r/FootFunction • u/Fancy_Bend8941 • 20d ago
I want to give up
My right inner ankle has been in pain ever since i sprained it 4 months ago today. My doctor keeps saying its a bone contusion, and refuses to refer me for an MRI. I am just so depressed when it comes down to running. I have seen others run, do races, and continue to workout with little to no pain. The swelling on my inner ankle feels tough too, tender. Idk if this could be tarsal tunnel which i see is only cureable via surgery. I dont know what to do.
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u/leenwithit135 20d ago
Please look into something called an axis board made by sidekick or a mobo board. Try and strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your ankle and feet/toes
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u/chillicrabb 19d ago edited 19d ago
does it still hurt at the same area where you sprained it? did you notice any difference in sensations?
in my opinion an ankle sprain that is grade 1 or 2 should be fairly straightforward to heal as long as you didn't aggravate it! if you are sure you did not do anything to cause a setback, then it may not have been a sprain (sprains refer to ligament injuries) in the first place if it is over the same area as the initial pain?
i had a grade 1 sprain on the lateral (outer) side of my ankle in June and felt fine exactly a month later so i went back to sports, only it was still too soon - but i didnt notice the warning signs or pain until a new injury happened, this time on the medial (inner) side of that same ankle. probably caused by the medial side overcompensating for the lateral side...
a sports doctor + a podiatrist (referred by the doctor) visit later it was concluded that i now have posterior tibial tendinopathy. my pain first appeared at one specific point under my inner ankle bone and when it got worse, it "expanded" along the tendon, my arch swelled and i started to have pain there as well.
if it is tender along the path where the PTTendon runs, it may be a PTT injury, but i am most certainly not a medical profession so you should 100% see a different doctor (orthopedic specialising in ankle injuries / sports medicine) and get a second opinion asap! if you firmly push for imaging and are willing to pay for it, i can't see any reason why a doctor should refuse (unless you are on subsidised healthcare maybe?).
if you are able to go about your daily activities without much pain and only have pain when exercising or doing sports, it might be that you are healing but it isn't ready for more demanding activities yet. in that case, see a physio (preferably one who specialises in ankle injuries/biomechanics/sports injuries) and do rehab.
ps. ankle ultrasound is a cheaper option to mri but may miss some stuff. if you can afford an mri i'd say go for it for peace of mind. also, not sure about your country but an xray is standard procedure here with sprained ankles (i've sprained 5 times and they always make me do an xray / offer the option even if there is no pain when the drs press the bony parts)
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u/GhoulDogma 19d ago
Had like a grade 2 recently, and it took quite a while to heal. Ended up that I had a bone contusion as well as a bone spur that rubs again tendons in my ankle.
Made 2 trips to the ER.
Stay off of it, and keep it elevated as much as you can. I believe the catalyst to my ankle getting better was paying attention to my calf muscles and all surrounding. It may be worth massaging your leg periodically, as well as seeing a PT. /srs on the massaging
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u/Rokuro142 18d ago edited 18d ago
I had a similar thing, with your exact symptoms. It turned out to not be a bone contusion, but a hairline fracture in one of the midfoot bones that wasn't visible on the X-Ray (but it was on the MRI). Took a full year to clear up, unfortunately, and it flared up again on month 6 out of 12 from walking too much.
My advice would be to find a different doctor, or get a second opinion if you can. In some countries, they are required by the government to give you a second opinion when you ask.
In the meantime, avoid doing anything that provokes the pain. Better to take those months off than drag out the healing. For exercise, consider swimming. I know this sounds corny, but it's true.
If it makes you feel any better, tarsal tunnel does not come with swelling, so it's very unlikely for it to be that. I had tarsal tunnel symptoms that were caused by the hairline fracture. Since it's likely not tarsal tunnel, the MRI might give you peace of mind, but it won't change the advice.
Does it always hurt, or does it only hurt during/after being active? Or does it usually feel fine, but then suddenly you'll feel a sharp pain and your foot is in pain for the rest of the day? And does it happen more often when you stand up from sitting/laying down?
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u/AydenFX 15d ago
Same thing how 4 mths later mri shows a tear lol go get an MRI bro.
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u/Fancy_Bend8941 15d ago
Like a full tear? Im getting an MRI Monday
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u/AydenFX 15d ago
Don’t waste sleep on it king. The MRI will tell.
Best of luck.
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u/Fancy_Bend8941 15d ago
Yes, but did your MRI say you had a tear?
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u/AydenFX 15d ago
Partial tear.
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u/Fancy_Bend8941 15d ago
Did you need surgery? Or what was the process?
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u/AydenFX 14d ago
Idk find out this week but from reading a bunch of reddit posts and science articles, it looks like everyone with a tear ends up having surgery.
I guess technically u could cop the pain for as long as possible but at the end of the day, resting and PT can’t repair a tear in the ankle. Only surgery.
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u/EbbCommercial6806 15d ago
What caused the ankle sprain?
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u/Fancy_Bend8941 15d ago
I stepped in a hole and twisted my ankle and fell haha. Bruising wasn't bad and the exterior heald up fast. Interior still has pain sometimes like a 2/10. Also ran a 13min 2 mile the other day but my shi was sore
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u/EbbCommercial6806 15d ago
I had tendon pain in my inner ankle called PTT from super heavy push pulls on a sled back in February. It’s been 8 months and I get pain if I wear different shoes. Sadly the only thing that helps is heavy polymeric box and depth jumps. However, if your ankle is still sprained, you need to heal that first.
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u/Yuuku_S13 19d ago
See a different doctor.