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Just looking for some advice anyone might have about ankle sprains. I sprained my ankle and twisted my leg almost a month ago and still there is pain but not as much, and I still cannot walk yet. I mean I have been slowly putting some pressure on it and it feels a little weird yet so I don't wanna try to much. The ankle was swollen right away and even my calf was swollen and there was no major bruising and the swelling is gone on the calf but still on the ankle, mainly when standing. I put off going to the doctor for a little while cause of the pain and I had no way of getting around till I got crutches. So I went and got an x-ray done and no fractures, which is good. But I am sure I need an MRI at this point but the doctor said it might take months to get one. I hear so many things about leaving it untreated can cause ankle problems and so I wondering what I am supposed to do if I can't get any help immediately?  
 
Edited by Brandon018, 2019-04-23 23:42:56

go see a physiotherapist. I sprained my ankle while on holiday. Saw a physio when I got back and my ankle has not given me problems since.

I will look into that, thanks for the advice!

I sprained my foot really bad and honestly the doctors were useless. She told me I’d walk in two weeks. It took over a month to be able to walk and a 3-4 months of physio for it to go back to normal. I would definitely recommend going to go see a physiotherapist.

You could also try laser therapy with Dr. Li Lin. I think you would notice a big difference.

Yea my doctor didn't seem to be very helpful at all. Wasn't even gonna look at my ankle until I explained what happened and had to pretty much ask for x-rays. I will see if I can get some physiotherapy done.  
 
Never heard of laser therapy before, I will look into that as well.  
 
Thanks for the replies!

You gotta try and push for one . No X-ray will show the damage ligaments . They are worse then a broken bone . I twisted my ankle . Within 15 mins it was the size of a baseball . Drs sent for an X-ray . Didn’t show anything so off to physio I went . I did that for 8 weeks nothing got better . So this was back in 2017 . Then in 2018 I was still in pain and I pushed for an MRI it showed my ligaments supporting the outside of my ankle were completely gone . So I was sent to wpg to see the ankle surgeon in feb this year . Within 6 weeks I was booked for ligament reconstruction surgery . I had that on March 19 and it’s been a rough battle . I’m looking at a year total recovery . Now I know everyone is diff and your injury may not be as bad or it may be worse then mine but my advice is push for the MRI . You want to get the ball rolling now cause there are only 2 foot and ankle surgeons in Manitoba . Dr barske in wpg is one and her wait time is 2 years just to see her . I wish you the best of luck .

Yea with my doctor you really gotta push. Won't do nothing for me and never listens to me at all. I feel helpless at this point. I want an MRI but my doctor said it could take 3 or 4 months so I was thinking there was probably no point but I guess I should take the closest one I can get. I am thinking it might be my ligaments but not totally sure. I'm not sure if its safe to try walking yet or not. There isn't as much pain now but if it is ligaments I don't want to put to much weight on it yet till I know what's going on. This is so frustrating. I guess I will go back and try and get an MRI. Hopefully I can get one fairly soon.  
 
Thank you for your reply!

The dr will not know how long the wait is . That’s up to the MRI dept. depending on ur dr have u thought about going to walk in and expressing your concern? Also a dr can put a rush on it . Depends on the dr . My last mri took about a month . I was on the cancel list so that helped . And ya if it’s your ligaments ur ankle will be very unstable so you do have a chance to do more damage . That’s what mine was doing . Any time I was walking on it it kept rolling lol it was getting old quick .

go see blake denbow in souris he helped my wife get on track in as little as 3 weeks. Most ankle sprains go out of alignment and heal to the point where you never get full function. NEVER use a tensor bandage or anything that will restrict the blood flow to the ankle

I will try and get the MRI as soon as possible. This is very frustrating cause I am not sure if its safe to walk on it yet and an MRI could be months so within that time I am completely lost. My doctor is not helping me one bit but if I can get an MRI it will provide some relief. What exactly does an unstable ankle feel like? I can stand and I tried partial weight bearing and it felt like I could put more weight on it but not sure.  
 
I will look into that doctor. Like I stated before, my doctor doesn't help me at all, won't listen to a single word I say. Might have to try other doctors. I was told to use a tensor bandage but I actually never did. I never did any treatment at all other then resting it. it's been almost a month and it looks pretty close to normal now, except for some minor swelling when standing for long periods. Still minor pain when moving it certain ways, but definitely a lot less than it was from the start.

