Physical Therapists » Chronic

Chronic Ankle Problem, Anybody Know What It Might Be?

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:51:04 +0000

Ok, so I’m a dancer and for 14 years was a gymnast as well, so my ankles take quite a good beating. I’ve sprained my right ankle 8 times or so, and the last time was quite serious. I came down hard on the side of the foot, and ripped through two ligaments, while in dress rehearsal for a showcase. My dance instructor, who was also in the piece, carried me off the stage and made me go to the hospital, because my ankle swelled immediately to the size of a grapefruit and turned purple, and she thought it was broken.
I, stupidly of course, wanted to go home, because we were opening in two days for a six-show showcase, and I was in 11 numbers, including 6 I’d choreographed. But I went to the doctors, and they took X-rays. They said I’d torn two ligaments, and sustained a severe lateral sprain. They gave me an Air-cast, crutches, and told me not to put any pressure on the ankle for 10 days, and wear the cast for 14, plus physical therapy with my trainer and a brace for when I could finally get back to dance and gymnastics training, which was at least a few weeks away (and that with limitations). I was devastated.
However, the showcase was very important, and nobody could possibly have replaced me in time to learn everything. So, I took the next day off from dance, and used the crutches during the daytime, but I performed all six shows with the brace (not Air-cast) on. I was careful to follow instructions when I wasn’t dancing, however. I knew it was a bad idea physically, and it was the most painful experience of my life. I rubbed this ointment on the ankle every night that my gymnastics coach had given me a few months before to numb a wrist injury in competition – it made the ankle numb enough to dull the pain a little, and I laced it tight before each number. Obviously I didn’t perform in top form, but it was better than nothing.
I know it made healing longer, and harder, but I had to do it. Afterward, I followed all instructions, went to PT (and got my earful of criticism for dancing), and did everything I was asked to do.
But, it has been a year and a half, and I’m still having problems. The ankle doesn’t hurt anymore just walking or anything, but it swells up every time I workout (because of gymnastics, I got into a twice-a-day workout mode that I haven’t broken even though I don’t practice the sport anymore), and sometimes I’m seized with instability that’s hard to control. I can also, when I flex my foot, move the foot from side to side and feel and hear a definite “pop” on the lateral side of my ankle, like something is sliding in and out of place. My other ankle does not do this, nor do the ankles of any of my friends, so I’m pretty sure it isn’t normal.
Does anyone know what might casue something like this?

I’m A Lady 59 Yrs Old And Have Been Having Chronic Pain In My Lower Back & Left Hip For Many Yrs Now. I Can’t?

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:23:59 +0000

seem to find out what is causing this. I have had an ex-ray on my hip and nothing, even no arthtitis,I had a cat scan done on my abdomen because the pain also centers on the lower part of my abdomen. I had a hystrectomy when I was 35. So a few weks ago I had a MRI done which showed degenerative disk but not enough to have the pain I have .So I;m nowhere. I suffer from my hip at night, I can no stand or sit for any lenghth of time .I’ve taken pills for pain , depression. I’ve been to a chiropractor who helped many years ago but deosn’t anymore. They say Physical therapy but i walk 20 min everyday and it just brings it on more. anyadvice for LOST IN PAIN

I Suffer From Chronic Pain From An Auto Accident To My Left Wrist And Arm After Surgery To Both Areas.?

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:25:10 +0000

I have had this pain for 8 years now with no relief from doctors. I have been told that I have nerve damage and I am considered partially disabled. With pain that is stopping me from getting back in to the work force. I have been denied disability because I am partially disable. I am at my wits end, is there any help out there for people partial disability’s to get some type of relief from chronic pain and help finding a job for persons with physical disabilities. When you have been told from vocational rehab the reason people with disabilities don’t get jobs is that the tell they have one. I do have one that impaires my life forever and I am not considered to be disable but I can’t get get relief from pain or find sutible work. It is getting to the point I wonder if i am better off dead…..really it has been a hard 8 years trying to survive with kids and not be able to provide for them like you use to before my auto accident……Help is needed Please

I Am A 22 Yr Old Female And Have Serious Chronic Back Discomfort And Pain. Details Listed Can You Enlighten Me?

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:25:58 +0000

I have read many entries similar to my problem but not exactly. I’ll continue with the list of known facts,
My muscles are unusually tight (on the problem side, my right side upper back) and it seems they have turned to hard tissue all up the right side of my spine and trap and I have been told by someone who works deep tissue message therapy that knots continue under my shoulder blade and that I have scar tissue. I have had this problem for over a year now, and just recently I can’t take a deep breath without something pinching then popping and this happens often.
Ive gone to a chiropractor, 20+ visits (only thing noticeable in Xray besides slight curvature and almost straight neck is the disk above my tailbone that is “degenerating” and I think its from a couple embarrassing, high falls .. one in the gym and one in the woods)
Emory Spine Specialists recommended me to physical therapy which I discontinued.
More facts: When I was 18 or 19 I had a bad fall on concrete, hitting my head and upper back at the same time.
I have played basketball throughout my youth, practicing continuous long shots.
I have slight S scoliosis 11 degrees, which really isn’t enough to cause me problems, so I have been told
And the spine specialists told me my problem is because I am too flexible (bone wise), so that is why they sent me to physical therapy for muscle strengthening, but everything they had me do is what I already do at the gym (easy light weights so not to strain, and stretches which now seem to make the pain worse).
To wrap it up I just would like to say how frustrating it is to have to go through so many “professionals” and all the work of filling out paperwork and making the appointments that comes with it, just to hear them tell me to go somewhere else, and they don’t know whats wrong with me.
So my next desperate attempt is to schedule some kind of MRI and go to a neuromusclar doc. and hopefully read some responses to this whiny post. If anyone has any knowledge about a condition that I might have developed please reply! Thanks so much to those of you reading this!!

