Injured ankle - what is normal healing?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

I had an accident 2 weeks ago and injured my outer leg and ankle (large heavy object fell against it all down one side from my knee to my ankle as it dropped to the ground). As I could still kind of walk I carried on as normal (short staffed in work) although there was quite a bit of swelling. After a week I thought I'd better get it x-rayed so went to A&E and they said there weren't any breaks (although signs of an evulsion/avulsion/whatever on my inner ankle, poss an old injury) and sent me away with a leaflet about sprains.

It's still very bruised but the swelling around my ankle bone has gone down enough so that I can at least see the bone now. But I'm more worried about a large hard lump in the ligament area that is not improving. Would this just be tissue damage or something I need to see the GP about? I don't think it's a haematoma because there's no bruising over that part. It's just a rock hard lump.

I'm panicking because I'm due to go on holiday to the US in 2 weeks and this is a holiday of a lifetime for us - I REALLY need to be fit enough! Could I have damaged the ligament? Would that have shown on the X-ray?

I'd go and see a physio asap but you might have to adjust your expectations for the holiday as soft tissue injuries can take a long time to heal, longer than breaks ime.

You think so? This is an active holiday with lots of walking. 😥

If you can afford it, see a sports physio for treatment, and more importantly do ALL the exercises prescribed to you. Don't just book one appointment, go daily if you can, it will make a difference.

When I sprained my ankle, I think it took about 16 to 18 weeks to feel anything like normal again (I put my foot down a bloody rabbit hole). I found an ankle strap really helped (even if it just mentally made me feel safer walking about) but it was a loooong slow process.

Don't overdo it, take it slow and I'd really seriously reconsider your holiday I hate to say. I used masses of Voltarol gel, kept my foot up when resting and used ice blocks to manage the swelling.

They can advise on things to help too like supports or possible a walking pole if necessary.

You'd need an MRI to see soft tissue damage and the NHS will probably make you suffer a bit longer before you can have one.

Don't want to scare you but I had a 'bad sprain' 17 years ago and didn't rest because I 'had' to go to work. Three surgeries and a lot of pain later and I now need an ankle replacement!

DS1 injured his ankle 2 weeks ago, too. He’s in the army so is lucky enough to be getting physio now. However, she’s put him in an ankle brace because she said the ankle is unstable and he should have been put in a moon boot. She’s going to get him referred for an MRI because the X-ray will only have shown it’s not broken, not what is damaged.

You need to get seen. Soft tissue injuries can be as bad, or worse than, a break in time wise for healing.

Good luck.

Crap, I can't cancel this holiday. It's a family holiday, one chance only. I can't even go and get it looked at at the moment cos I'm in bed with COVID. 😥

I can afford a sports physiotherapist. Do you just refer yourself? Not sure if I should try and see the GP next week. God I'm just panicking, it's so close to our holiday to be trying to sort anything, I could just cry.

i sprained my ankle very badly, missed a step and came down with my whole weight on top of my bent ankle, just over 2 years ago it was pre Covid so I was able to go to A and E, they x-rayed it to confirm it wasn’t broken. I was off work, desk job, for 2 weeks as I couldn’t put any weight on it at all and it took about 2 months before it was back to normal activity. Hospital said a bad sprain/ strain can be longer to heal than a break, I broke a bone in my foot a few years beforehand and it certainly healed quicker than the sprain did..

Oh god. Poor you. What did you damage? I'm so stupid, first for offering to help move the object in what was clearly an unsafe situation, and secondly for going into work next day and not resting it.

ime the first 3 days are crucial after an injury.
RICE (rest ice compression elevation) as much as possible plus getting it looked at medically.
follewd by gentle exercise but still rest and elevation.
any exertion during the first few days prolongs recovery greatly.

Your ankle may really swell from flying long haul too, I hate to say.

Have you got travel insurance?

Just ring up a sports physio and book an appt for asap.

Yes but I think I'll have to go through the fine print......

I'm at risk for DVT too.....oh crap, this is so depressing.

Is it a good sign if I can walk on it? Albeit not putting my absolute full weight on it? Clutching at straws here.....And it wasn't a proper sprain as such, just something falling on it....

Ring a physio now so you have an appt for when you're covid free.

I have had a broken ankle and also ligament damage on the other. The break healed much better and faster.

Strongly recommend taking one of these away with you so you don't end up favouring the other ankle.

www.millets.co.uk/15987003/eurohike-expedition-anti-shock-walking-pole-15987003/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5ZSWBhCVARIsALERCvyEheF0OzXxFAAC8h7AI_NOg-iDwMU1xO43vzN1IWOHlhnkmt-_a64aAtGsEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I rolled my ankle when running 5 yrs ago, i could walk on it but it wasn't right and felt so fragile after a mth or so. I managed to get a referral for physio and I had knocked it out of alignment. He manipulated it back in place and it immediately felt better and more secure. I still feel it now tho esp if I walk or run a lot on it and I can't really hop on that leg anymore.

Thanks. I actually went back to the walk in centre ( waited 4 hours!!) and saw a lovely decent nurse practitioner (after the crap triage nurse) who really gave it the once over, felt it all over really thoroughly, showed me the x rays, confirmed the hard swollen area I was worried about was to be expected in what was basically a crush injury and told me to still elevate and rest it, carry on with ibuprofen as an anti inflammatory and light exercise only (I have a sheet to follow). And flying is fine, she said I can wear flight socks for DVT risk. She said it can take 6 weeks for it to be healed.

So feeling more positive, although not looking forward to the airport and flight next week. Going to buy a walking pole to help with walking when I'm over there. I didn't book a sports therapist in the end because the exercises I have seem to be loosening things up.

Worse things happen at sea, it could have been a lot worse. The thing that fell ohn my leg had nails down one edge - imagine if it had been that side that fell down my leg! 😱