Pic of DH foot, shall he go back to be checked out again?

[enamechange]

Hi everyone

Name changed but regular user.

DH rolled his ankle playing football on Saturday. Sunday woke up and it was black and blue and couldn't walk on it so went to A&E for xray. They told him it's "just" damaged ligaments and to rest it, ice it and take paracetamol.

He's keeping it elevated and iced but the swelling is getting worse and it's getting more and more painful.

Paracetamol isn't touching it, managed to borrow some crutches from a kind lady after asking on FB but he's really struggling.

Anyone with any experience? Should he go back? Or just keep resting?

Just echoing what others have said. I did the ligaments in my ankle and it looked exactly like that. Nearly three years in it still feels weak and is slightly larger than before. I did have physio and for that I self referred. I was also told the same about a break being a ‘better scenario’ than ligament damage. Absolutely excruciating at the time and for some weeks after.

Thanks everyone.

It was xrayed and that's when they told him it's ligaments, not a break.

He has been lying on the sofa with his foot elevated above his heart and he is using ice pack on it for 20 minutes at a time but just wanted to sit up for a bit.

Just don't want to waste A&E time, it's hard to know what to do. X

I tore my ankle ligaments badly for the first time a few years ago and since then they are weak as hell, done it three times since.

They do swell like a bugger and REALLY hurt, but ultimately it's a waiting game. I had a boot once due to having a six month old and being unable to carry her and use crutches, but tbh, that was more painful than just limping about.

I was always told not to compress, ice regularly and move gently - all easier said than done though.

Poor DH, I feel his pain!

DH looked like that and worse and wasn’t broken. Got a referral to a generic ankle physio class when swelling down. If you can see a physio privately it’ll be worth it

Ha I'm the same and I'm 30 too! It is swollen but he genuinely has really smooth skin which rattles me when I have to douse myself in moisturiser from top to toe every day so I don't look like a dried up raisin 😂 he also never gets spots and never gets stinky pits or feet even in the summer which is for another thread all together 😒😂

Nothing A&E can do unfortunately - it's a long term recovery

Ask docs for physio referral if it is not gaining strength in a month though

looks like gout to me

He has been referred to physio. We are going on holiday on Saturday (just Devon so thankfully no plane journey) and his appt is the Monday after we get back so super grateful for it being so quick!

I've damaged my ligaments and broken an ankle (at separate times). Give me a broken ankle any day.

Dont go to A and E.
They done their bit. It’s been xrayed and diagnosed there is nothing more they can do.
Thats going to take a while to feel better that’s all.

Diagnosis of 'not a fracture' isn't a diagnosis in my book.....

They could refer to physio
They could provide a splint or cast
They could refer to orthopaedics
Many have a ESP-led ankle or msk clinics

"Ligament injury" is a cop-out unless they've told you which ligament(s), and how bad they think the injury is... The most common high grade ligament injuries benefit massively from being recognised and treated early.

My ligament damage was like this too. The nurse told me it's often more painful than a break. The pain was worse than childbirth and the recovery took me about six months in total.

I spent the first week on the sofa and crawling to the toilet on my hands and knees.

I would go back. My exH did similar years ago playing football and when I took him to hospital the next morning when he could hardly bear weight they refused to even xray it!

Fast forward 3 weeks when it was still swollen, black and painful he got a referral from the GP for an xray and guess what - broken in 2 places.

He's never been able to play again

.

In an ideal world. But imo A&E cannot keep seriously ill patients waiting by sodding about with an injury that needs no immediate treatment. If the RICE method does not work then this becomes one for the local GP to decide on a plan as suitable. I have done several ligaments and muscles over the years and unless something is completely detached rest, elevation is often sufficient.

As per many PP - thats ligaments which is far worse than a break and may never fully heal. I still have one ankle slightly larger than the other from rolling it in 1995.

Surprised he wasn't advised on some kind of pressure for it? Unless its just off for the photo but I'd be strapping that into next week.

Broke my ankle at school, and it didn't swell like that. But it was weak for years. Weird tendon damage last week, but thankfully nothing that appears as nasty as this. My sympathies are with him. Looks dreadful. Go easy. Remember it will take time to build back.

When I sprained my ankle badly (well I actually managed both ankles and both knees but one ankle was the worst) I couldn't weight-bear on it for several weeks. I did an entire work trip to London on crutches and it was a nightmare.

It looks weeks to get to semi-okay and about 2 years to fully stabilise and not be weaker than the other.

Once I could weight-bear even a little I did a load of physio exercises and I kept it moving even while I couldn't bear any weight on it.

Ligament damage can actually be worse than a break. It needs compression on it as well as ice and elevation. Paracetamol ibuprofen and arnica

It looks just like mine did when I sprained it. I had similar bruising. If they Xrayed it then there’s no need to go back. It’s not broken, it will heal in a week or so.

100% agree with you.

Although bone fractures and breaks are very painful, they do heal fully by around 8-10 weeks depending on severity and you do have muscle wastage to deal with. Bone knits together strongly, and once you can get back to weight-bearing, your recovery is exponential.

anything ligament and tendon-related is an absolute mare, because the tendons don't have a very good blood supply to them and they take months and months, sometimes years to heal.

@enamechange your poor DHs leg looks very bad! I'm not going to give any advice, every injury is so unique. I hope he recovers soon, poor thing.

Another who had an ankle much the same with ligament damage. I’d have rather broken it.

not an A and E job now - if he needs further support it’s a GP or nurse practioner.

Reading this is making me incredibly grateful Dd got a boot when she did her ankle ligament damage, really helped as she could walk on it straight away and go to school etc the next day and it healed so she could walk normally after 2.5 weeks (still is weaker though but not terribly so)

If a combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen don’t touch the pain, contact GP for something stronger/advice. Or try cocodamol.

Mine was massive when I tore my ligaments. Couldn’t get my boot on. That was in interesting travel home! I couldn’t walk on it and lived in a flat with bedroom and bathroom upstairs and kitchen and front door downstairs! Thankfully a kind person delivered a stick from Facebook to help.

it took over a year to get better. It’s been a few years and I still can’t wear high heels and it gets achy if I walk too much.

physio for exercises.