Should I of had physio and is it too late?

LokiSofi

LokiSofi

Well-Known Member
Oct 11, 2003
8,197
58
48
38
New forest
I was helping to break a large horse a year ago and it threw me tearing the ligaments in my ankle and foot. I was told to keep walking on it and wasn't given crutches. Doctors just told me that once it was better they'd send me for physio. They never sorted physio out and I didn't bother chasing it up. Anyway I've now started a new job and am on my feet a lot of the day I'm also riding daily since getting Misty and my ankle is now agony when driving or if im on it for too long (it has hurt if im on it too long since the accident) it has also recently started to get very swollen by the end of the day. Is it too late to get booked into physio now and if I went back to see gp would they actually be able ot do anything?
 
Would be contemplating an Xray/Scan tbh - at this length afterwards, if its is ligament damage, it would display symptoms of instability - difficult to assess when you cant see the leg!!!!!

I personally would want to rule out any chipping of bones/avulsion fractures on the ankle and foot - lots of tiny bones with very strong things attached to. Would also want to be querying a "talar dome" injury - very often missed, and doubt a doctor could diagnose - but they can almost present like an arthritis as essentially it is a joint surface type issue. It is accentuated by prologoned compression and typically takes a long time to resolve (usually due to misdiagnosis). It is also compunded by surrounding ligament damage which casues the talus to be unstable in the dome creating further issues for the talar dome joint.

Have a look at some air cast braces, braces aren't always great but air cast are the best I have come across (I have a stupidly unstable ankle) so far that dont cost the earth - they have metal plates in to support the instability. Chat to GP, request a scan or at least an Xray and physio. If you take medication, take anti inflams (if you can) prior to a known "bad" activity eg driving long distances. Theory is that is they are in prior to activity help to prevent the inflammation as they are there "first".
 
Thankyou for that. Thats very helpful info.
I was born with juvenile arthritis which has carried on into adulthood. Could that be making it worse? They didn't do an xray when i first did injury as said it wasn't necessary. They did one 8 weeks later when i still couldn't walk of just my foot which was fine.
 
Xrays dont show soft tissue damage, and within that time any soft tissue damage that might have calcified (turned into a bony substace) wont have had chance to dvelop sufficiently to show on an xray.

Yes, JA could affect it. There is something called traumatic arthritis, which is induced (sorry if obv!!) by trauma damage to a joint surface. So could well be that although it seems a strong reaction to something that you do at a fairly regular level ie. I would expect the reaction if you were on your feet for 12hrs once evern two months or something, not daily.

Apply ice immediatley after the activity if poss, then heat to encourage healing. if not iced immediatley not much point IMO as it restricts blood flow so any swelling struggles to move away, and essetial healing nutrients are unable to "get in"

Deffo go back to GP and request scan/physio. I dont like googling of symptoms etc, but possibley look at talar dome injuries/lesions. Any questions feel free to ask :D or pm me whatever :)
 
thankyou very much you're very helpful :) will make appointment with gp tomorrow as it is getting worse rather than better and have noticed that when i get home from work and finally sit down foot and ankle swell become very painful and then gets severe pins and needles.
 
Much sympathy for anything to do with feet and ligament damage, LokiSofi! I tore the ligaments of my left arch 13 years ago (just walking on holiday) and I did nothing about it at the time (you don't on holiday, do you? And I was in Southern Ireland!). By the time I did, six months later when it still hurt like hell, the doctor told me it would have been better to break bones than tear ligaments. Very cheering. (My arch came apart and is no longer one).

From experience, pay attention to any discomfort, do get physio, and ice when you need to, even now at this late stage. I know it may not help heal, but it takes the sting/heat/swelling out of it. I've never heard of these air cast braces, I'm curious now!
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back