Have you broken an ankle?

CallieM15
CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I broke my ankle on Feb 26th 2012. Tore all the ligaments around my ankle, and broke a bone in my foot. I was on crutches and in a cast for a while. So its been 5 months. Probably once a day ill step and be in utter pain, but fine a little later. I went to my doctor last week for a checkup and he did nothing more then take my copay... Didnt really even tell me when I SHOULD be expecting at this time...

I can:
I can walk almost perfectly fine. I can run on a treadmill/machine, probably shouldnt.
I cant:
I cant tippy toe, and almost cry in pain when I accidently do. I cant jump. I cant hardly walk downhill. I cant wear heels.


I guess Im just looking for people who has experienced it, to see how long ill be feeling this for. Will I be able to wear heels again?.... comeon, im short.

Replies

  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
    Have you done any physical therapy? It sounds like you could benefit from some. You possibly have some soft tissue damage that hasn't healed even if the broken bone has. I haven't broken an ankle, but I have broken my foot and ripped a ligament in my ankle. For the latter, I went a couple times weekly for PT and had ultrasound done on my ankle to help the ligament heal. The broken foot just needed immoblization to heal on its own. Occasionally, I would get pangs of pain (and still do 2 years later), but those are rare and I have my full range of movement back no problems.
  • anunley1
    anunley1 Posts: 35 Member
    I shattered my ankle about 5 years ago and had to have a metal plate and 10 screws put into my ankle. I was scared it would afftect me for the rest of my life. I don't even think about it now! I run about 4 miles a day (was up to 10 up until Jan) and it rarely bothers me. Every once in a while I will feel a little discomfort but it is so rare! The most imporatant thing is the physical therapy that you either go to someone for or do yourself at home. I didn't have any health insurance when I did this and my surgeon knew this. He gave me a list of exercises to do every day and said as long as I did them, I should walk, run , do everything normally. It was hard and painful but I pushed myself every day. If you have insurance, take it upon yourself to schedule a visit for physical therapy. They can gauge if you are healing correctly and give you some home exercises to help you. You don't have to make it a continuous thing - maybe just have one appt to make sure you are on the right track... Good luck/ hang in there!
  • _Bob_
    _Bob_ Posts: 1,487 Member
    I've never broken mine but I did have my foot tear off without it breaking when I was in the army. it tore everything below my knee and even tore the tissue that held the two lower leg bones together. I couldn't use the foot at all for a few months, it took a couple years to get to where I could walk with no limp.

    I haven't tried wearing heels yet, but I'll bet I'd look awesome in them :wink:
  • anunley1
    anunley1 Posts: 35 Member
    Oh - and I rock my high heels... I hear ya on that... girls gotta have her heels. :)
  • thomakg
    thomakg Posts: 69 Member
    Be very careful - I agree physio would be good - I started spraining one of my ankles as a teen and ended up with surgery to stabilize it. Then I started spraining it and the other one constantly. The ligaments in your ankles will not heal as easily as the bone and it's worth taking time to make sure it heals correctly. Oh and I can't wear heels - lack of proprioception in the foot caused by damage - I can't tell when I'm starting to roll over on it until it's too late.
  • Skeels
    Skeels Posts: 929 Member
    It took my ankle a year or more to heal proper.........
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
    Have you done any physical therapy?

    No I havent. But im leaning in that direction if It stays like this for much longer. I have good insurance that will cover it.
    The most imporatant thing is the physical therapy that you either go to someone for or do yourself at home. I didn't have any health insurance when I did this and my surgeon knew this. He gave me a list of exercises to do every day and said as long as I did them, I should walk, run , do everything normally. It was hard and painful but I pushed myself every day.

    I do ankle rotations and at home therapy. I run, until it hurts...

    Im thinking PT might be a good route, Im such an active person...
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
    Oh and I can't wear heels - lack of proprioception in the foot caused by damage - I can't tell when I'm starting to roll over on it until it's too late.

