Ankle Sprain

sarahspiral said:

Thanks for your reply, Ic3Rabbit. The doctor suggested riding on a stationary bike right after the sprain happened. So a few days after the sprain, I rode on the bike but then my foot swelled up even more and became very bruised. So between that and the fact that getting to the gym is difficult, I've been hesitant to go back. But now that it's been 3 weeks and the swelling is way down, I think I need to try again but I might start with the swimming first, as you suggested. The swimming should be less strenuous.

Thanks for your reply as well, Cl2. Hiring a physical therapist is a good idea but I'm a little hesitant to spend the money on that right now. If my ankle is not much better in a couple of weeks, then I might try that.

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You say your entire foot is swollen, not just the ankle area? That sounds like it could be more than a sprained ankle.

My story: I rolled my ankle, causing a sprain and a fractured 5th metatarsal (colloquially, a dancer's fracture). Needless to say, my entire foot was swollen and bruised. I suspected a fracture (um, heard a crack) so I specifically asked the doctor for an x-ray.

If your foot isn't better in a few weeks, go to a specialist, orthopedist or sports doctor. Get the specialist to refer you to a PT. If your foot is still in an acute state of injury after a few weeks, there's obviously something wrong, and going to the PT before an orthopedist is like putting the cart before the horse.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I saw an orthopedist a couple of days after it happened. They took an x-ray and determined that it was a sprain and not broken. They didn't suggest going to a PT, nor did they suggest doing any PT exercises. All they said to do was to ride a stationary bike and swim and then I can resume skating in 4 weeks. I recently found some "range of motion" exercises online that I've been doing for my ankle and I plan to go back to the gym tonight. But I'm not sure that I'll be ready to skate in another week. My ankle just doesn't seem strong enough. I may have the doctor double check it before I return to skating, or I might get a second opinion, as Loopy suggested. The doctor I saw seemed to be in a hurry.
Thanks again everyone

I'm beginning to wonder if something is wrong with my foot too, cl2, b/c the top of my foot has been so swollen. It's gotten a lot better but there's still some swelling.

I agree with others to go see another doctor, specialist if possible. You really want to make sure it heals properly.