have pain and it causes me to have a limp. This mainly happens only when I’m on my feet for a long period of time. Such as when shopping. Any idea what might be going on?
There are probably some stiff joints in the ankle that resulted from the sprain. This may be slightly changing the way that you walk, which could easily explain what you describe. I would see a PT about this.