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Thread: Sprained ankle

  1. #1

    Sprained ankle

    Don't know what I'm after here - advice, sympathy or just a vent. Anyway.
    Sprained my ankle just over a fortnight ago during a fell race. Was moving at pace downhill, foot went in a hidden divot and my ankle rolled over with a large 'crack'. St John's iced and strapped it, and suggested a trip to A&E. Six hour wait to be told, 'we' ll xray it, but if the radiologist doesn't see anything obvious, go straight home'.
    I did the usual, Rice etc, and after three days I had no bruising but a large lump over the bone on the outside of my ankle. I progressed to flexibility/balance moves after a week and managed a couple of steady bike rides in the days after. The swelling hasn't gone down at all, but last night I tried a run. I managed five steps. The pain seems to shoot through the top of my foot, and hurts within the joint.
    I'm frustrated because I had been seeing some improvement, but two weeks out, far from having me compensate with good diet and clean living, has seen me eat junk and drink like a fish.
    I have a physio appointment next week - although it's actually for my knee which I injured last November (speedy referral). In the mean time, what timescale have fellow fellers worked to for similar injuries, and is there any advice you can offer over and above the usual? Cheers.

  2. #2
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    I've had an ankle make a snap sound before, twisted it badly a few times but it's never taken more than 10 days of rest to recover, I'd go get it x-rayed. It's hard to spot small fractures.

  3. #3
    It's been xrayed - whether or not another is required I don't know. The A&E docs didn't fill me with confidence. Once the xray operator said that she couldn't see anything, I was discharged - no attempt to grade the injury, no further inspection and no recovery advice.

  4. #4

    This is how it looks at the minute. Despite the negative x-rays, my inner hypochondriac has diagnosed a talus fracture from the interwebs.

  5. #5
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    You need to see an Orthopod - whether you go via your GP or A+E depends on which is quickest - start by d/w GP receptionist and explaining the situation.

  6. #6
    Master mr brightside's Avatar
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    That needs looking at by a musculoskeletal specialist of some sort. If my ankle looked like that i'd go to a private Chiropractor or a Podiatrist, one way or another you don't want to be weight bearing unnecessarily until you have a diagnosis. A&E will just want you back out of the door asap, and don't trust the opinion of a GP. If you want to go NHS you need a referral from your GP to see a Musculoskeletal Consultant; they will pass you on to Radiology and Physiotherapy. The choose and book service has got me in within a month in the past, try to get into a private hospital if you can- it's faster. Obtain a copy of the Radiologist's report, you must ask for this as they won't give you it automatically.

    Going on my personal experience i'd say you're going to have to allow about 6 months to see the back of this, so you've got plenty of time to do it right, and you normally only get one shot at doing it right with an injury that looks as angry as that. Misdiagnosis and that biggest of mistakes 'running through it' are currently your biggest concerns.
    Luke Appleyard (Wharfedale)- quick on the dissent

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by mr brightside View Post
    That needs looking at by a musculoskeletal specialist of some sort. If my ankle looked like that i'd go to a private Chiropractor or a Podiatrist, one way or another you don't want to be weight bearing unnecessarily until you have a diagnosis. A&E will just want you back out of the door asap, and don't trust the opinion of a GP. If you want to go NHS you need a referral from your GP to see a Musculoskeletal Consultant; they will pass you on to Radiology and Physiotherapy. The choose and book service has got me in within a month in the past, try to get into a private hospital if you can- it's faster. Obtain a copy of the Radiologist's report, you must ask for this as they won't give you it automatically.

    Going on my personal experience i'd say you're going to have to allow about 6 months to see the back of this, so you've got plenty of time to do it right, and you normally only get one shot at doing it right with an injury that looks as angry as that. Misdiagnosis and that biggest of mistakes 'running through it' are currently your biggest concerns.
    Well that's cheered me up no end 😋

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by mr brightside View Post
    That needs looking at by a musculoskeletal specialist of some sort. If my ankle looked like that i'd go to a private Chiropractor or a Podiatrist, one way or another you don't want to be weight bearing unnecessarily until you have a diagnosis. A&E will just want you back out of the door asap, and don't trust the opinion of a GP. If you want to go NHS you need a referral from your GP to see a Musculoskeletal Consultant; they will pass you on to Radiology and Physiotherapy. The choose and book service has got me in within a month in the past, try to get into a private hospital if you can- it's faster. Obtain a copy of the Radiologist's report, you must ask for this as they won't give you it automatically.

    Going on my personal experience i'd say you're going to have to allow about 6 months to see the back of this, so you've got plenty of time to do it right, and you normally only get one shot at doing it right with an injury that looks as angry as that. Misdiagnosis and that biggest of mistakes 'running through it' are currently your biggest concerns.
    It is meant to be standard NHS practice that acute injuries like this, whether or not an X-ray is felt to show anything, are seen at the next day's Fracture Clinic at the latest. Ideally this would have been organised via the A+E department. The problem is starting this system in motion, having missed one of the steps. Don't take no for an answer, and if need be turn up at A+E in the morning, before they are too busy, with a chance of being seen in one of the day's Fracture clinics, or indeed by an Orthopod in the A+E.

  9. #9
    Thanks for the input guys. Got in at my Gp today, hoping that he would refer me elsewhere, but unfortunately it was the usual story. Told me - of course it's swollen/misshapen/painful, it's sprained and you'll possibly be that way for 6 months. Advised me to speak to physio next week.
    I'd love to be able to take it private, but unfortunately on my modest income, it's hard justifying any kind of personal expenditure - it goes kids, wife, pets, me in that order. Looks like a self-styled rehab program instead which will either kill or cure me. The thought of 6 months out frankly terrifies me. I've already put on half a stone.

  10. #10
    Master mr brightside's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mountainsloth View Post
    Thanks for the input guys. Got in at my Gp today, hoping that he would refer me elsewhere, but unfortunately it was the usual story. Told me - of course it's swollen/misshapen/painful, it's sprained and you'll possibly be that way for 6 months. Advised me to speak to physio next week.
    I'd love to be able to take it private, but unfortunately on my modest income, it's hard justifying any kind of personal expenditure - it goes kids, wife, pets, me in that order. Looks like a self-styled rehab program instead which will either kill or cure me. The thought of 6 months out frankly terrifies me. I've already put on half a stone.
    Don't trust the diagnosis of a GP, that's one lesson i learned the hard way. It sounds like you've got a referral to a physio, which is a good place to start. 'Sprained Ankle' is not a diagnosis worthy of putting this saga to bed, it needs to be more precise than that ideally.

    As for your 6 months out, i've been there before and more, i was out for over a year once. The trick is to realise that you are not defined as a person by how much you run. Your self-worth is not linked to race results.
    Luke Appleyard (Wharfedale)- quick on the dissent

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