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Low ankle sprain, or what?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 4:46 pm
by MoapaPk
Any ideas? Here's the problem:

About 11 days back, after a day of sitting in planes and rental cars, I walked across 5' of lawn and had a sudden sharp pain on the outside of my right foot, in the area indicated by the green mark below:
Image

The pain is hard to localize; it is obviously referred, but is perhaps a little forward (toward the toes) of the green mark.

A day later, I was limping a bit, but took to walking in tight figure 8s, then when the pain subsided, I was able to run 6 miles without pain. I ran two more circuits (6 and 4 miles) in the next week, without significant pain while running -- but I had occasional, sudden sharp tweaks in the same spot, when I put weight on my foot and more or less stood on the outside edge.

I thought the problem was gone, but yesterday I twice reactivated the injury by the same means, and both times, the pain largely went away as I walked.

Today I was able to use a wobble board; initially the pain was sharp, but then went away as I went clockwise on the board. The pain is more noticeable if I go counter-clockwise.

I've had just one real ankle sprain in my life (Nov 2009), and that was a bad grade 2, with high-ankle symptoms and lots of bruising. I've reinjured that same ankle slightly, 2x between then and this recent injury, but I've never felt pain this "low" in the foot.

My right foot is partly paralyzed, and I have foot drop which makes it more prone to injury than the left; usually I keep good conscious control over my foot position, but am inclined to forget if I have been sitting or talking for a long time.

Thanks-- will try to see a doctor this week. I'm supposed to go on a trip this Saturday, and am trying to decide if this is something that will hinder me a lot.

Re: Low ankle sprain, or what?

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:29 am
by MoapaPk
"Or what" -- X-rays show a fractured ankle. My doc calls me the "toughest guy I know" for running on a fractured ankle... but I'm thinking that "stupidest" is more appropriate.

A month without the mountains... how will I survive?

Re: Low ankle sprain, or what?

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 3:49 am
by Sarah Simon
Yikes! Wishing you a speedy recovery.

I have been dealing with what I think is a shin splint the past few weeks. I thought only "kids" got these (I got them in basketball and volleyball during my growth spurt) but it seems mountain-climbing adults as well as runners are prone to them, as well. I am finally going to the doc early next week.

So help me if she says "No mountains" for a month... :( BAH!

Sarah

Re: Low ankle sprain, or what?

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 4:44 pm
by MoapaPk
I'm going to get more X-Rays-- this feels so much better when I exercise, that I have to wonder about the diagnosis.

Re: Low ankle sprain, or what?

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:01 pm
by MoapaPk
Update-- a specialist read the X-Rays and said the fracture was old and healed-- probably from my 2009 injury (which was apparently worse than I thought). Exercise definitely makes this better; I probably have scar tissue and "encapsulation" around a previously torn ligament. I went up Mt Agassiz two days after seeing the specialist. Ankle still hurts a bit from time to time, but movement and ibuprofen remove most pain.

Re: Low ankle sprain, or what?

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:50 am
by e-doc
Looks to be the anterior talo-fibular ligament. Ibuprofen (or any NSAID) good. Wrap also. Remember ice. In 2008, I had same as your 2009 injury; high ankle sprain, tore my lateral ligmants pretty bad and a fractured proximal fibula. My ankle still swells and gets stiff.