Sprained ankles? Still hurts after 15 months

[cdf450]

Just wondering what you guys know about sprained ankles? I've been crashing bikes hard for over 20 years and have never had a serious injury.

 

June of 2015 I was walking with work boots on. Twisted my ankle very bad. Heard three pops. Got x Rays. No broken bones. Couldn't put weight on it for two months. walked with a bad limp for two more months. This is the worst injury ive ever had in my life and longest lingering. The pain was incredible and this is NOT healing.

 

It's been 15 months now and it still hurts a lot at times. Even when just laying down. My Achilles gets that weird feeling where it needs to click or pop about 6 times a day. And i NEED to Pop it. It's torture if i don't. so I need to do this weird certain maneuver with my foot and leg to get it to crack.

 

Anyone else here have something similar? Or any advice? Do I need surgery? Or is this once again, the first time someone's ever heard of this? (Story of my life).

 

 

 

[CR250_182]

I assume those are pictures from right after? Anyway, I've always heard sprains CAN be worse than breaks (can not always). Soft tissue injuries take longer to heal, and they don't typically heal as strong, opposite of how breaks typically heal as strong or stronger.
My advice, although I have no medical experience would be talk with a doctor again and see what they say.

If everything still checks out work on mobility. I've had some pretty bad sprains, and I still feel them, but it isn't nearly as bad after I've worked with it. Wear shoes with minimal heel/toe drop, work on your ankle mobility. Stretch, massage. I'd definitely recommend looking up some Kelly Starrett mobility videos if your doctor says the ankle is "ok" it just needs more time, but you want to try to speed things up.

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[Beta300REcat]

Torn ligaments and or damaged cartilage. Get a CT scan or an MRI.

My ACL surgery had me running in way less time than that.

[cdf450]

Ugh. Did I mention I'm extremely queasy and even reading your posts made me feel sick!! I can't take doctors touching it and hurting it. Not looking forward to what's ahead.

I've got a one month job coming up. Then I'll be going to the doctor. I'll keep you guys updated!

I havnt done a single minute of stretching or physio or anything to be funny honest.

[Goatse]

The clicking is probably a torn sheath (or whatever they're called) that one of your tendons glides (or used to) for your ankle. I rode off 12-15' a cliff last New Year's Day, and tweaked my ankle good. It ended up tearing up one of those sheath things (I'm not a doctor) and my ankle cracks LOUD now many times a day. Like yours, it gets caught and I have to snap it. It's actually the tendon getting caught on the edge of the joint because it's not kept in the properly line any more. The cracking sound is it snapping over the edge of the bone.

The pain still being around is probably from you being too easy on it. Like mentioned above, you need to get to some physio. Get it moving, get it stretching, and get some blood flowing to it. You tore more than just the tendon sheath (again, not a doctor), you probably tore tendon and ligament too. I tore a bunch of them in my hand in a crash and it was over a year before I was back to probably only 80%. It's years later and it's probably only 90% or so still. Tendon and ligament injuries F'n suck.

[cdf450]

That literally made me feel sickens queasy to read!!!! Ugh. I hate this. Wish I would of broken a bone!!

 

 

I once had a chiropractor show me On a map where he was gonna pop my back and I fainted. My stomach is way too weak. I remember being young and watching videos on YouTube with my brother of people getting hurt and one guy broke bones in his arm and I passed out right in the computer chair.

 

I havnt been crazy on it. I mean I went back to work and barely limped and hobbled around for a few months. And ive been biking since and having it be pretty sore after most rides.

 

I definitely need to see a doctor and have it scanned again. I feel like this will be a lifelong Injury if I don't address is sooner than later

 

I would rate my ankle at 60% ish after 15 months. It's seriously scaring me. I hope I don't need to deal with this for the rest of my life.

 

 

[YZF1825]

I did the EXACT same thing. Looked just like that and ya still hurts like hell couldn't put weight on it for 2 months either. It will get better.

[DrMark]

There are at least two ligaments that are torn.  You need to see a doctor and get an X-ray.

 

[cdf450]

YES!! thank you Dr Mark. you were the guy I was hoping to hear from.

 

what would an xray do?   how would that help me with torn ligaments?

 

I had an xray done on day two (June 15 2016 when it happened)... mainly looking for breaks I suppose and it came back pretty good. no breaks.  I was on crutches for strictly a week. was IMPOSSIBLE to put any weight on it and limp around/tough it out.     even removing the tensor bandage in the morning so I could shower hurt a LOT for the first two months!    should I have another xray done now that its been over a year?

 

I mean I rode the redbull rocks and logs course the other day.  I just cant rotate or move my ankle much. it is somewhat strong though.  I think not moving it much makes it a tad sore, but so does using it lots.

 

the pain has been extreme and not wanting to go away.  it hurts up the inside of my ankle, right beside that ankle bone bump.

 

ive got a month of work coming up and then I am going to a doctor about this. I cant see it getting better at work. 

[YZF1825]

I did mine this last June and it is still really sore. I broke the right side and dislocated everything else and stretched legaments. They say nothing else is wrong with mine but i find that very hard to believe. The only time it doesn't hurt is when my ankle had a moto boot around it.

[cdf450]

How did you do yours? I've got skateboard buddies that have rolled theirs very bad too. Wayyyy more bruising than me and looked way worse. They're fine and painless after 2-4 months though.

Why is mine so damn bad?

I never even broke any bones. I wish.

[YZF1825]

I have 34. I did mine at work pouring concrete. I stepped over the stem wall and put my weight down on in even ground. Looked EXACT to yours.

[DrMark]

after 15 months, I would get an X-ray ($45) to determine if you already have arthritis

[YZF1825]

45$ where the &%$#@! do you live?

[cdf450]

It'll be $0 for me tomorrow morning. Canada.

[cdf450]

went and got xrays today. 80 minutes in and out and was free.   a little nurse kinda held my ankle and bent it in each direction and noted if there was any pain... thats it. pretty basic if you ask me. then got 3 x rays.  waiting to hear back on the results now, and start physio october 17th.

Edited September 6, 2017 by cdf450

[SMarquez]

I have a pretty much destroyed ankle right now from years of sucking it up and getting back on it. There are some people in the medical field suggesting more aggressive treatment of sprains to include casting. What happens with enough sprains is over time you end up with an unstable ankle and then the joint itself starts wearing like a knee and the only fix after a while is a fusion. I suppose you could do an ankle replacement but it seems like they work best on sedentary lightweights. my ankle MRI lists stuff I can't pronounce but the highlights are 

Posterior tibialis tendon and the deltoid ligament complex are not visualized, like secondary to chronic full thickness rupture.

Chronic high grade partial thickness tear of the anterior talofibula ligament and chronic sprain of the calcaneal fibular ligament are present. 

You need to get with a really good foot ankle specialist but I don't know how that will work out for you in Canada.