Chronic worsening ankle pain, what can be done?

07-01-2009, 09:48 AM

Hello all,

I've been having ankle pain and stiffness that is getting increasingly worse over the past few years. It now has begun clicking and popping a lot as well and the more I walk or stand the more painful it gets.

I have sprained this ankle multiple times. The first time I ever sprained it I was very young and it was a severe sprain including tearing of some of the parts of my ankle. No surgery was ever done. It took me a year to have any stability in my ankle. I've had several first and second degree sprains since.

I've been trying to do gentle stretching to keep good movement in it and have tried heat, ibuprofen, and light wrapping for support. None of which have been that helpful.

My question now is what are my options for treatment at this point? I'm worried about going to the doctor in the case that it will probably just be a waste of money. I'm afraid that even if they do x-rays, MRIs, and similar diagnostic tests they will probably just say there's nothing that can be done. And I'm afraid because I am young they will say, oh well you're young you can live with it.

What would be treatment options for ankle problems like this? Are there any options? Should I spend the money for all the diagnostics, or just try to manage it on my own?

Thanks,
Liz

07-01-2009, 03:25 PM

There are lots of options available to you depending upon your diagnosis. But you really need to have a diagnosis before you can find out what those options are. There are very few conditions, if any, that can not be fixed or at least made better with surgery or bracing or orthotics or phycical therapy. If you have ankle instability there are procedures that can be done to correct that. It's possible you have a tendon tear and those can be repaired.

I know it is scary to think that you may be facing a future of pain with no options but I really doubt that is the case. Any reputable doctor will try all conservative measures before recommending surgery. In fact, insurance requires that they do ,unless it is a sudden traumatic injury. I would recommend seeing a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon. You can get a recommendation from a regular ortho, physical therapists, or if you have a local sports team you can inquire as to who they use for the team's injuries.

Best of luck to you. When you receive your diagnosis rest assured there will be someone on this board who has experienced the same thing and is willing to give you advice or answer any questions you may have.

emmie

07-02-2009, 08:09 AM

Okay, I'll see if I can get a hold of my primary physician next week and hopefully she can refer me to a good sports med doctor or orthopaedic doctor, whichever she decides is better. I do hope they don't find anything too serious, but at the same time I hope they find something that can be fixed.

I'll post you guys once I find out what's going on and the plans for treatment.

Thanks!

Liz

Chronic worsening ankle pain, what can be done?

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