hurt ankle / can't move toes

[paw]

Sheppy, it really sounds like you need a support just to keep yourself safe. It could be just an elastic support or it might be something rigid, your doctor or orthotics person should be able to advise you. I wore an elastic support for years after the ankle fracture. It just helped hold it together so I could walk more. With it on I did a lot of walking. With it off I was too unstable and it hurt because I was straining it with every step so even though doctors don't like people to use supports for a very long time it was the only way I could keep active. I had two little children so it was not an option to rest it as much as I should have.

Try out different supports and see what works and helps you feel your best. Your needs may change as it gets stronger and heals.

[meggy.nut]

Sheppey: I hope you'e feeling better.

An Update: I'm still waiting for an MRI, but its finally scheduled. For January 27. (I've been trying to get one since October!) I was non-weight bearing for nearly two months, and no improvement. I have since torn the ATFL in both ankles, and most likely the cartilage in the left one. The new lace-up braces (from ortho appointment) are helping alot. I'm able to walk a fair amount now, and even resting is less painful. So, some improvement and a few more injuries.

Hope everyone feels better soon.

[sheppeyescapee]

This morning i decided to try going for a short walk using my crutches and made it to the end of my very short road before my left ankle subluxed. stupid me didnt realise so tried to "push through the pain".

Later on the other ankle decided it also would sublux. Have taken tramadol and even that isnt helping. My toes are throbbing and ankles really hurt

i feel mad at myself for pushing myself so hard. my ankles have been a big problem for as long as i can remember.

[DeeNJai]

sorry to hear that you hurt your ankles, maybe once you arent in so much pain maybe just do to your gate and back and then increase over a few weeks by going one gate at a time.
Dee

[paw]

This is one case where pushing through pain isn't a good idea. I kept injuring my ankle over and over after the fracture. Keep wearing the support and take it easy with the walking.

[meggy.nut]

By the time I got my MRI, my ankle was apparently fine. But the left is still so swollen there is no contour around the bone at all, to the point where it looks like I don't have an ankle bone! But all the ortho said was its from the minute tears and injuries I incur by walking with loose joints. But nothings wrong.

The good news is that as long as I wear my splints, I'm able to go on short walks outside and use my wheelchair less.

But my ankle has now been swollen for over five months. Any ideas?
Thanks again.

[sheppeyescapee]

Due to bad planning on my part I ended up having to walk the whole of the day Friday and Saturday. Saturday we were at the big protest and I pushed myself way too hard, through the route my knee kept going and my ankle was out of place too. Today my ankle is absolute agony and I can't put any weight on it, I get a sharp pain in my ankle up the side of my leg. Also I think I pulled a muscle just behind my knee/the underside of my thigh which hurts when I try to stand on that leg too. I'm struggling to even get about my flat today. The ankle is the same one that I did in the original post, each time it gets hurt the intensity of the pain is increased Just as I think it's healing up I go and hurt it again

[paw]

Meggy.nut after my ankle fracture my ankle swelled and I did not take a step without pain for four years. Yes, it took forever to heal. It wasn't helped that I had two young children and I had to be active, go to school and all the activities and shopping for a family. I just wore the support and when it got to the point that the swelling made the support too tight I had to sit down and put the ankle up. I took off the support due to the tightness, it was getting in the way of blood flow.

I know more now than I did then. I would get a better support. Mine was not much good at all. It made it just a little harder to turn my ankle, it didn't keep me from doing it though. I would see a different doctor for a second opinion if I wasn't happy with my healing. Honestly I don't know what another doctor would have done in my case to make me heal faster.