It’s not so much of a feeling . For me I could put full weight on it . It did hurt when I moved it a certain way and I also have minor swelling . But the unstable part came when ever I was walking and the ground was uneven my ankle would just roll . I could be a slight grade and roll or even when I stepped a certain way it would roll . A dr should be able to pull and move your ankle to see how loose it is . Too loose then surgery is needed . Ligaments do not repair themselves. As for a tensor bandage I’ve never heard of using one being bad . Of course you don’t want to wear one to tight . You can also go to ims supplies in the basement of the Brandon clinic building and get a ankle brace or go to walk-in and get a perception for a brace so it will be covered under mb health . That brace worked good for me for adding reassurance . It’s a rough road a head when your dr doesn’t take the time to listen to you . I hope u find one that will . Best of luck .

That's why I never tried walking much yet cause I don't want to sprain it again, and waiting for the MRI I don't what I am supposed to do. I got an ankle brace a while ago but just tried it yesterday and walked around a little bit with the crutches to keep some weigh off and it seemed ok with some pain but mild. Definitely don't wanna try without the brace though. It was tight, maybe I can find another brace that fits better. Might just keep using one till the MRI, probably better to anyway.

Have you considered the Pan Am Clinic in Winnipeg? If your doctor isn't listening, or isn't experienced with injuries like that, maybe the Pan Am would be a better option. Not every sprained ankle needs an MRI, and there is a long wait - perhaps an assessment by a sports medicine physician would give you some answers and a treatment plan. It would be awful to wait all that time for an MRI, and then to find out that there is something that could or should have been done in the mean time. The Pan Am has both appointments (no referral needed for a Sports Medicine MD, you can just call to make the appointment and find out how long a wait list they have), and a minor injury walk-in clinic. Here's the link for the walk-in, the link to 'making an appointment' is on the left side.  
 
http://www.panamclinic.org/patients/minor-injury-walk-in-clinic

Also suggest physio, but also compression wear. Not a tensor, but actual compression wear. Helps secure it, and increases blood circulation.

There are some docs out there who will cast a bad sprain. Get anorher opinion!

Never heard of Pan Am before, i'll check that out. Definitely need to see someone else that knows what they are doing. I went to my doctor 3 times already and just keeps saying to rest it. Well I did for a month and I am still in pain. With the ankle brace I can walk a little bit but I tried without it and had some moderate pain around the medial malleolus, the pointy bone on the inside of the ankle. Has a stingy burning sensation and sharp pains. Maybe I don't need an MRI but I would sure like to get one but doesn't look like I will for a while. Now my doctor says 6 months till an MRI. Don't get it, aren't doctors supposed to help? This is such bs. (Angry face) lol  
 
I was gonna see if maybe getting better first then going to physio or is it good to go now? Also I was wondering, does it cost for physio and if so how much?  
 
I definitely need another opinion. I'm gonna try another doctor. I was thinking maybe I needed some sort of cast and should have got one right away but my doctor never mentioned anything. But yea, might try and get a different doctor altogether if I can.

Try walking it off?

I sorta tried that seems not to bad some days and worst other days. Better with the ankle brace though. But I went back to the doctor and I got another x-ray done and I asked for them to x-ray above the ankle as well, up to the knee pretty much. So this time they found a fracture above the ankle. Now here is the real kicker, my doctor seen how bad my injury was from the start and seen that the injury was all the way up to the knee and did not ask for an x-ray other that just the ankle. Well I had to ask for an x-ray, I shouldn't have to ask. And if it is that far up the leg then you x-ray that far up, not just the ankle. I am so mad now. I was put in a cast and said that I had to wear it for 12 weeks. 12 weeks? Are you effin kidding me? So bye bye summer. If it was x-rayed further up in the first place I would have been close to half way through this now and have a chance for some summer. I'm almost convinced my doctor doesn't know a damn thing or doesn't care at all. I am definitely changing doctors. I was in mild pain but now it's back to severe again and still no signs of improvement. I might just remove the cast and live with a fracture. I'm not wasting my summer over my doctors incompetence.  
 
Edited by Brandon018, 2019-05-04 03:43:41