I had ankle surgery seven months ago. I still feel miserable. My ankle still swollen and very stiff.
I'm not able to do stairs, I'm limping and not able to walk long distances. Level pain is about three to four. I wear a compression stocking and when I remove it at night time my toes are stiff and my foot hurts a lot!
I'm having lower back pain and both legs and knees hurt too.
I had thirty sessions of PT from January to April. (That's the maximum my insurance allows in a fiscal year) I'll be able to go to PT in July.
Anyone having the same problem? Any advice or recommendations?
Thank you!
Hi. I had surgery last Sept and like yourself mine is still stiff, swollen 24/7 and discoloured. I had PT every 2 weeks but the hospital decided that I was doing my exercises, massage, elevate etc that I would take up to 1 year to recover and they discharged me! I returned to work mid Jan this year due to financial strains but I still cannot walk downstairs without a limp nor walk without a limp. I used to enjoy walking, now walk only when necessary and with discomfort. I hope in time that you and I will both improve. Good luck
Hi, it's 5 months since I had my operation regarding my Maisonneuve Fracture.I also find it hard walking as it feels that my ankle is catching on bone.I have the knee problems but thankfully not the back problems.I am going to physio twice a month but to be honest it's aggravating it more than anything.Will see my consultant in two months time where he will take a MRI and decide if it needs another operation to get it right.Presently I am still off work as I am a postman so walking is a must for me.Really upsets your every day life this type of injury as I used to walk 12/14 miles a day at walk now down to a few hundred steps here and there.Again severity of the injury coupled with age can have a bearing on recovery,plus all your weight is transferred through the ankle.My consultant said its not an injury you can rush.Reading on here gives you a lift because you are not on your own and some people are worse off than myself.I hope your injury improves for you but it is a slow process for some.
Chris
Hi margarita, after 7 months, the amount of pain you have seems a little too much. When last have you seen your surgeon? I broke my ankle 18 weeks ago and had surgery, but doing well . I walk with a very slight limp, and have no pain and hardly any swelling. My ankle is a bit stiff at times. The knee and back pain is because you are walking incorrectly I think. At one stage I started with a sore knee and my physiotherapists showed me that I was walking wrong. Just correcting my walk and a few strengthening exercises for the knee and thigh, and I am fine again. If you have not been for a check up in a while , I think you should, and continue with the pt if your doctor says it is ok. I know we all heal differently, but it is good to make sure all is ok. I would also check for arthritis as it is very possibly after surgery, especially if you say your ankle is very stiff. Good luck I hope you feel better soon. Please keep us updated.
9 months post break, nearly 5 months post surgery. Snapped, displaced, fibula. Dislocated ankle. Surgery- plate, 6 screws, bone graft.
Feel your pain. Having a aggravated Bakers cyst on 'good' stopped me fixating on broken leg. Time, patience. I don't know the answer, but if I look back I see I have made good progress. Good wide shoes
Help. NB . Orthotics may be helpful. I too was a big walker. Still having Physio for another 8 weeks. Then not allocated any. As my husband broke his hand nearly a month after me, our lives have been on hold. Work related accident, totally not his fault. nasty boss fired him. Now we have very little money. He had surgery too. Both still having complications. Welcome to the club you didn't ask to join. Great support here.
Keep up R.I.C.E.
DON'T be too hard on yourself. Find a hobby for a distraction. Uke for me and PS4.
I have a walker - All terrain with large wheels and seat. Very handy.
@(*+*)@
PT so important, glad you'll be starting back soon. Home PT good too.
Do you have any hardware in? Many have complained that their hardware causes issues/restrictions and limp and have it removed. I think other pains are being caused by limp. Just a thought. Maybe a discussion with doc on this is in order because if limp does not improve, other issues will worsen. Sorry for your discomfort. Hope you get answers soon.
Hi Margarita- I'm so sorry you and others, are still experiencing these problems. Everyone's comments here seem most helpful. I have done a lot of research on removing hardware, and I have yet to find someone who was unhappy they did the procedure. I'm just thinking, for those of you who are still in pain over 7 months out, it may be something to think about. I know it is scary to think of having another operation, it certainly worries me too, but I have read a lot of blogs from people who got it done, and some say the doctor told them to wear the boot for 4 weeks, but most people don't do it and seem to be feeling great even a few days later, and wonder why they didn't do it sooner. It seems from what I have read, that they just have a bit of pain from the incision for a week or so, and not anything else. Just an idea you may want to research further. Everyone knows their own bodies and situation best (and age and overall health could factor into this decision as well). Also, I like Daphne's ideas of looking at your gait carefully in a long mirror, as we get so used to our conditions, that perhaps some obvious things are getting missed, that may be easily seen in a mirror. I also agree that the knee, hip, back etc. pain can be caused from unbalanced walking, so be careful about that. It's hard to be patient when you need to get somewhere and difficult to remember to slow down and do the heel toe proper walking. I found at one point, the walker (frame) was the one tool that didn't let me cheat on my stride, and sometimes going backwards a little could help to bring us forward. You may want to try it for a while to get your step more into alignment with your body. Re. steps downstairs, I had to work on that for weeks and weeks. I noticed not everyone has this problem and I struggled with it and was quite frustrated. I have just started being able to do it. Basically, at least for me, all it all came down to, was building strength in my foot and toes and calf flexibility . Try to look up these exercises: 1.) Gastroc stretch (and all kinds of other calf stretches). The Gastroc is an amazing stretch that is hard at first and gets easier as you do it. 2.) Standing on a step, stretch the injured heel over the end of the step while holding onto the rail 3.) Sit and cross your injured leg over the good knee and pull and stretch your toes toward you and way from you 4.) Try working on 2" steps then graduate to 4" (once you can do a 4" well, you are almost there). 5.) Try balancing on one foot for 1 minute (then try to do it on a flexible pad or pillow for 1 minute after you get that one down). This is another important one. 6.) Hold onto the bed and stand on both your toes and hold as long as possible (later try doing it on the injured foot only for however long you can -even if it is a second, and build up on those toes alone as you can until you can stand holding onto something on just the injured foot's toes). I think being able to do the steps is primarily due to lack of toe strength. Now I can do them, and it just so happens I can also walk across the room on my toes now too. I don't think that is a coincidence. 7.) Get a rubber lacrosse ball, or other small ball, and roll your foot over it at night as you watch tv. This loosens the whole bottom of the foot and helps with the calf muscles too. 8.) You may also need to continue to do more ROM exercises. A good one for stairs is called the windshield wiper ankle exercise, where you put your heel down on the floor and move your foot right and left, like a car's windshield wipers. My ankle still feels these when I do them, which tells me I need to do them more. There are so many resources and exercise ideas online, you can easily keep up with the PT until you can start again. Also try the hot and cold dips (contrast therapy) and Epsom salt baths as well. Also, I just got rid of taking Motrins in the morning and at night just by using a strong compression sock regularly and stretching at night before I go to bed and in the morning before walking. I am so glad to be off meds. I had been on two Motrin a day ever since my second week of PT, to be able to get through the day's exercises. Doing these things has also substantially helped with the stiff foot in the morning condition. I hope you feel better soon!
