I seem to have "aggravated" my ankle that is healing from ORIF done on 05/07/14. I have Lortab for pain which i am going to take but I just wanted to know if there is anything else I could try for the pain and discomfort. I will be doing hot/cold therapy later tonight.
View 1 RepliesI've been having pain sitting, standing, & walking very far (at all) for over a year now. I had a spinal fusion done at the L -5/S -1 level back in 2002, & my docs keep close tabs on my back. I've had a tiny tear in the L-4 for many years, but most the docs feel my current problem has absolutely nothing to do with my spine - I agree. I have been diagnosed with a hip labral tear in my right hip socket about 4 months ago, but not bothered enough to do the drastic surgery. Doc injected left hip socket due to pain, but again, not my main problem.
I've had physical therapy (which aggravated the left socket), steroid injections into the ischial tuberosity bursa (both sides) - due to the doc thinking probable ischial tuberosity bursitis, which it is not, & am scheduled for an EMG down both sides of my lumbar spine (I hate those tests - they really hurt!). Meanwhile, I've been working with my chiropractor who does adjustments, percussion massage, iontophoresis, & cold laser treatment on me twice a week.
NO ONE knows what this is, WHERE to send me, or how to FIX it!
I am just writing with the hope of getting some more help/assurance re the Gould brostrom (or as my letter has now pointed out Arthroscopic debridement and lateral ankle reconstruction - unsure if this is the same of different?) procedure which I am due to have in just over 2 weeks on the 22nd June.
I have been very unsure for a while now as to whether or not to go ahead with it but have decided to take the plunge, however I still have my doubts!
I injured my ankle initially around 5 years ago (ruptured ATFL showed up in MRI scan) and almost had the surgery back then, only to decide not to go ahead with it. Since then I have rolled over and sprained it on multiple occasions, and have felt it become increasingly weak to the point where I have very little confidence in its strength. When playing football I now wear lace up supports, which are strong enough to prevent the rolling, but obviously doesnt deal with the root cause and there is a still a feeling of achiness and limited movement. When not wearing my ankle supports I would say its at least a 50/50 chance I'm going to roll over on my ankle every time.
I can still run and go about my everyday life virtually without any issues (feel twinges but nothing major unless recently sprained) and the views of the consultants varied from the cautious 'maybe only have it if you're playing high level sport' ( which I'm not but just play football weekly for my local team), to saying yes I go for it as its clearly getting weaker and weaker and becoming more of a frustration.
I guess alongside asking for advice as to what to expect post op, I am also seeking assurance that by going ahead I am making the right decision (bearing in mind surgery is considered last resort and rehab process is lengthy).
I'm a 42 year old female. Six weeks ago I was climbing ropes at the gym and dropped down from 4-6 feet onto a piece of excess rope resting on the ground. My ankle rolled and pain and swelling occurred immediately. Being a stubborn woman, I walked it off until the swelling started spilling over my shoe.
Got an X-ray from the orthopedic who said nothing was broken.
I was on crutches for 2 weeks and still in an air cast boot when I'm on uneven ground or working out. My workouts are modified (rowing, 12" box steps, shoulder work, cleans)and ankle swells 4x the size afterwards.
My current problem/question is this: Saturday I walked without the book (tennis shoes) on a flat surface and was very careful not to twist/turn or injure the ankle. Of course, it swelled 4x the size, as it always does each afternoon.
However, pain woke me up in the middle of the night/early the next morning. I couldn't put any weight on the foot and experienced severe pain over my medial ankle bone. It was extremely tender to the touch and any movement caused sharp pain.
One day later, it's sore but the severe pain is gone.
I had ankle surgery to repair my medial malleolus back on May 8. It was fairly routine--just 2 screws. I was in a cast for a week, then was put into a boot but told to treat it like a cast--NO weight bearing for 7 weeks, keep the boot on 24/7 unless in the bathtub. I followed directions religiously.
