Ferris1984

Hey,

To cut a long story short, a few months ago I slipped and fell on my right side and as soon as I got back up to my feet I felt really bad pain in my foot and I could hardly walk so I went to A&E and had an x-ray and was told that I had not broken my foot.

For a few days I was taking painkillers, but I still felt intense pain every time I was walking or even just on my feet so I phoned up my local GP and booked an appointment to see my doctor. I explained what had happened and my doctor told me that he could feel swelling on my foot and asked me to go back to A&E to have another x-ray on my foot and that my foot is more than likely badly sprained. At first I was told that I had a small fracture and then I was told that my foot was not fractured.

Since then I have experienced nothing but pain and I feel when I am walking that I have a slight limp. I work 12-hour shifts so as one can probably imagine, I feel uncomfortable for long durations of time.

I don’t really want to keep going back and forth to see my doctor, but can he actually do anything to help me? Do you think I should book another appointment with my doctor and explain that even after a few months I still don’t feel any improvement? I don’t want to come across as a hypochondriac to my doctor, and in all fairness I try and avoid going to the doctors or hospital; before my fall I had not been to either in quite a few years.

The other day I asked my wife to watch me walking in a straight line and she told me she noticed a very obvious limp. She thinks I should book an appointment with my doctor.

I understand that things can take time to heal, but I can neither cycle nor walk properly because of the pain.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Leebo

Might do better with a second opinion from a trained medical practitioner. As opposed to random strangers on the web.....

rumrunn6

did you slip & fall while riding your bike?

SpinClassSara

I badly sprained both my ankles, at different times luckily. Each time I was casted and put into a boot which I wore for 8 weeks IIRC. I had physical therapy with the first bad sprain, too. It's possible you need more care than just an x-ray and pain killers.

Cyclist0108

I had a Bimalleolar fracture that required immediate surgical reduction/fixation. Once they do that, the main problem is soft tissue damage, like a sprain. I was on crutches for 4 months and it probably took two years before I was able to stand up and hammer on the bike. What I found the most helpful during the recovery period was an extremely good pair of high-ankle supportive hiking boots, and lots of physical therapy. I've been told I was better off breaking the bones than having a pure sprain.

mr_bill

Please, just listen to your spouse.

-mr. bill

Rajflyboy

Some of the leg muscles can take 3 or so months to heal

Most likely time will do the trick

Wilfred Laurier

The impact it took may have shaken it loose but improper assembly is most likely the root cause. If it's still under warranty you can take it back to the shop where you got it and have them repair or replace. You shouldn't be out of pocket for something like this.

Ferris1984

I was not on my bike when I fell, it happened when I was pushing my bike to my shed.

Should I wait until after the New Year before booking appointment with my doctor?

02Giant 

Think Independence Day...

Senrab62 

A severe sprain can be as bad as a break, or so I've read and been told.

Take care, and see a specialist. 2 months is a long time IMHO.

shelbyfv

Get a recumbent ebike

phughes

Ask your doctor to visit this forum and read this thread. He or she then can advise you better than had you actually gone to their office or called them. Be sure to tell them it is bicycle related.

hcgaloi

It happened to me a couple of years back. I used a TENS unit (massage pulser/Amazon $20) for about a month, and I was back to normal. However, once in awhile I still feel a little soreness, and I have to use the unit again.

Good luck

bpcyclist

You need to see an orthopaedic surgeon. They will probably want an MRI.

Myosmith

+1 on the MRI. Traditional x-rays are pretty good at finding bone fractures and dislocations, but soft tissue (tendons, ligaments, muscle) injuries are much better identified on an MRI.