    NOOOO. =/
  • TeddyBear47
    TeddyBear47 Posts: 200 Member
    I broke my ankle in six places. The main thing is to rotate the ankle as much as you can. This is going to hurt but if you don't you will limit your movement in that ankle for the rest of your life. Ask the doctor first!
  • SmallMimi
    SmallMimi Posts: 541 Member
    yep, did that quite a few years ago. Agree go to physical therapy and do the exercises they tell you to do! It takes time to rebuild the muscles and stabilize/strengthen the ligaments. Mine was bad and took me 8 months before I felt comfortable again. Still have some weakness and my ankle has a tendency to roll on occasions but I can wear heels and basically do everything I did before the break.
  • Beleg
    Beleg Posts: 227 Member
    Its the ligament damage that is your problem. And it takes time for that to strengthen back up enough that you feel comfortable with it again. I am 3 yrs removed from mine. I still experience some pain occasionally. But its much better now then say a year and a half ago. I also where a ankle brace when i run to prevent turning it again.
  • chelledawg14
    chelledawg14 Posts: 509 Member
    When I was in 9th grade, I broke my right ankle roller skating backwards outside in tennis shoe skates (I was in an indoor skate club and practicing outside). The person reading the initial xray goofed so my parents weren't officially told it was broken for five days. They said I could have it rebroken or just let it heel in a cast for six weeks. I did the cast. A few days after I got the cast off, I tried to ice skate (no, I didn't tell my parents I was going). In 1989, I ended up spraining both ankles at the same time. In 2005, I severely sprained my right ankle again and gave myself nerve damage in my foot and was on crutches for a month. Needless to say, I have bad arthritis in my right foot & ankle. My ankle has NEVER been right since the initial break. My toes go ice cold, I get pain like there's no tomorrow... but I trudge on. Sometimes my ankle just gives out and sometimes I'll get stabs of pain in my foot that make me almost fall. However, after being told I have fibromyalgia almost a year ago, I've "relearned" what pain means to me. Good luck with your ankle! Do physical therapy as they suggest - it DID help me before I did the last sprain!
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
    I also where a ankle brace when i run to prevent turning it again.

    I wear my air cast (brace) daily. On days that I dont, my ankle swells up and is very unhappy.
  • Monkee8088
    Monkee8088 Posts: 143
    I broke them both, at the same time, cause I am freakin awesome!!! Plates and screws in both, although they are broken in different places. Its been about two and a half years, for the most part they don't bother me anymore. It took me two years to not limp on a semi-regular basis. Yoga helps me a lot, keeps them all nice and bendable (somewhat, my range of motion is not so good). CANNOT wear heels for more than five minutes, can't do squats, and sometimes I get freak shooting pains, that are awesome especailly when i'm sleeping! Sometimes after a long day with lots of walking, like a theme park or festival, I won't be able to walk with out looking like a robot for a couple days. But it got much better with time. I was told I might not ever walk normally again, scared me to death, but lo and behold I am in better shape now than before the accident. I am amazed at what I can do sometimes. I hope to wear heels again one day too but for now I'm just happy to not have to wear a stupid brace everywhere!! Good luck to you, let me know if you have any specific questions, I have become a bit of an expert lol :flowerforyou:

    Oh and tippy toes took me forever!! hold on to a dresser or something and try tippy toeing and then walk on only your heels for a few steps and alternate. just don't overdo it! maybe try and extra one everyday. I think that it has to do with the tendons in your feet.
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
    Oh and tippy toes took me forever!! hold on to a dresser or something and try tippy toeing and then walk on only your heels for a few steps and alternate. just don't overdo it! maybe try and extra one everyday. I think that it has to do with the tendons in your feet.

    I will try the dresser thing. But currently I cant even walk one step on my toes... I am NOT a baby when it comes to pain, but it will very much make me cry.
  • Monkee8088
    Monkee8088 Posts: 143
    It took me two years to do it, did i forget to mention that?? lol

Categories