I did notice that when I pressed on certain areas of the foot, I would feel a sharp pain. This occurred in the heel (from the bottom), toes (again, from the bottom, primarily the foot pad below the pinky, second, and 4th toes). When I asked the doctor about this, he said (around week 5) that it was just because I hadn't been using the foot.
The problem persisted, and this week, week 7, I was cleared to start partial weight-bearing--walking in the boot while taking approximately 1/2 the weight off my foot via the crutches. I don't have ankle pain to speak of (or at least, not often and only if I overdo it), but I have terrible shooting pains in my heel and toes as I step. It's OK if I take most of the weight on the crutches, but as soon as I go to more than just a little weight on the boot, the pain starts.
This week I also started PT and the therapist told me this is nerve pain--not uncommon after surgery (don't know why the doctor couldn't have told me this, but OK). I couldn't get much of an idea from her how long this will persist or if there is anything I can do about it.
I'm doing my ankle and leg exercises (those are mostly non-weightbearing at this point) and they are going great. The ankle is clearly healing well. But I don't see how I can progress to full weight bearing (supposed to try that next week!) when much more than a little pressure on the foot results in this nerve pain!
Help! Does anyone have experience with this? Is there anything I can do to speed things along? I need to return to my second job (barefoot hoof trimming for horses--how I broke the ankle!) ASAP and I'm fearful this will slow my progress to a crawl! The doctor is useless.
I've had 4 procedures on my ankle to remove bone spurs from the front of the joint and to microfracture an OCD.
The first procedure didn't get all of the bone spur removed and I lost 6 months doing PT and then had to have another procedure at the NYC HSS to correct the issues and I also had the stem cells to regenerate the cartilage.
All of the repairs to the ankle went well and the stems regenerated the cartilage based on the 6 month follow up MRI.
I never regained my dorsiflexion. I am stuck at about 2 degrees.
I then had a gastroc release where they told me they got over 10 degrees during the surgery but I was unable to retain it after the PT started.
I then had a debridement to remove scar tissue from the front of the ankle where they we able to get about 16 degrees during the surgery, but the scar tissue once again re-formed and I stuck back at the 2-3 degrees.
I am currently still working hard on PT and have ART and GRASTON done 2x per week.
Has anyone had any luck in finding a surgeon or technique that helps permanently remove the scar tissue to regain ROM?
I'm also a candidate to wear the ankle distraction device where the device is supposed to be able to re-distribute my existing dorsiflexion and plantarflexion to give me enough of each to walk with a normal gait.
I am currently trying to weigh my (limited) options as after 20 months I'm tired of walking with a limp!
I'm 34. I had a left ankle reconstruction for instability with a ligament repair and arthroscopy in July 2015.
My recovery has been slow due to hip operations around the same time. My ankle has healed well however the range of motion is still below neutral for dorsiflexion though it's improving.
I still have loud cracking on the outside (lateral) aspect of my ankle where the ligaments were repaired. It's terribly painful and my ankle swells straight away each time. It usually occurs with shifting my weight. My ankle surgeon says it's scar tissue breaking down but is it usually accompanied by a loud painful crack in the same area each time. I'm worried it's not ok.
just wondered if anyone feels that age contributes to the healing process. I have noticed that so many of you on the forum are pretty young. 50-60's. I am 71 and find that even though I have done well(read previous entries) I find that at 4 months, I still tire a lot.
View 66 RepliesI had an operation to remove a pilonidal sinus on 24th july. 5 months on and I don't really feel any better off. I didn't say anything when I first discovered the problem as I didn't think anything of it. I only said something once I found out my brother had the same problem! I must have had the sinus for around 2 years before I had the operation, something which I deeply regret now. The wound was a very deep one and I was expecting it to be a long while before it had fully healed, but not this long! I was told by the nurses about 2 months ago that it was only a few weeks away from being fully healed, but it got infected and has set me back a long way. I have to say I do feel a little let down by the nurses I have been seeing. Fair enough they have a tough job but I have questioned quite a few of their decisions during this recovery period. Surely they should be able to see an infection developing on a nearly recovered wound. The fact I was the one who had to push for antibiotics to cure the problem is worrying. I feel I have been palmed off in other ways too. Since the infection, there seems to be little or no healing, and despite persistence from myself to either see the surgeon again or visit a wound clinic they have been very reluctant to do anything. The inconsistency with the nurses has also been a major concern of mine. One day I will see a nurse who says it's not looking great, and the next, I will see someone who hasn't seen it for months, which gives me no idea of how it's doing.
