Ankle Problems

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hello! 3 weeks ago I slipped on ice and by my luck has it fell right on my ankle. When I fell I was able to get up without a problem, I could walk and it was sore but it was tolerable. The next day I woke up and my ankle was so swollen, the size of a tennis ball and it was painful but I could still walk. It took 4 days till I finally went a saw a doctor and they x-rayed it and said it wasn’t broken. We gave it a week and nothing got better so we asked to be seen by a orthopedic specialist, I got in, he felt my foot and said it was a classic sprain and has sent me to PT. I’ve done PT 3 times now,iced it, elevate it when I can, epsom salt baths, ibuprofen A LOT. Nothing it working and I am getting very frustrated. I wear a brace and they gave me something to put around the swelling but the pain WILL NOT go away and neither will the swelling. I work 2 jobs and it’s really interfering with my life. Will someone please give me some insight as to what is going on here.

1 like, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    What a fix and two jobs. Have you taken anti inflammatory or ask for tramadol for pain. Ice and rest the sprain will heal. It takes longer for severe sprains to heal and sometime require a cast. So be careful you don't injure the ankle more. Slow down rest at work ask your superior if there is a desk job you can do. I don't know what type of work you do but accidents happen and employers can accommodate if you ask.

     

  • Posted

    Hi Zoey!

    I would go for another opinion. The X-ray showed it was broken and the doctor is telling you it's a sprain. I would want to know for sure, either way.  You do not want to do more damage than you already have. 

    Good luck!

  • Posted

    Hey Zoey,

    Sorry to hear about your misfortune on treacherous ice-- that happened to me too.

    It sounds like you may have sustained a high grade ankle sprain-- and believe me, that is absolutely nothing to trifle with. The average medic sees a lot of the these, and in my opinion they tend to get jaded and are nonchalant about them.

    Thankfully the x-rays showed no broken bones. So you are dealing apparently with a lot of soft tissue damage- which could include stretched or torn ligaments and tendons, plus a bewildering array of other connective tissue and nerve damage. X-rays don't show soft tissue injuries well or at all. But there are some imaging tests that often can allow a trained physician to assess how much soft tissue damage exists.

    Physical therapy is essential for full recovery from severe sprains, but the exercise and activity should be appropriate for where you are in recovery. Putting too much exercise and weigt-bearing demands on an incompletely healed ankle is just begging for more trouble and lots of it for a long, long time to come.

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