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?
Posts Tagged Problem
I am a 26 y/o Female in average health, no major health problems. About 8 months ago I started having left sided back, flank (between my pelvic bone and ribs) and over to my abdomen near my belly button. Pain comes and goes throughout the day and feels like it is swelling. My back and flank are VERY tender – there is a spot in the flank that if I push on, it feels like I have ‘hit the spot’. Any idea what this could be? I do have a history of back injury in the same area about a year prior but had been treated with physical therapy and had been OK. I have had two CT scans, first without contrast showed nothing, second with contrast showed “minimal diverticular changes” and “slightly prominent mesentric lymph nodes”…had a course of strong antibiotics but this did not effect the pain at all. Lymph nodes worry me. Have a colonoscopy scheduled for next week. I almost wonder if it might be a nerve or muscular problem instead? Anyone have any insight at all on this?
I am 16 years old and played soccer this year for my high school. At the beginning of the season, I developed a minor pain in my right knee, on the inside and in the middle. It was only enough to be somewhat bothering to me, and after warming up for about 15 minutes,the pain would disappear. I began noticing pain 4 months ago, and about 3 months ago, the pain was too bad that it wouldn’t go away after warming up, and was too painful to run on. I haven’t run on it since, been icing it, doing physical therapy exercises, and also riding a stationary bike(on lowest gear) almost every day. I have seen 3 doctors, two of which told me something that the specialist ruled out. I have been wearing superfeet in my shoes, and that cut the pain down to start, but after about a month of that, it hasn’t become any better. It isn’t as bad as it was before, although it is still painful enough to keep me from running.
I have barely any clue what it could be, because my doctors keep contradicting each other, and I would really enjoy being able to run again.
I am going to see the specialist again soon. Should I request a MRI or X-ray? They seem to be against it for some reason…
My left elbow has started to hurt. At rest it is an achey feeling.It also hurts when you palpate on the outer side of it.. When ever I try to strighten it sometimes it catches and I have to bring it back up and then slowly bring it down. When it catches it is a sharp pain. Also when ever I strighten my elbow it pops. Just recently it has started to have a intense sharp pain when I try to use strength in that arm.. I dont know what is causing this. What do you think is wrong?
(Also I am still going to physical therapy for my shoulder in the same arm for having a SLAP repair, i dont know if this has anything to do with this.) Just recently when I go to physical therapy the stretches for my shoulder are now hurting my elbow and I dont know whats wrong.
Thanks.
My Doctor Wants Me To Go To 6 Weeks Of Physical Therapy, But Doesn’t Know What The Problem Is?
Feb 9
I have had pain in my shoulder, arm, and wrist since I was hit from behind while driving. This was almost two years ago. My doctor took xrays 6 months ago to rule out broken bones??! He said I should go to 6 weeks of PT, but he doesn’t know what is wrong?
I work in a PT rehab center and I am fairly certain that this is not an appropriate decision. I believe it is a nerve problem. I know I’m not a doctor but he really didn’t do much to persuade me that he was concerned. I don’t know how I can convince him to continue trying to figure out the problem is. I would like for him to do an MRI.
Add to it, I can’t afford to pay the copays for a 6 week pt rehab.
Should I switch doctors?
I am 21/F and I recently had back surgery in Feb. 2008. I started having back problems about 3 years ago. I saw SEVERAL doctors and had literally any diagnostic tests you can possibly imagine run on my back. Any type of scan or blood work or anything was done. I drove from state to state seeing different doctors and because of my age no one believed me and thought I was looking for pain medication instead of treatment for my back. I went through rigorous physical therapy and also had about 50-55 total injections in my lower back. I finally found a spine specialist that read all of my films and immediately knew what was wrong.
My L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs were herniated. I also have Spina bifida occulta which affects my S1 vertebrae and a pars defect which affects my L5 vertebrae. The bone defects which caused an abnormal movement of my discs that I have had since birth is what caused the 2 discs to herniate. To make sure the discs were the sources of my pain, my pain management doctor performed a disco-gram in which I was fully awake and he placed needles into the herniated discs and put x-ray dye in and then placed pressure on each disc. If the x-ray dye bled out instead of staying in the center of the disc then the discs were herniated. If the pressure he applied to the discs replicated the pain I had in my lower back and down both of my legs then the discs were the pain generators.
Basically, the disco-gram showed that the discs were herniated and that they were also my pain generators which meant I needed surgery. The doctor went in through my stomach to my spine and removed the 2 herniated discs and got a very good clean out. The discs were replaced with cadaver bone. After I was closed up on the front I was flipped over and 6 titanium screws and rods were placed in the bone to stabilize it.
It has been almost 9 months since my surgery and I am still in pain management. I’ve had several x-rays, mri’s and ct’s done to see if there is anything specifically causing my pain but no one sees any physical abnormalities from the surgery. I continue to have pain down both of my legs/hips/thighs/butt. The pain is very unbearable at times. The disc directly above the fusion is already bulging but it is not herniated.
Does anyone else have a similar problem or know someone who does? I would love to get some input from other people and their experiences and what their doctors say about everything. Sorry this was so long. Thanks for your time!