I am a 22 year old runner who has been having lower leg and ankle pain for about 3 years. I recently had ankle and tib/fib MRI's to rule out a tibial stress fracture.
The findings read: stress fracture in the distal tibial metaphysis, an endosteal lesion, posterior tibial tendonitis, ankle effusion, arthrosis of the talonavicular joint, attenuation and chronic sprains of the anterior talofibular ligament and the deltoid ligament, and retrocalcaneal bursitis.
My doctor put me in a walking boot and it has been 3 weeks but the pain in my lower leg and ankle has gotten worse. The swelling and discoloration have also gotten worse. I am seeking a second opinion, but does anyone know of any other treatments that would help? Thank you!
Re: Help with treatment of MRI findings of foot/ankle
Wow Sab, that is alot going on in your lower leg area. How long did your dr. say you had to wear the boot? It should be getting a rest since it is immobilzed so I'm not sure why it would seem to be getting worse. i would seek another opinion from an sports med orthopedic. With the endosteal lesion and the stress fracture in the metaphasis though- these take a lot of time to heal. Have you ever heard of cold laser treatment? A few chiropractors use this modality and the studies show amazing results. Google info about it. The "cadillac" of the lasers is the brand "Erchonia" so that may help in your search. It will speed the healing process. There is obviously a problem in your ankle area to begin with that has caused everything. Search for a chiropractor who can adjust your feet, ankles, and lower legs once the stress fracture is healed. You need to get those joints in the right place to prevent the problem from happening again as soon as you start running. My husband is a sports chiropractor and has taken care of the local running club. It makes a HUGE difference. Let me know how it turns out. Good luck.
Re: Help with treatment of MRI findings of foot/ankle
He put me in the boot for 3 weeks. My 3 week follow-up appt. was originially today, but so far these 3 weeks haven't helped. I thought maybe the boot wasn't helping because instead of a heel to toe walking motion, every step in the boot is just a direct blow to my heel that sends shooting pains up through my ankle and lower leg. I was also curious if all of the pounding steps in the boot were worsening the fracture, since thats what caused it in the first place. I was wondering if I maybe should have been non-weight bearing these past 3 weeks due to the extensive injuries going on. I looked up a lot about this cold laser treatment..it definitely looks like something to consider, especially since I have 3 stress fxs in my other leg as well. My dad is a big chiropractor fan, so I have a good consult in his chiro about the treatment. Thank you so much for the advice! I'm getting a second opinion from my regular ortho tomorrow, so I will post his thoughts on what treatment route I should go. Thanks again!
Re: Help with treatment of MRI findings of foot/ankle
Can I ask what kind of dr. you saw? I have been having ankle pains and think I need an MRI or XRay. However, I am not sure if my family doctor can read this kind of XRay and am wondering if I should see a podiatrist? From what I have been reading about stress fractures, it seems it might be what I have.
