Ankle sprains are very common and heal with regular therapy in about 2 to 12 weeks. Other sprains that don’t heal with regular therapy need to find more appropriate remedies. It is easy to tell when an ankle injury has healed.The most significant sign of healing is the stability of the ankle. This is when the ankle supports your weight confidently and does not give way or have any pain

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Understanding ankle injuries that won’t heal

Unnoticeable damage to interior bones, foot ligaments, cartilage, and the junction with fibula and tibia make ankle sprains fail to heal with regular therapy. The results from these injuries involve impinging scar tissue or trapped fluid. It is no wonder that subsequent pain after ankle sprains might not be apparent on anx-ray. Physical and image diagnostics of anankle injury is necessary to determine the cause and appropriate medical solution. Here is a guide to the most persistent ankle injuries and how a podiatrist can help.

Cartilage fractures

These fractures are a result from over exertion strenuous activity. Some patients recover from the initial ankle injury much quicker,so, this will encourage the patient to get back into strenuous activity to soon and will only end up feeling deep pain during a normal healing period. The cause is usually do to a shear fracture of the talus bone osteochondral surface or invisible impact. Treating this requires cartilage stimulation procedures and arthroscopic debridement.

Ankle ligament injuries

There is a likelihood of suffering from an ankle ligament injury resulting from post-recovery instability or fleeting pain. People with a history of ankle sprains are likely to experience pain and ankle instability for a few months after causing the injury. This might result from a ligament tear around the ankle bone where the foot and ankle meet. When regular therapy fails to handle the problem at hand, the best solution is ankle surgery in Houston TX to repair the ligament.

 

Snowboarder’s fracture

Fans of snowboarding are prone to ankle injuries resulting from the increased motion of the snowboarding boots. This is not the case with skiing involving downhill ski boots. There is a likelihood of suffering from less common ankle injuries common in snowboarding or sometimes in soccer players as snowboarder’s fracture This condition results from the breaking of the talus bone at the foot’s subtalar joint. Early intervention like surgery is strongly recommended to protect the patient from disability and lasting pain.

 Scar tissue

There is a likelihood of experiencing persistent pain on the exterior part of the ankle that canresponds well to steroid therapy and local anesthetic if given early. This might be possible with minimal diagnostic imaging required. The problem might result from scar tissue after the injury causing ankle impingent and bone movement issues. Persistent pain that doesn’t go away with steroid therapy may require surgical excision of the scar tissue by arthroscopy.

Tendon injury

Nagging pain within the ankle can be a result from having an inversion ankle sprain or torn tendons. This injury might fail to heal with bracing or physical therapy. The patient will have to undergo surgery to repair the damaged tendons. Surgery is the best solution even for patients with damaged peroneal tendons at the rear of the foot.

Peroneal nerve injury

This condition is a sensation of pins and needles months after experiencing an ankle sprain. The ankle sprain might result from astretch injury resulting from severe superficial pereneal nerve inversion. This condition might also result from a plantar flexion a position leading to pereneal nerve damage to the front of the ankle. Accurate diagnosis of this condition is essential to determine the best medication, expectation, and healing period.

When to visit a podiatrist for anankle sprain

The first thing to do if you suspect an ankle injury is to visit a physician. However, only a professional in treating ankle injuries is the best person to diagnose and offer appropriate assistance. Injuries involving lingering pain resulting from an ankle sprain are not for a primary care physician.  A lingering ankle sprain beyond three months is a serious condition.

There is a possibility of having an injury to atendon, bone, or ligament. This kind of injury is less likely to heal on its own or with regular therapy. Ignoring to visit the podiatrist comes with a risk of escalating the injury and resulting in permanent disability or costly procedures to treat the condition. Visiting the podiatrist early allows appropriate diagnosis and determination of the right procedure to fix the issue. This will save you from living with persistent pain, discomfort, immobility, and costly medical expenses in the future.

Wrapping up

Ankle injuries are very common and seem like a small issue. However, some of these might linger on for more than three months. During this period you have to endure pain, immobility, and discomfort. Getting an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan from a podiatrist in Houston is strongly recommended. This allows applying solutions like ankle surgery to eliminate the problem while saving you from hefty medical bills in the future and the possibility of a disability.