In the last few weeks, I have discovered a lump at the base of my spine, and looking at information on the internet, I'm pretty sure it's a cyst. The annoying thing is that I have told the nurses 3 times about this lump and they either say they don't think it's anything to worry about or they simply don't know what it is. I need closure on this issue and have booked another appointment with the doctor to get to the bottom of it. (I saw him 3 weeks ago with the nurse and he said the wound was looking ok, and that I should give it another few weeks to see if there has been any improvement). There is also a pretty strong odour which is embarrassing. I've got to do something to try and cure the problem. It's driving me crazy and I can't see an end to the problem right now. I'm going to request either being referred back to the surgeon or to a wound clinic. Have any of you been to wound clinics that you would recommend? What are the processes involved? Are they effective?
This problem has kept me from doing some of the things I love, such as playing football, for almost half a year now and will inevitably be longer. There's only so many jokes you can make about it before the depression and annoyance kicks in. It's really getting me down at the minute. Luckily I'm taking a gap year this year and will be going to uni next year, which will hopefully give me time to recover from this nightmare. (Hopefully being the major word!!)
It has been just over 5 weeks since I flailed off of my ottoman, fighting a cockroach, and landed on the side of my foot. I do not have health insurance and was first trying not to spend the money, if not needed, on a specialist. I was given a boot and have been in it consistently for 4 weeks. Now, I am getting a little bit worried after a couple of X-rays and, also, the fact that it is not showing healing. It is displaced, with an offset of 4mm on the top view and 8mm on the side view and there is some splintering within (according to radiology notes from the hospital).
I just recently went to a highly recommended Orthopedic doctor and after looking at the two X-rays I had previously, and taking a new one in office, says that he does not recommend surgery. He did explain that I may be looking at 3 more months of healing but that it would heal on it's own. I can understand the fact that it has been 5 weeks and that opting for surgery now would be a huge step backwards in the muscle and tissue healing that has inevitably taken place.
My concern is: I am a runner. This bone, to me, looks terrifying and to think it will stay that way forever and only fill in where it is positioned now seems it will only give me problems in the future. I don't know if I should bypass his recommendation and opt for surgery to have the bone set in the correct alignment and know that I will not have future problems or just let it to what it's going to do. I do know that nothing is 100% and even surgery can mean a long healing process. I guess I am hoping for more opinions on the matter, so please help, if you can.
Hi, so I am now 19 years old, and I got circumcised two years ago, when I was 17, because I had phimosis.
Though the scarred area should be long healed by now, I think mine has been very slow. It is still a little red, especially when I get erections, and there are still marks from the stitches.
I would like to change this and make it fully blended, and I was wondering how can I do this?
I did use an antiseptic cream for a while, till I later found out that this can slow the healing process. Could this be the main reason?
Also, if I use Vaseline petroleum jelly, would that be helpful at this point.
Thanks.
I have a spiral fracture of the Tibia. It has been fixed with a plate however the surgeon left a gap in the bones. (This gap was not present in the original x-ray prior to surgery). After 12 weeks there is no sign of the bone healing. I sort a 2nd opinion & was advised that the bone is unlikely to heal because of the gap & further surgery was recommended to join up the gap & possible a bone graft.
What is the conventional thinking on this? Should bones be fixed touching to heal?
