Posted , 5 users are following.
I broke my ankle in June of this year. I had an operation and a plate / screws have been attached. I have had physio and I do the exercises everyday, I still have pain in my ankle. Would you say this is normal after 4 months ?
0 likes, 7 replies
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diane_41179 paul18787
Posted
Hi Paul, it is normal to still have pain, discomfort, nerve pain and some swelling. I’m at wk 28 post op. I have 1 plate and 6 screws. I was hit head on by a drunk driver. I also have a bone bruise on my right knee and broke my left hand. I’m now walking in tennis shoes (Brooks) with a cane for assistance. I have a lot of stiffness still as well as pain. I go to pt 2 times a week and have been now for 2 months. My range of motion is limited and so is my walking stride. The hardware is limiting it as well as causing pain. My surgeon already mentioned taking the hardware out after the first of the year. I see him this morning so hopefully my bones have completely fused now that I’ve been weight bearing. They weren’t yet in October. Anyhow try to take things easy. Continue to ice and elevate if need be and give your body the time it needs to heal. Not every break or recovery time is the same. Also continue to keep your dr informed of any changes you are concerned about. You will find great support in this forum. Best of luck and full recovery to you! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
deb42707 paul18787
Posted
Hi Paul,
So sorry to hear of your injury, ankle injuries are just plain nasty. I had an ORIF broken fibula, dislocation and torn ligaments in mine almost 15 weeks ago. Had a plate and eight screws but two have been removed, guess the rest stays in there barring any further complications.
I too am a few weeks into physio and now just about completely out of the air cast and shuffling along with a cane. I am still swelling, the colour is still a little bit off but it's not overly painful, at least nothing a couple of tylenol can't fix, but of course, everybody is different.
Are you icing at all or elevating it after you do your exercises? I find if I make a point to elevate my foot after shuffling around that seems to help.
I found that when I was at rest, I was really able to gage my healing. I hope your pain soon subsides and you are feeling better very soon.
Patience (still looking for mine...lol) and perseverance ... makes for steady progress!
Best of luck in your recovery Paul!
Deb
paul18787 deb42707
Posted
Hope all goes well with you. My questions is that after I do my exercises at home everyday my foot/ankle starts to hurt and swells up in size. Do I continue with the exercises and work through the pain barrier ?
Help please.
Thanks
Paul
deb42707 paul18787
Posted
Hi Paul,
I've found that if I start to feel too much pain or discomfort doing a specific exercise, I will go on to another one and then if I can, return to the original one.
You have to work thru some discomfort and pain but not anything that becomes intolerable.
Just keep plugging at it, it eventually gets easier. Don't get discouraged
Deb
paul18787 deb42707
Posted
TeresaF paul18787
Posted
kpower paul18787
Posted
Hi Paul,
It's really hard to say what is 'normal' for your recovery without knowing pertinent facts about your case, such as severity, location, and number of bone breaks, plus whether there are other important complicating factors like amount and type of soft tissue damage (ligaments, tendons, nerves, other connective tissue, etc.)
Some patients have more grief than others due to the above and other relevant issues (including age and preexisting conditions).
I would venture to say that experiencing ankle pain only 4 months after injury is not unusual at all. Indeed, if you go back in the archives you will encounter patient accounts of ongoing pain of various levels/kinds many, many months later.
Regrettably, some unfortunates never regain normal ankle function and pain-free living. These compromised individuals sometimes seek remedial surgery at a later date (like ankle fusion) in an attempt at relief.
This is why, ever since I had my ankle injury, I have preached about the need for ankle patients to aggressively treat their injured ankle with zeal to help ensure a full recovery and return to life they lead before their accident.
By treating the injured ankle I don't necessarily mean with ice and narcotic painkillers but rather with special nutritious diet, rest, protecting ankle from overuse and further injury, applying increasingly challenging ankle physical therapy, and whatever else it takes to regain health.
I wish you a full recovery.