I had a fall three years ago in which I injured my back and left foot. The back healed in a couple of weeks but the foot got worse, despite x-rays on two occasions being read as negative for fractures or dislocations. Eventually, a podiatrist friend of mine (who is also a cyclist) took a look at the x-rays and noticed a very minor difference in the spacing between two of the bones in my mid-foot. An MRI revealed a partial tear of the lisfrac ligament. I spent three months in a cam boot but because of the long delay before proper diagnosis and treatment, I have some permanent damage. I limp most of the time. Favoring the left foot has caused me ankle, knee, hip and back problems as well as some muscle imbalance and pain on the opposite side.

Moral of the story: See a qualified physician who specializes in foot/orthopedic injuries.

Bassmanbob

See a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon. I'm sure they will X-ray it again (it may show something new) and get an MRI. An MRI can see soft tissue in great detail, identify inflammation well and possibly find an unseen fracture on X-ray.

BTW: What is A&E?

dedhed

I think I'll go here and ask about my balky shifting.

https://www.orthogate.org/forums

Cyclist0108

Accident & Emergency (medical specialty, also medical department in UK)

mstateglfr 

Well if you ask bikeforums to be a collective expert in a field which there is no reason for most to know anything- bikeforums will gladly rise to the opportunity.

it's been 3 months, you have significant pain, and you arent sure if the medical community can do anything?
1- of course something can be done.
2- of course this isnt the best place to ask if something can be done.

I snapped my right ankle 4 years ago playing basketball. Outer ankle bone bent and touched the floor. 6 weeks of a boot and 12 sessions of PT later, i was able to heal enough to play sand volleyball. It also swelled up after any exercise and I was miserable for 5 months until life was slow enough for surgery. They rebroke the bone, removed what didnt heal properly and anchored tendons, and I was on crutches for 6 weeks. Another 12 sessions of PT and I was declared healed. 4 mo ths after that, it was actually fully healed.


Point is-
1- yes see a doctor. Get an MRI. Get an Xray. See a specialist if necessary. Obviously what you describe isnt normal and should be fixed. Come on
2- it can take a long time to get better when it comes to foot injuries. That's far from your heart, isnt a high bloodflow area, and age isnt a friend to quick healing.

BengalCat

What you are describing is an injured foot as opposed to an injured ankle. There is a major and profound difference in treatment and prognosis.
n injured foot within one or more of the foot joints can be very hard to treat effectively. If not treated properly they can take a long time to heal and may never PROPERLY heal.

Ankles are easy to treat if the Doc knows what they are doing. Also accurately identifying the injury in a foot can be tricky. Ankles again, despite the pain or severity are easy to diagnose. Even an untreated ankle should mostly heal with the worst-case scenario on average about six weeks. There could be minor residual problems or pain for another month after that for a badly sprained ankle.

Also, if it is or was indeed a badly sprained ANKLE there definitely would have been severe swelling and days later bruising. On the other hand, an injured foot may or may not have swelling.

I would strongly recommend that when it comes to your feet you avoid orthopedists and stick with well qualified experienced podiatrists. For ankles either are fine.

Bassmanbob

Ah. Thank you. If it’s the UK, gonto an orthopedic surgeon. It is my understanding that podiatrists don’t have the same training as they do here in the states.

mr_bill

Please, listen to your spouse! You "should book an appointment with my doctor."

Mayo Clinic advice: "Schedule an office visit if you: Have persistent pain that doesn't improve after several weeks"

UK NHS advice: "Do not worry if you're not sure what the problem is. Follow the advice on this page and see a GP if the pain does not get better in 2 weeks."

-mr. bill

prj71

I doubt anyone replying in this thread is a doctor.

Go see an orthopedic doctor. Not your general practitioner.

I'm continually amazed by the number of people on different forums asking for medical advice.

DaveLeeNC

If it were me I would be asking my GP for a referral to an orthopedic specialist.

BTW, I don't see anything wrong with asking questions like this on forums like this. What matters is what you listen to and do, not what you ask (or where you ask it).

dave

ps. I am a 'world class ankle sprainer' and ride bikes (rather than run) because of ankle sprains. I never had one that acted like what you are describing.