Recently one of my guys injured his knee in what we assess to be a strained MCL. I'm a combat medic, not a DPT, so I began to look into rehab/treatment plans. Naturally, the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol was highly referenced. However, there is also a large group of health professionals that actually advise AGAINST using ice to combat swelling. They question the efficacy of interrupting the body's inflammatory response, and they also contend that ice increase permeability of the lymphatic system INTO the injured area instead of out. This is in sharp contrast to everything I've been taught about treating inflammation as a result of ortho trauma or joint damage. Is there any validity to the argument that Ice actually prolongs the healing process? Or should I continue to use RICE?
View 1 RepliesI am getting a lot of light yellow fluid from the open wound. The open wound is red inside with slight whitish at the tope lining borders. Is my wound healing?
View 1 RepliesI broke my ankle 3 weeks ago now by rolling out wards stepping down a step I broke my tibia and fibula think it is a bimalleolar fracture? I had a half cast on for a week then a full cast and after a week put into an air boot. I have struggled to put weight on my foot and still need the crutches but tonight examining my ankle I've noticed I still have lots of bruising and swelling on the able it also looks deformed like a bone is sticking out prominently and feels hard to touch there is still pain and I also can't bend the last three toes on my foot.
I'm really concerned this isn't normal and the ankle isn't healing properly or the cast was taken off too soon does any one have advice? There was concerns I would need surgery but was given the all clear last Friday. I've also been discharged by the fracture clinic for no follow ups which I thought was also strange.
Broke my foot 5th metatarsal. At 4 weeks not healing yet,i'm now in an aircast from a hardcast. This is week 6. Foot at night just burns and burns. I don't get much sleep and now i have a deep aching.along with the burning. I was told no weight on it but i can walk on the heel only if necessary. Why now at 6 weeks is it hurting and burning?.
View 9 RepliesI had my vasectomy 3 weeks ago and the left side has healed beautifully. The right side however has a donut shaped wound and string has come out and is hanging.
View 3 RepliesI broke my 5th metatarsal on 16 December, it is now 23 February. Someone came down on it very heavily in high heels and broke it, spiral fracture, slightly displaced. I didn't realise it was broken at first, just thought it was swollen and bruised...and boy was it bruised! Never seen anything like it! Anyway, did the usual, rest, elevation, compression and ice and kept hobbling about, using the opposite side of my foot to hobble round the house...after all it was Christmas and I didn't have time to rest! Luckily could stay pretty much in the house so didn't do massive amount of walking...and couldn't get a shoe on anyway! Did mention it to a locum doctor on 23 Dec, but had gone about something else, and he dismissed it without looking at it, just telling me to RICE it..which I already was.
After a day or so, bruising still horrendous, I decided to see my usual doctor who referred me immediately to get it x-rayed. This was on 28 Dec..and the fracture showed up to my shock. X ray technician mentioned going straight to A and E but then said all they would do is make me an appointment at the fracture clinic, which I may as well get from my doctor, when the information about my fracture had got to my doctor (and no, I couldn't have the letter to hand in, it had to go by snail /Royal Mail) I had started by now to use crutches...no weight bearing on bad foot at all.
A week later, as soon as I could (bank holidays delayed information getting to doctor and hence consultation) I saw my doctor who phoned the hospital after reading the letter to make me an urgent appointment with the consultant for the following Monday (this was Friday)
I went and saw him and to my shock he was very, to me , pessimistic and not a little rushed. Told me it was a nasty fracture, difficult to heal, and I might very likely end up having two operations, one to put pins and plates in and one to take them out. Oh..and the plate would stick out of my (slim) foot and there was a high risk of infection etc as we were operating on bone. However, he told me I could still go to work, drive (this was my clutch foot) as long as it wasn't for long (work is 10 minutes drive away) and elevated and rested foot at every opportunity....and it might be an idea if I used crutches and didn't put weight on it BUT he didn't put it in an air boot or cast. (which concerned me a little)
This I did, but no real improvement, in fact it got worse, swelling up, pins and needles in toes and very sore and swollen behind toes, on ball of foot. Went back again to hospital, saw a different doctor, who told me I should be off work, not driving, moving as little as possible and keeping foot above heart level. For at least a MONTH!
