Medical question--sprained ankle

[Octoberbride03]

I broke my ankle several years ago and walked on it for over a day before I would go to the ER. I even drove myself. Two weeks later I hacksawed the cast off, taped it and walked on it. My brother walked on a broken ankle for 2 days. I have also sprained that ankle at least 6 times and broke it one other time. I am a bit klutzy. I walked on it every time with a cane for a day or two and that was it. Everybody reacts to pain differently and some people can tolerate pain better than others. It does hurt but I would rather deal with the pain than the cast.

I tolerate pain better than other too, but hacksawing a cast off my ankle after 2 weeks? I can't believe you didn't make it worse.

Of course when I broke my ankle, we didn't even need xrays to see that. Since my foot was at a nearly 90 degree angle, aint no mistaking its broke. 9-10 weeks in a cast and then the same amount of therapy, Oh yippee. Years later I still have all the screws in from the original surgery and the plate.

 

[luvsJack]

First of all, a bad sprain does not lead to a fracture. A sprain involves the soft tissue of a joint-stretched/torn ligaments. A fracture, obviously, involves the bones. You can't really fracture your "ankle" as that is a joint but you can fracture the bones that make up the ankle.

As for walking on it, yes, you can walk on a sprain, but it is painful. What really hurts is the swelling which is why sprains often can be more painful then a break because you don't get the instant swelling with a break unless there is soft tissue damage with the break.

Using the joint, within reason, actually helps it heal faster because it creates more blood flow to the area, and helps reduce swelling. Staying off a sprained ankle for 2 weeks is old advice, typically given by a GP that doesn't deal with them that often. Usually if you see someone in sports medicine they will advise a couple days of crutches for severe sprains, lots of elevation, ice and anti-inflammatory meds.

I sprained my ankle quite severely when I was in 7th grade. I walked on it right away, it hurt like crazy. By the time I had walked across the street to my house from where I hurt my ankle I could feel the swollen skin hanging over my shoe. I ended up on a cast--hindsight was a terrible solution--because the swelling would not go down. Never once did anyone suggest ice and elevation. I remember tying to sleep that night and how PAINFUL the sheet on my bed was just laying over the top of my foot.

Wow! Really? I didn't realize that they don't tell people to stay off their foot now. There is no way I could have only used crutches for a couple of days though. Like I said, it would not hold up. If I tried to stand it would turn and then HURT like heck. Seems like I was told to elevate and use ice (this was in 8th grade and I graduated in '81, so I guess in 77 or 76? ) and also to soak it in Epson salt water (really really hot water) every night.



ETA: she seems to have given it up. DS said the ankle has magically healed and she is walking on it. It was swelling again yesterday--today just fine.

 

[minkydog]

If a person's ankle is "badly sprained, almost fractured" would they be able to walk on it?

Neither I nor any of my loved ones have a hurt ankle. A very dramatic young lady says she stepped in a hole, went to the ER and this is what she says she was told.

When my ankle was "badly sprained, almost fractured", I couldn't even get up from where I fell when it happened. It wasn't that it hurt to put weight on it; it wouldn't hold weight. I was on crutches for several weeks. She is not on crutches and doesn't seem to have any trouble walking except for a small limp.

I just didn't want to be holding back sympathy for someone who really deserved it.

I broke my ankle while camping on Thankgiving day up in the woods. Running to catch on of the kids, stepped in a hole and SNAP! The pain was bad, but i could still walk on it. I didn't go to the hospital because i thought, well, it's just sprained and I'm not going to the ER and wait for umpteen hours to get an ace wrap. So I treated it myself.

When I finally went to the doctor 8 days later, the xray showed that I had greenstick fractures in both the tibia and fibula. I went out of the office with hard cast, crutches, and instructions for NO WEIGHT BEARING for 6 weeks.

So, the answer to your question is Yes. You can walk on a badly sprained or broken ankle. If you're an idiot like me. (I'm a nurse; we make the WORST patients.)