Ankle pain

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I work in a 6 story building with concrete floors and steps. Last fall I decided to stop using the elevator to see if it would help me get in shape for ski season. I counted an average of 50 flights of stairs a day. By day 3 I had stabbing pain in my right ankle, I decided that would not help my skiing so I went back to riding the elevator about 75% of the time and in a week or two the pain was gone.

In the spring, when my skiing was no longer in jeopardy I tried again. Again, 3 days and then stabbing pain. So I went back to the elevator.

Last weekend I went on a really long hike over some uneven terrain, and now it's back, much worse than before. I didn't injure it, that is, I didn't take a bad step or fall down or do anything that hurt while I was hiking, when I came back from the trip my ankle didn't hurt, but the next morning it did.

Here's the symptoms -- 90% of the time it's 100% fine. Absolutely no pain. If I'm not bearing weight on it I can twist it any direction, rub it any way, etc . . . and nothing -- it feels great. I can also walk on it and most of the time it's fine. But if I try and go up stairs, or walk backwards (yesterday I tried to back out of the elevator with my cart at Target), or shift my weight backwards when I'm stepping on it, I get this tiny point of very sharp, severe pain in the side of my ankle.

I bought a "medium support" brace at Target, I'm not sure it makes a difference, on stairs etc . . . I still have problems, but it seems to serve as a reminder not to forget and go backwards or lean back.

Any ideas what it could be? I need to be able to do some stairs. I can't wait for the elevator every single time, plus I need to be able to go upstairs in my house etc . . . I know I should see a doctor, but I'd rather see the DIS doctors for free.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

39 views and noone knows?

I was hoping that this would be like a few years ago when I got heel pain, posted the symptoms (not sure if it was here or another board) and people were like -- Plantar Fascitis, so I looked up PF exercises and they worked like a charm.

What could be causing my ankle from zero pain 90% of the time, to sharp sudden stabbing pain if I try and go up a step?

 

[disykat]

At times I have issues with both PF and my achilles tendon. I'm been told they're fairly interrelated. Do you have any swelling? When I have trouble with my Achilles Tendon I get a swollen bump.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Nope, no swelling. It's also not on the back, it's more like it's on the bone that sticks out on the inside of the ankle.

I thought about a stress fracture, but I think those hurt all the time, at least a little twinging or aching. There is none of that. It doesn't hurt at all, and then suddenly it does, like someones stabbing it. There's no middle ground, no, oh that one hurt a little. It's either agony or "off".

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Nope, no swelling. It's also not on the back, it's more like it's on the bone that sticks out on the inside of the ankle.

I thought about a stress fracture, but I think those hurt all the time, at least a little twinging or aching. There is none of that. It doesn't hurt at all, and then suddenly it does, like someones stabbing it. There's no middle ground, no, oh that one hurt a little. It's either agony or "off".

There is a nerve that passes along the inside, and another that passes along the outside, of the ankle. Most injuries or impingements that effect these nerves include numbness, but this could be that sort of problem. Consult an orthopedic surgeon...

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I read somewhere you can get Carpal Tunnel syndrome in your ankle, only it's got a different name. Do you mean like that? I have no idea what that would feel like.

As an aside my OTHER leg hurts, but a regular hurt like I've overexercised it, which I attribute to hopping up and down the stairs on it.

 

[minkydog]

Sounds like you might have post-tibial tendonitis. The post-tibial tendon runs diagonally from the back of your ankle to you instep. There is a nerve that runs through it so any movement which would stretch the tendon, such as bending your foot to step up, can stretch that nerve.

I partially ruptured the post-tibial tendon on my right foot about 7 years ago. I lost a lot of function in my foot, most notably the ability to rise on my toes. My ankle is very unstable and I have injured it several times. In June I re-injured it unknowingly when I went to New Orleans and walked around on the uneven brick sidewalks. This time I permanently injured the nerve and required physical therapy for 8 weeks. And the ankle still isn't right,although it's not painful any more.

I urge you to get this checked out. Your feet are very important and you don't want them to get messed up. Believe me, when you're my age(52) you'll appreciate your feet more than ever.