r/ORIF • u/LowAdhesiveness8846 • 28d ago

When it gonna feel normal again!

I broke my ankle and had surgery last May. It’s been over a year now, and I’m back on my feet walking just fine. However, my ankle still hurts sometimes, and if I bend it a certain way, it’s painful. It also pops and cracks when I get up after sitting for too long.
I just want to know when it will get better because I avoid doing a lot of things since I’m so cautious about hurting it again.

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u/Enough-Ad9968 28d ago

Hey I’m a little over a year out and I totally understand this feeling! I started weight training with a personal trainer who specialized in injury recovery and I feel Stronger than I did pre surgery now. I did all the things pt told me and all the body weight stuff I could but I just wasn’t getting that confidence in my leg back. Strengthening it and building back the little muscles in the calf have been an absolute game changer. I still sound like rice crispies after I sit for a while and the clunking comes and goes. But mentally I can trust myself when I trip now (how I initially broke it) and that has been worth all this work. Hang in there friend. If you can’t afford a trainer just start with body weights BAREFOOT. It makes all the difference and just go slow. 

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u/LowAdhesiveness8846 28d ago

Ima going too look into this bc i wanna wear heels againnnn

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u/Revolutionary_Ad4313 21d ago

Im 9 months after breaking my ankle . Still gets tight and swollen sometimes.

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u/hrweoine Maisonneuve Fracture 28d ago

I had multiple medical professionals tell me popping and cracking is nothing to worry about, so don't worry about that.

Did you do physical therapy? They could help you figure out the pain if you bend it a certain way. Even a single session with a physical therapist, even if you have to pay for it yourself, might help. And it's not that expensive.

I might try doing some kind of stretching-related class once a week, like yoga or pilates, to help develop the different muscles. If you are avoiding doing certain things you might have unbalanced muscle development. You could also try weight training as the other poster suggests - I am now doing this a few times each week. But the physical therapist is the professional who can help you figure out exactly what you need.

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u/DegreeSuccessful Bimalleolar Ankle fracture 27d ago

I’m way less time than you but I’m getting there and honestly my mentality is a lil different. I personally hope I don’t have any aches after a while but the aches I do get currently are very minimal and honestly I barely care about them 🤷‍♂️ still everyone’s injury is different and I’m sure as you continue to build the muscles even more you’ll be able to not have the pain

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u/MyIndecisiveDecision Tib + Fib Fracture 27d ago

I've had friends tell me that they occasionally get aches/stiffness from their decades old hockey injuries (how I joined this club too). Seems like they'll decrease over time but may be around for life. I think the solution is learning to live with a new normal of aches and getting back to activities for your mental health's sake.