I have been thinking about you Paul and wondering how you were doing. Sorry to hear you are still having trouble! Hang in there and keep doing your stretching and strengthening exercises. It is easy to give up on them, because they hurt and it takes a lot of time to get strength in the foot back. Have you tried compression socks at work?
Hi Patti. It's nice to hear that you have been thinking about me.I am pleased to read that you are improving, that's great news, well done. I had taken a break from posting on this forum as have been increasingly busy at work, then any spare time has been taken up with family commitments.
I am still doing stretching & stengthening exercises but not as frequent as I had been doing, I have been doing alternate days, rather than every day, but think that is partially my trouble. It's the coming down stairs that causes me the most issue, going upstairs is much easier. I wear an ankle support sock when I come home from work and my ankle is very swollen, this reduces the swelling, but still have some swelling 24/7. I have considered having the 3 screws removed, but am hesitating due to being off work again and struggling financially & physically again. I think with me a lot is physiological with me, and wish I had opted not to have the operation initially, but to have waited, then if needed to have the operation, but listened to the "specialist" who assured me that having surgery was the best decision, who knows?
I know we are recovering at different stages due to different levels of injuries, I wish everybody on here a speedy recovery and to try to remain positive
Good to hear from you Paul. It is hard to make time for all the exercises with all the other commitments in life- you are right. That's the one thing I heard from people I spoke with, who had healed from ankle breaks, is they were often sorry they didn't do the exercises as much as they should have done them, so I have tried to make time for them as much as I could. I posted some ideas today of how to gain strength, to help with walking downstairs. That was certainly the biggest hurdle for me, and I am still working on getting much better at it too. It really comes down to foot and toe strength. Hang in there and try to make a little time for yourself too. I know you have a family depending on you and that's probably hard to do!
Thanks for your comments and advice. I had read your post on exercises and must focus on spending more time to do them.
Thanks, just arrived home from work and starting my "work outs" 😂
Hi Paul,
I had surgery 2 weeks ago and had my hardware out. I wanted to let you know. We had surgery at same time. I had continued to have pain, swelling and stiffness. The surgery and anesthesia was much less than the first time, but it wasn't nothing. I woke up easily in the recovery room and was able to go home. I was told to wear an airboot for 2 weeks with an ace wrap. The incison was a little smaller. I had my stitches out today. I had nerve pain and redness at the site for 7 months. The pain had only recently gone away, but now it seems to be back. They told me to take gabapenin, I may do that. I only wore the boot for 2 days and then only outside for a few more days. I used crutches for 3 days. I removed the bandage in 3 days and could take a shower. I have been full weight bearing, moving the ankle around. It burns at the sight. I do feel that my range is better. I won't know for sure until I start pushing it some. It swelled some the first 2 days, but the swelling seems less. I have hopes of it being much better. Most people do not get this burning nerve pain and I think it would be doing great if that was not going on. It did go away totally last time. I too, wondered what it would have been like if I had not had the surgery the first time. If I were guessing I would say you would need a month off work to be comfortable with another surgery since your job is so physical. Best wishes to you!
Hi Linda. Thank you for posting your recent experiences with hardware removal, I really appreciate your comments. I'm at 8 month post surgery, the pt has left my file open till August but doesn't think that having further sessions will improve anything. My ankle is constantly swollen still despite the bathing, massage, and support bandage for when I return from work.
My foot is still a different colour and my lower leg is swollen. I can't afford another month off work but can't see any improvement happening anytime soon, so in a predicament as to what to do. The stiffness is still present and ankle gives minor pain around the incision area. I think you have made the correct decision based on our similar experiences. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery
Thanks Paul. I can understand your predicament. I will let you know in the future if I have a major break through after the hardware removal. I can't tell yet. I rode the stationary trainer for 20 minutes today, but now tonight I have burning pain at the site and it feels stiffer than pre op. So no miracle yet, but I'm hoping for it
I never would've thought we'd still be having pain like this, but there's still time for improvement.
Thanks again. I'm hoping that the burning pain is only temporary due to your exercising and your second operation, I think it will settle down in time.i would appreciate any future feedback, as I am obviously still very uncertain as to having any more surgery. It's certainly changed my life and restricted me from walking distances, stairs are an issue and bending/squatting. Keep up with the exercises etc and look forward to getting your life back on track. Take care