Chronic Ankle instability

[dennis10is]

Hi All,

Well, I'm getting worried with this one.

I've had troubles with my lower body for the past 4.5 years, due to complication during a surgery. I'm pretty much over with that an my legs and back are normal once again. During this period, I was never concerned because I knew that I would eventually recover.

What has been concerned is I found out lately that I now have Chronic Ankle instability on my right ankle. At first, my podiatrist thought it was plantar fascitis, and I had new custom orthodics made, it helped but the pain never went away. Now, we know that my ankle ligaments has stretched to the point that he was able to bend my right ankle inward until bone meets bone, and I could not stop it. It was "freaky" to see it demonstrated. My left ankle would immediately sense the twist and resist automatically but my right would just "lay there". I'm wearing braces at all times I'm doing anything rigorous and wear a sleeve for when I'm just walking at work.

The doctor said that he won't do surgery because that would just make me lose my mobility if he were to shorten it. I've heard from others that they can do surgery to make it better. I'm not a big fan of surgery so is there anything I can do short of the braces, ice, strengthening regime. The pain is going away but I cannot push off in any direction, the explosive push off will lead to instead shooting pains from the ankle.

 

[TooMuchFun13]

Maybe try doing ankle alphabet to strengthen the muscles around the ligament to support it. Just move your foot at the ankle area drawing the alphabet in the air. Do it three times a most everyday and maybe it'll help?

 

[0range]

"The doctor said that he won't do surgery because that would just make me lose my mobility"

Did your doctor mean that you would lose mobility for a short while while recovering, or that you would lose some mobility permenantly?

If it's the former, I would suggest that you go for the surgery. From what I've researched so far, once you sprain your ankle, the damage is permenant (no matter how small). The ankle will only get weaker (and prone to even more injuries) and will never better.

Anyways if I were you I will select surgery for sure.

 

[dennis10is]

"The doctor said that he won't do surgery because that would just make me lose my mobility"

Did your doctor mean that you would lose mobility for a short while while recovering, or that you would lose some mobility permenantly?

If it's the former, I would suggest that you go for the surgery. From what I've researched so far, once you sprain your ankle, the damage is permenant (no matter how small). The ankle will only get weaker (and prone to even more injuries) and will never better.

Anyways if I were you I will select surgery for sure.

I thought I never sprained my ankle because it would roll and I thought that I was able to "save" it. It never was sore, I was able to shake it loose after a few minutes, never swelled. Any whoo, I began to roll it walking over a quarter, and now it is loose. My podiatrist said that if he were to do surgery, he would shorten the ligament but I would then have reduce mobility. For someone like me who wants to play sports, he said that it is not a good option. Now that I'm wearing a brace, I haven't rolled it yet, close calls, but the braces prevents that and it will be a permanent thing.

I just got home from tennis and I did not suffer any spasms so that is good. Maybe it will get better in time.

I just don't have that much faith in surgery, if I knew I had a world class surgeon I would go for it but I don't know who is. My sister was fortunate enough to have her ankle repairs the the US Olympic surgeon and hers went perfectly. It has been twenty years and her ankle never gave her problems.