Ankle pain

by Nikki R

Alright I am a 19 year old female..I sprained my ankle the day before thanksgiving in 2007 which was a wednesday by jumping off a stage trying to touch the basketball backboard...I failed at the attempt...landed on my boyfriend's foot and my ankle rolled both ways, inside and out. The pain i felt was really bad. I felt so much pulling and tearing. It was swollen but as bad as I would have imagined. I used crutches for two days. I remember I couldn't even put my foot down without pain. I was afraid to walk. I went to the doctor on that monday and was told it was a sprain. I then called the doctor back crying because I was in so much pain. It was a burning sensation in the ankle bone itself. I then went for x-rays and nothing showed. I bought several supports and braces, at one point I cried putting a vrace on because it hurt. Then I went back to the doctor around october 7, 2008 because my ankle was in so much pain and would swell up like a balloon. You could still see the bone though. The doctor told me it was sprained again and i have lateral nerve damage and gave me anti-inflammatory medicine and told me to wear sneakers. Now its May 7, 2008 and I still get off and on pain in the ankle and pain wear the tendons are, where the foot and ankle meet, in that little indent. It does swell up alot, even after a shower. What the heck is wrong with it and what should I do?

Hi Nikki,
Evidently you had more than a "little sprain". Based on the fact that you still have pain and swelling, although not as much as you originally had, I would suspect you tore your ankle ligaments when you fell.
Your best bet at this point would be to have an MRI to accurately assess the soft tissue damage that you are left with. Once the extent of damage is determined then appropriate treatment may begin.
Marc Mitnick DPM