So...I have done that. Googled the injury to death, scaring myself and becoming depressed over what I have read. Rested completely, didn't put any weight on it , crawled and used a pair of crutches at all times, slept with it elevated, sat with it elevated, compression bandage at times, rubbed comfrey oil on it twice a day , used epsom salt baths (used to lose the circulation and it also helped a little with swelling), tried to keep my leg muscled with scissor action exercise etc Wore hiking/timberland boots (still doing this) It was still sore and swollen however behind the toes, so much so I wondered if there was other damage, but have now realised this was a result of not using my foot on the floor at all.
NOW....9 weeks from when I first injured it, I have been told this week I can put a little weight on it and start to walk, even though the bone hasn't joined up AT ALL, no callus etc on the x-ray the consultant reckons there is fibre etc holding it and I am now ready to walk on it. (I was prepared for there to be no sign of healing ..research on internet again!) It isn't sore to touch although aches a little (almost a burn) now I am walking on it..but I have read this can be a sign of healing.
I am walking about with either one or no crutches,taking it very slowly, but I cannot believe I am actually walking on it, I can stand on both feet in the shower etc.....I NEVER thought this would be the case after only 8 - 9 weeks after all I had read on the internet...and those weeks felt interminable! I have broken bones in my foot before but have never been as disabled with it as with the 5th metatarsal break, and never felt so depressed over an injury after googling it all. So, I didn't have an air boot, nor a cast, which seems to have worked for me, although it was very hard work getting about on crutches or crawling (calloused knees now!) and mentally , although I kept reminding myself it wasn't a life threatening condition, it still got me down at times as there didn't seem to be any improvement.
In my experience, yes it has taken a long time to get better...and I am still not there by any means...haven't walked out of the house yet...but I feel I AM on the road to recovery, which is the main thing. I won't be running (which I do) for quite a while I think, not doing a lot of long distance walking but at least I am getting better. After reading such a lot of depressing and pessimistic posts on this injury I felt I had to post a more optimistic one..and I hope at least some of you out there have just as good a recovery if you have fractured your 5th metatarsal.
11 weeks in and I'm stuck so far in the healing process. I followed PT from day 1 and have had 6 sessions now. PT asks to strengthen and stretch but any work on the calf aggravates it and appears to set me back - should I just expect this...2 steps forward and 1 step back until fully healed? It was defo a gastrocnemius tear - ultrasound 6 weeks after estimated 70%. However my soleus is now hurting as well - it feels strained/pulled..Have I lengthened the gastrocnemius in the tear and now the soleus is too short?? Does that make sense?
Anyway - I can walk around without too much issue but ANYTHING else and it flairs up for several days - should I just give it more time or push for ortho and MRI? Any advice (I'm a poor patient!!)
I had my tubal reversal last wed JUNE 29th. Since then I have the worst swelling and a very nasty hard long bump under my incision. It looks like some sort of a healing ridge! I was just wondering if anyone else has gotten this and does it go away?
View 1 RepliesI have had this condition where when I am bit by something, may it be mosquito or ant bites, a small blister forms around it. It is extremely itchy, and when popped, the blistered area is ulcerated. Now it does not become painful at all, but becomes more itchy. when scratched, it rarely bleeds, but becomes itchier even when the skin is obviously more damaged. When I stop scratching, the area releases clear, very slightly yellowish liquid (i'm assuming it's some sort of antibody the body releases), and it takes a VERY long time to heal.Now when i do leave it alone, it heals up and becomes brown, but the scar is still very, VERY itchy, even if fully healed.I have been researching the internet to what it may be for days now, and I have not found what it is. I have used anti-bacterial creams but it does not help. I am not sure if this could be a parasite, or could be fungal.
View 1 Replies