Chronic Pectoral/shoulder Pain With Normal Mri?

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:23:51 +0000

During a decline bench press two years ago with more weight than I could handle, I felt a sharp tearing sensation in my shoulder and pectoral muscle. There was no bruising but my lower pectoral muscle immediately looked slightly disfigured in the armpit. Since it did not look near as bad as any pec tear that I had seen online while researching them, I felt it unnecessary to see a doctor just so he could tell me to rest. After a week or two of resting I began to do light dumbbell work and it felt a little awkward, but seemed okay. As soon as I got to heavy weight though I felt another sharp tear. I visited an orthopedic surgeon who said my pec was partially torn, but should heal fine conservatively. I spent one year trying to rehab it with a physical therapist, but it constantly felt awkward with a constant numb pain. I revisited the surgeon insisting that surgical intervention was necessary (one year post injury), but the MRI came up normal. I got three more opinions after six more months with no progress. One said that nothing was wrong, just a pec strain, one said there was a tear at the muscle-tendon junction but surgery would be ridiculous since sutures don’t hold in muscle and the MRI showed the structures appeared to be intact, and one said that even though the MRI didn’t show much he believed the muscle-tendon junction was partially torn and surgery was necessary. The final doctor is in Boston though and the expenses are extreme making this not seem like a feasible option since three others recommended against it.
I am just curious why I would be feeling such constant pain and discomfort and be having trouble weightlifting during chest and shoulder exercises when the MRI didn’t show anything? This happened two years ago and it bothers me all the time. It is really effecting my life negatively and I am at a loss of what to do.

Terrible Chronic Back Pain ?

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:23:50 +0000

i have had chronic back pains for about 7-8 months now. I have had mri’s and nothing is found. It is constant every single day very severe it controls my life its all i think about. I have been to physical therapy and to the chiropractor and nothing helps its the same thing every day. My legs hurt mildly(compare to walking all day) all day also. I occasionally take advil/motrin and i does absolutly nothing. I really never see comfort in my life and the only thing i have found to work is oxycodone/other opiate pain killers how ever i will not get perscribed them.

Chronic Shoulder Pain?

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:22:28 +0000

About 5 years ago i was armwrestling a kid in my class and since then, my shoulder has been injured. The pain is felt primarily in external rotation and i lack complete ROM. I cannot touch the opposite armpit from behind my back because of the injury. I always hear a cracking noise when i twist that shoulder. It only hurts if i do physically straining activities that involve the shoulder. So that rules out any upper body workouts. I went to many dumb doctors who said to ice it and take antiinflamatories, but that didnt work. I then got an MRI that jsut said that i have “mild effusion” , but i doubt this to be true as MRIs are not very accurate for shoulder injuries. I’ve come to the conclusion that the pain is either from the humerus bone (armwrestling often causes humerus bone injuries) or rotator cuff. How can i verify which one it is? What do you guys think my injury is? Trauma induced and external rotation affected primarily. Dont tell me to do physical therapy, i already tried it and it work after doing it for 40 days. I’m 17 btw.

Chronic Hip Pain What Do I Do Now?

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:22:37 +0000

I have had horrible sciatic pain for about a year and a half. When things first started we thought it may be anklosin spondilitis due to a positive hla-b27 but their is absolutly no evidence in x-rays and MRI. I am only 25 years old and I struggle with terrible pain 24/7. I have gone to chriopractor, been on all kinds of narcotics, I currently see sports medicine dr whom says I have a hyper mobile SI joint and has me doing physical therapy. I just don’t see any end in sight and I don’t want to have this for the rest of my life. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Any Options For Chronic Pain Relief Without Side Effects?

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:58:44 +0000

After fracturing several vertebrae and a rib, developing arthritis and degenerative disc disease as well, I’ve been through countless MD’s (orthopedists, neurologists, urologists, rheumatologists, etc). I’ve tried chiropractors, physiatrists, physical therapy, TENS, facet joint injections, and RF rhizotomy, without achieving any relief. I’ve used every anti-inflammatory med in the book, and worked my way through pain management programs to the point where they’re pumping me full of oxycontin. The drug, which pharmacists are reluctant to stock, barely addresses the pain and cause a range of unwelcome side effects. I’d just as soon ditch it if I can find something that works. Earlier this year I went through a trial for a morphine pump, at my doctors recommendation, but again, the side effects were monstrous, and I vetoed the idea of committing to a lifetime of drug dependence with a hockey puck sized lump in my belly that would require an abdominal injection of meds every 6-8 weeks.
My pain management MD is referring me to another Doc thursday. Any suggestions as to what I might ask him to consider as an alternative treatment? (alternative as in so far unexplored; I have no faith in herbal remedies, aromatherapy and the like). Don’t know what to do at this point; both the pain and the side effects are unbearable.

Chronic Back Pain…i Need Help?

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:26:29 +0000

I have had chronic back pain for about 5 years, but it was not until i started up my ballet training again that it got so bad. In the past i have done physical therapy. My x-rays show that my spine is curving and my hip has tilted forward. This has caused my nerves to be irritated and surrounding muscles to tighten to the point that my rage of motion and ability is almost none. My chiropractor thinks i have periformis syndrom where my periformis tightens around my syatic nerve. I cannot get my muscles to relax in order to keep the chiropractic alterations to hold and no medicine seems to work. I have 2 different types of muscle relaxers, a pain killer, also i recently got a high dose of a steriod shot that still didnt work. Has anyone had this type of problem…maybe similar….if so what type of doctor did you see, how they helped and what caused all the pain. I really need some solutions. Ive been to regular doctors and it hasnt been working