Ignore the docs or not?

boymomthree

I would never suggest ignoring the docs, but sometimes they don't give us enough credit for working through issues. I have not actually broken anything, but my knees are not in great shape due to lots of running and jumping as a kid and in highschool. For years I had pain and swelling if I did anything beyond walking. My ortho suggested working to strengthen the muscles around my knees to reduce the stress on the knee joint. I have been working on that. I'm now able to jog a little without pain. I'm working slowly to increase my tolerance. It may be you need to really concentrate on conditioning and strengthening first and then slowly build up to running. I'm assuming you wear a brace on the ankle. If not, I would see about wearing one. Maybe talk to your doc about x-rays so you know what kind of damage you have and then more done later to compare and see if you are causing more damage.

This is what I was looking for...some encouraging news from someone that has worked through some of their physical issues. Thank you for your reply and respect! I am just looking for something that I can do outdoors. I do go to the gym, use DVDs at home and the treadmill at home, it just gets boring. Looks like I am getting back into mountain biking. I played basketball through jr and high school and was hoping to get back into condition to play again as an adult.

SallieBeige

Tue 08/30/11 09:08 PM

QUOTE:

Absolutely! Ignore the extreme pain, swelling and the advice of people who went to school for a godless number of years to learn about the human body and keep running!

That's what any same person would do.

Maybe I am not making my question clear or you just feel like being snarky, either way, I now see why so many MFP friends say they never post on the community pages anymore.

Perhaps she wasn't trying to be snarky - I thought she was trying to help you to see the alternative from another angle.
Just a thought.

jillybeanruns

What I am wondering is if anyone out there was told they could not do something but found help to work through whatever ailment they suffer from and can now do exactly what they were told was impossible.

Read my above post. You can always PM me...I went through some lengthy rehab, and am now fighting through some stuff. But to me it's worth it...some days I can't run, so I listen to my body. Other days I feel like a million dollars. Not running is not an option for me. Simply put.

jmruef

What I am wondering is if anyone out there was told they could not do something but found help to work through whatever ailment they suffer from and can now do exactly what they were told was impossible.

I guess it's possible that people have been told one thing and gone and done it anyway - doctors, of course, aren't perfect and sometimes do make mistakes. They diagnose and make prognoses based on their experience and education; you either trust it or you don't. I have a really good relationship with my doctor, so I trust the treatment options she gives me.

If you're really set on running/being athletic, please consult a doctor/physical therapist and please listen if they tell you it's not going to happen. A therapist can give you strengthening exercises...but will only do so if they feel like your goal isn't going to cause long term damage. Chronic pain / long term joint problems are something to be aware of and prevent NOW.

It's hard when you want to be active, but it's really not worth the long term risks.

Qarol

Pain is not a good thing. Pain is your body's way of telling you something is WRONG! You may simply have to accept the fact that you can no longer do some of the things you used to. But low impact workouts can be just as fun.

boymomthree

Tue 08/30/11 09:08 PM

QUOTE:

Absolutely! Ignore the extreme pain, swelling and the advice of people who went to school for a godless number of years to learn about the human body and keep running!

That's what any same person would do.

Maybe I am not making my question clear or you just feel like being snarky, either way, I now see why so many MFP friends say they never post on the community pages anymore.

Perhaps she wasn't trying to be snarky - I thought she was trying to help you to see the alternative from another angle.
Just a thought.

True. Just came off that way. I would have a hard time reading my original post and not be sarcarstic in my response as well.

ninerbuff

I broke my ankle on both sides 6 years ago and it is still painful a lot of the time. (I also have bad knees). I keep trying to run on it and it swells so bady it's shocking and very painful. I have been told by doctors, physical therapist and sports massage therapists that I will never be able to run like before. I joined a basketball team last year and was unable to finish out the season because of the extreme swelling and pain. I couldn't even get my shoes off without a lot of pain and effort after games and couldn't wear shoes for a day or so after. I certainly am not the only person out there to have broken an ankle so I am wondering what you guys think. Do I keep trying or am I just causing more damage?

Go to a orthopedist and get a full run down on what the problem is. It's obvious that there's still something wrong in the joint. Good luck.l

ehlertmartha

Please. Listen to your doctors (and your body) - the swelling and intense pain afterward is your body's way of saying "NO! We can't do this!".

From someone who has ignored doctor's advice, didn't listen to her body during an injury, etc...

Please. Don't do it. It isn't worth the long term pain.

agreed

ninerbuff

What I am wondering is if anyone out there was told they could not do something but found help to work through whatever ailment they suffer from and can now do exactly what they were told was impossible.

Well my old doc told me to stop doing seated military presses because it puts pressure on the low back. Yet he says squats if done correctly are fine. Lol, I use a hellava lot more weight on squats than I do military presses and both put pressure on the low back.
Still have sciatica though, but it gets worse if I don't exercise.

ktbug82

Sadly, your doctors are probably right. With age your bones won't heal like they should or would've years ago. If it is painful and swells when you run you definitely shouldn't be running on it. You may end up fracturing your ankle again. You can always go see another doctor and get a second opinion.

VickiMitkins

I would never suggest ignoring the docs, but sometimes they don't give us enough credit for working through issues. I have not actually broken anything, but my knees are not in great shape due to lots of running and jumping as a kid and in highschool. For years I had pain and swelling if I did anything beyond walking. My ortho suggested working to strengthen the muscles around my knees to reduce the stress on the knee joint. I have been working on that. I'm now able to jog a little without pain. I'm working slowly to increase my tolerance. It may be you need to really concentrate on conditioning and strengthening first and then slowly build up to running. I'm assuming you wear a brace on the ankle. If not, I would see about wearing one. Maybe talk to your doc about x-rays so you know what kind of damage you have and then more done later to compare and see if you are causing more damage.

This is what I was looking for...some encouraging news from someone that has worked through some of their physical issues. Thank you for your reply and respect! I am just looking for something that I can do outdoors. I do go to the gym, use DVDs at home and the treadmill at home, it just gets boring. Looks like I am getting back into mountain biking. I played basketball through jr and high school and was hoping to get back into condition to play again as an adult.

Glad to provide some encouragement. I hope you reach your goals. I was on the track team in high school. No backetball though - too short and can't shoot. I do want to stress taking it very slow. In addition to the knee issues, I have shoulder issues. I have had two shoulder surgeries in the last five years (rotator tear and impingement). You can sometimes push too hard to fast. I did that with the right shoulder about 9 months after the second surgery. I thought I was good to go and started lifting weights and doing lots of yoga. Boy was I wrong. Had to stop for over a month because I pushed to fast. I almost thought I had torn it again. I'm doing well now, but it taught me a lesson about patience.

boymomthree

Patience is a good virtue. I made a couple of appointments with specialists today for new opinions. A lot of the problem has been going it alone due to not having insurance for years. For this minute we have some, not great, but better than nothing, so I figure I better get on the ball and use it.

pinkgigi

I suffered through 3 months of physio after a very bad sprain of my ankle last year. It wasn't getting any better, and it was costing me a fortune. Eventually I had an ultrasound which found I had a small haematoma that had calcified.

I gave up the physio and took up Bikram yoga, and immediately got relief. It probably isn't the yoga as such, but the stretching and all the standing on one leg has eased the injury and strengthened the ankle. Where I had pain and swelling, now I just occasionally get a twinge.

I also do a lot of cycling, which didn't aggravate the injury, but helped me keep fit until I got full use back. Good luck!

GG

VickiMitkins

good luck!