Posted , 7 users are following.
I have been in a walking boot for 4 months because of a bad ankle sprain. I go to physical therapy 2x a week. Go to see a different doctor because insurance tells me to. He takes me out of the boot and says if I am careful and don't think about it I won't hurt my ankle anymore. No brace, nothing. Just positive thinking. Is this normal?
0 likes, 8 replies
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caroline0774 molliebear
Posted
molliebear caroline0774
Posted
After 4 months I still have no stability and the pain is still there as well as swelling and bruising.
caroline0774 molliebear
Posted
I saw an ankle specialist 5 months after twisting mine again, there was still swelling and bruising. I have snapped the 2 main ligaments and the tendon that runs around the outside of my ankle, I had also had snapped the repair done in 2009 using a tendon from my calf.
I was in a boot for 10 weeks and I have been in an aircast brace since January.
When I saw my consultant at my local large hospital he said it was to complex for them and I was referred to an ankle specialist in London.
He said that my ankle was completely unstable and that he was going to have to operate to stabilise it. He is going to remove bone shards (the ligament pulled bone off), repair the tendon and insert an arthrex brace into my ankle.
It was due to happen 3 days ago but unfortunately it's been postponed now until after the summer (as I have kids).
I believe that once you have reached that level of instability, there's not much you can do to stabilise without surgery. I honestly hope that that's not the case for you.
molliebear caroline0774
Posted
Me too. He had told me it's stable enough but whenever o take a step it rolls outward. I didn't have any bone pulled off. It just isn't healing the way my workers comp doctor expected. So he referred me to a podiatrist who told me positive thinking would be the best medicine. So I'm without a brace or boot till I can get them to approve another consult
rose71920 molliebear
Posted
I had a grade 3 sprain almost 2 yrs ago. 2 docs told me that it was just a bad sprain and it would heal. It didn't. Third specialist did an MRI and yes, I had a lot of damage.
I had torn ligaments and tendons on my right ankle and broken cartilage on my left first joint .
He told me there was no repairing them and it would just continually get worse.
Now, everyone is different. But for me the pain was just to much. He also said as most specialists do now, "You will know when its time for a repair of those tendons and ligaments." He told me to grade the pain... a being great and f being can not live with it any longer. Said when it gets to a C- to a F you want to start considering the surgery.
I have had 3 now and the ligament /tendon repair/ reconstruction was tough. Not going to lie. And it was doing very well and now seems to be almost back to square one. But I consider the weather affecting it now.
I do a lot of swimming in my pool and I exercise it daily. This might help you for right now.
If you have instability you may want to reconsider the surgery to sooner than later. You could fall again.
Take care,
Rose
heidi20884 molliebear
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kim23026 molliebear
Posted
Ridiculous - under that positive thinking premise, I would definitely be thin and filthy rich. No medical opinion to give, but if it were me, I would wear the boot based on how I felt, pain level. If your instinct is screaming this is not right, it's not.
kpower molliebear
Posted
You apparently have a badly damaged ankle that has had zero healing since your injury. Even wearing a walking boot for 4 months does not seem to have made a difference (it should have helped win you some time to allow injured ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, and any other soft tissue that is packed to the gills in your ankle/foot region to heal themselves).
Since your MRI shows a rupture, not a complete tear of those 2 ligaments I would say there is hope yet that they can be repaired through the natural process instead of a risky surgery. But the devil is in the details as always and you have provided only meager details-- so who really knows.
If it were me in your shoes (and knowing what I know now from experience) I would make it my complete focus and be entirely dedicated to getting my ankle back (that is, if you really want a serviceable ankle and mobility for life). There are a lot of modalities that could help, including but not limited to physiotherapy, targeted nutrition, PEMF, PRP, prolotherapy, stem cell therapy, and so forth.
If you would really rather not put in much effort and leave it all to conventional medicine (surgery and drugs) that is your personal choice too. But choose wisely.