Sheppy, do you have an aircast boot? Mom and my daughter both used them for broken feet. It did the job for them and the fact that you can take it off to bathe is very important. They didn't get the dry skin and itching that you get in a cast. A couple people on this board have reported being able to dislocate even in an aircast. That's impressive but not in a good way. I think it is definitely worth trying though and don't even think of walking around the flat without a good support that won't allow you to turn your ankle. Just a quick walk to the toilet is all it would take to reinjure it and you have to start the healing all over. (Been there, done that several times)

Try to keep positive though. It took several years but I worked back up to walking miles and miles. One summer I was keeping track of my walking and every day was over 5 miles and many days were in the 10 - 15 mile range. It did make the ankle swell, it always will but I beat that stupid broken ankle eventually. My walking is limited now due to my hips. The ankle is doing quite well.

[sheppeyescapee]

I don't have an aircast boot, but it seems like it would be a good idea to get one. Thanks for the suggestion

[sheppeyescapee]

I went to see my GP about the ankle as it hasn't really got all that better since I did it back in October. I've had a referral to the musuloskeletal team in Southmead hospital to see a foot and ankle specialist. The main problem seems to be damage to the peroneal tendons, a snapping like feeling and also a tearing feeling in the achilles tendon Achilles tendonitis was diagnosed back when I was a teenager and has come up time and time again. My ankles have always had the tendency to roll outwards, I've sprained my ankles every few weeks as long as I can remember.

[paw]

Sheppy my doctors said I wouldn't heal with pins in the ankle. That allowed the bones to heal in the right places over about 4 months. The tendons and ligaments were all ripped to shreds and they had to be reattached and sewn in place. That is the part that took me a good 4 years to heal. That sounds quite grim but now that ankle is fairly strong and I used to walk miles and miles on it after it healed. I don't walk much now due to other joints. The ankle is intact. It does still twist sometimes but not too badly and sometimes it swells and aches.

Keep after your doctors to actually do something. All this waiting to see if it would heal on it's own hasn't done the job. Pins might be the only way you can get it to heal.

[meggy.nut]

Paw - I saw another ortho doctor this week, and after he subluxed my feet a few times, he said there was nothing torn or ripped. Apparently all that's wrong is my left ankle is incredibly weak. He said to do physical therapy, especially balancing and standing on one foot...which should be interesting. Dizzy spells go so well with balance.
He said it was very common for swelling and chronic (possibly severe) pain for a very long time after a bad ankle sprain. Oh, goody.
Hope everyone is doing better, and thank you for the replies - they help me so much.

[sheppeyescapee]

Ended up ordering this - http://www.physiosupplies.com/acatalog/ ... alker.html last night. Should arrive sometime during the week. My left ankle is still pretty unstable. Subluxed when I put my weight on it getting out the car earlier, and it is also very snappy too. When I was on the bike at the gym it felt like something snapped over the ankle bone

[star gazer]

Hiya sheppeyescapee, my daughter used an air cast for about six months after an accident when she fainted, as she went down the foot stayed put and completely over flexed in the process. she had been in a wheel chair for a while then onto crutches but found them difficult, but once in the air cast was able to pump it up to correct pressure to support foot,and was able to walk quite comfortably with it, she did try to rush things as she was a ballet dancer, it sort of healed but has not really been quite right, although she manages without any support wahtso ever atm every now and again the foot goes blue and swells (probably bruising from another injury).
Can I throw in my ankle on this thread, I asked my g.p if I could have an xray because r ankle has major problems, really bad nerve pain down thru to big toe and next two toe and numb across top of foot. sometimes can't rotate at ankle as it is too painful and feels stuck the pain is huge then it clicks and the pain is relieved, if there is pin and needles and nerve type pain would there be a risk of nerve damage if the foot is not seen to, and would an xray show the problems if the smaller bones are out of place.it's he main cause of pain atm apart from back so walking is limited to indoors and only a short distance. outdoors it kicks in straight away. Anyway g.p not keen on another xray because have had quite a bit of exposure recently via scans and xrays. would a referral to an orthopod help?
thanks hope the air cast does the job
star gazer

[star gazer]

just looked at the link sheppeyescapee. slightly different to an air cast but looks really good, have added it to my favourites