Orthopaedics

Diseases, Symptoms, tcm, [tcmwindow.com]

Ankle pain, what is wrong with my ankle or foot?

Health Description
Health Consultation Description: My left ankle started hurting about a week ago. No visible symptoms. A little faded bruising is all. Started hurting first on the outer ankle and outer side of foot closer to the ankle. Spread to the inner side of my ankle parallel to the pain on the outer side. Then the pain spread to the entire outer side of my foot and pinky toe. Now the pain has officially spread to my arch too. The pain isn't constant but it is become more and more constant each day. What is wrong with it? Is it tendonitit, a hairline fracture, a sprain, or something else? PLEASE answer.Oh and Im getting an ankle brace in 3 days cause I run cross country and it really hurts during practices.

Expert Reply

Condition analysis:
The only way to tell for sure is to see a doctor, it could be any of those things. If it's a sprain it will after using RICE (a sprain healing method) and maybe crutches. If it's a break you need to immobilize it, which means you need to seek medical help to get a cast or walking cast.

Instructions:
Rest/No Weight Bearing: Most patients require some period of rest with no weight being put upon the ankle. Crutches, walkers and wheelchairs allow patients to keep weight off of the ankle. Many factors can determine which is the best choice for an individual patient. The type of ankle fracture will determine when patients can start to stand and walk on their injured ankle. In many cases, a patient will not be able to place any weight on the ankle for several days, weeks or even months. This is a determination that must be made by an orthopaedic foot and ankle specialist.