I sprained my ankle almost 3 months ago now and it has still not healed what should I do?

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i sprained my ankle in September and it is now mid-December and i still cannot walk. I have had x-rays taken twice and we are positive nothing is broken, but my ankle still has trouble with weight bearing. I initially went to the doctor and was told i had torn my anterior talofibular ligament and that it should heal in about 3 weeks. After about 6 weeks i noticed the pain was progressively getting worse and decided to get a second opinion. there they took more x-rays and said that nothing was broken and i should be walking by now. they told me that i was perfectly fine and that due to the fact that nothing was broken, there was nothing i could damage by walking on it and that maybe my foot was just stiff. They literally expected me to walk out of there as if they had just magically gotten rid of my pain and i had been faking it this whole time. They sent me over to a physical therapist after seeing i clearly couldn't walk yet. i have gone to several appointments with my therapist and notice the pain is getting much worse, and much sharper. I had also been feeling a shock-like pain in my big toe and the front of my ankle, and i noticed there was a spot on my foot that when pressed, caused the same shocking pain leading up to my big toe. along with a popping sound in my ankle every time i took a step. after letting my pt know, she said it was just due to stiffness. i am in pain, and although i have begun limping around, i can only take a few steps before it begins to hurt again. and i can only stand for about 3 minutes. Should i get a 3rd opinion? neither of the doctors have mentioned an mri, but i feel like i might need one. I think its been far too long and far too painful for it to be just a sprain, and i feel like my pain is constantly being dismissed. please please please please help, or let me know what you think i should do or what you think might be wrong with my ankle. (sorry for the lengthy post)

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5 Replies

  • Posted

    It could be that nothing is broken but you could have a tear in there. Typically they want you to try PT and shots and what ever else before they will do an MRI. But that should be what you ask for next.

    Just dont be surprised if you have to have a surgery to repair your ankle. Sounds exactly what I had.

    Good luck!

    • Posted

      Hi Rose, thank you for mentioning that surgery might be an option! and thank you for replying!

      2 months later and i am 3 weeks post-op and already feeling a bit better.

      I ended up going to yet another doctor who immediately said i would need an MRI (i didn't even have to beg for it). that same night, i got the MRI, and the next day i got a call from the doctor who said i had a high grade tear in my atfl and cfl, and a ruptured peroneus brevis tendon along with a stretched deep peroneal nerve. He told me to stay off of it and referred me to a podiatrist who would let me know what to do next. A few days later i saw the podiatrist and he confirmed that my best and pretty much only option now would be to get it surgically repaired. I got surgery on January 28th , and i am now in a cast. I'll only be in a cast for 4 weeks before i can switch to a boot and start physical therapy again!! I am very glad everything is finally getting resolved, and i am very grateful to finally be healing.

    • Posted

      Hi Madilyn,

      While I'm sorry to hear you had surgery , I'm glad its behind you now! You were diagnosed exactly what I had in my ankle , not fun but now you'll be able to heal!

      Best of luck!

      Rose 😃

  • Posted

    I did the same & after 4 months & multiple x-rays I finally got a MRI. I had broke the talar bone. This bone is in the middle of your ankle. usually you will end up with a talar dome lesion that requires surgery to repair since the cartilage has been damaged.

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