Ankle injury - Need advice

So I'm posting this here since I evidently injured my ankle while running and I need some help.   The docs did an x-ray and bone scan and could not find anything but I have pain on the inside part of my ankle and it also extends to the rest of my foot.  It will move to the top, to my heel, to my toes, and now there is some calf pain and now knee pain.  I stopped running a few weeks ago to rest it but it is not any better.  It hurts like crap if I wear flat shoes and even my gym shoes with supports.  I'm thinking it has something to do with the arch but I don't know what then since it didn't show up on any of the tests.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this??  What was wrong if so?  I'm going to ask to see a specialist because the only advice they gave me was to bike or swim but it hurts in my daily activities......

Well it would appear that your ankle injury is not an issue with your bone, but more likey with muscles, tendons and/or ligaments. X rays and bone scans dont pick these up. Have you experienced swelling? If so, make sure to ice throughout the days for a few days until it goes down.  During this time period you would also do no activity on the injury. When swelling is down, use heat to increase blood flow to the area. Also you may begin light activity. Swimming/biking for a small amount of time can be a good idea as well.

Also, when you say you stopped running a few weeks ago, how long did you stop for? What has your training consisted of? Dont push through pain, the whole 'no pain no gain' concept is not something to follow.

I actually haven't noticed any swelling which is really strange to me and probably why the doc didn't know what to make of it.  I have tried staying off my feet and have been taking a lot of off days and I haven't ran in about a month.  I tried to run yesterday for about 2 minutes just to see and the pain was still where it initially started at but also know in the knee and lower leg.

My training since has consisted of the elliptical or bike and weights.  If it starts to hurt though I just stop and don't push through it. 

Your problem sounds very similar to mine, which is where the tendons detached from my ankle when I sprained it badly, then reattached wrong.  It normally doesn't swell or discolor much, but if I run it feels like someone is jabbing an ice pick into the inside part of my ankle.  It won't show up on an MRI, but a bone scan will show the affected area.  The best you can do is stay off of it., even though that's not always practical in RL.   

The thing is I never really "hurt" my ankle.  It just one day out of the blue started hurting when I was running and continued to do so only when I ran.  Then after a few days it started hurting in daily activities and walking around.  The bone scan didn't show anything on that ankle.... they claimed I have arthritis in the one that doesn't hurt.... 

  I do have the same stabbing pain though on the inside of the ankle.  How long did it take to heal? 

Sounds like you *may* have plantars faciitis, may be even some tendonitis.  Plantars faciitis will get better - in most cases - by staying off of your foot - no impact - doing proper stretches and icing after the stretches.  The pain is usually felt in the heel, arch and can even go up the calf muscle.  Although it can be painful to walk on the heel, walking on the ball of your foot can make it worse!

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010201/467.html  This website will help you and even shows you how to do some of the stretches.

Thanks for all your input.  I'm not sure if is similar to what anyone else had or not.  I think my best bet is to ask to see a specialist and hope they agree.  The main source of the pain is from the inside ankle but I will randomly feel it in other places as well.  The heel really isn't hurting much anymore so I'm not sure.... it is just bizarre. 

2 weeks ago while running outdoors I started experiencing pain in my left malleous. I went to the DR and he was not helpful at all.  I had an x-ray and nothing was fractured.  I assume it is soft tissue damage.  If I was sitting in a chair and rolled my toes ffw it would hurt.  The side of my ankle would hurt and some days the top of my foot (where foot and leg meet) would hurt.  Today, miraculously there is NO pain at all.  It has been 3 weeks.

That sounds almost exactly like my issue!!! Except, that it has been longer than 3 weeks.

Have you been exercising these last 3 weeks?

tendonitis. Plus, I still feel plantars faciitis can be a culprit.  The pain is irregular. Intense somedays, sometimes, worse when you first wake up. Sometimes in  the arch, heel ankle [almost always inside of ankle] and up the calf. Sometimes, all the symptoms, other times, one of the symptoms. The problem with not treating it is that it can get worse....you can tear that tendon completely!

Go to an ankle/foot specialist. 

I know I do not have tendonitis!  I went to my Dr.  Yes, I exercise through the pain.  Not advised but I figure teh soft tissue will heal regardless.  YOU might have something completely different!

It's never a smart move to exercise through pain -unless you know it is more of a snoreness that is typical to weight bearing exercise, but I'm sure you already know that. ;) Pain is your body's signal that something is wrong. 

If the dr. advised you to not exercise - impact - on foot, you should listen to him/her.  Xrays will not detect most cases of tendonities, btw. 

Thanks for the input.  Got permission to go to a specialist so hopefully he can figure it out.  Whatever I did I think hill running was the culprit.....

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.  I was dumb and ran on my injury for 2 years until I couldn't pass my run anymore (I HATE sick call).  So now I'm stuck with a permanent injury.  It's been 7 years since the initial sprain and it still aches off and on even though I don't run anymore.   It probably doesn't help that I do things like lifting heavy furniture and carrying heavy backpacks. 

So definitely, stay off your ankle and don't do any heavy lifting for a while.  (Don't be dumb like me )

I probably have not been helping the situation..... I kept on doing my lifting program which is NROLFW and was not willing to stop doing squats and dead lifts.... whoops! I mean if it hurts I will stop but if it doesn't hurt at that moment than I feel too guilty to not keep up with my lifting.  I guess I will give that a break for a while....

It is hard no just stop what you have gotten used to so I don't think it was dumb at all for you to keep on going.  The thought of never being able to hike the Grand Canyon again (without a great deal of pain) has really gotten to me though so I'm trying keep off of it.

A minor injury such as sprains, tendonitis, plantars faciitis, etc. typically take 6-8 weeks to heal.  It may seem like an eternity but it is nothing to the permanent damage that can be done from continual impact.  There are lower impact exercises that can be done if there is concern over getting out of shape.  Also, upper body work is still fine.  The time will fly by and you'll be able to resume your normal activity level..something that more than likely would be compromised, probably completely, when pain is ignored.

What lower impact for lower body would be okay to do??  That is my problem area so to not work it at all would drive me INSANE!!  The lifting is really all I've done other than the elliptical for these past few weeks....

Original Post by desertbeauty258:

What lower impact for lower body would be okay to do??  That is my problem area so to not work it at all would drive me INSANE!!  The lifting is really all I've done other than the elliptical for these past few weeks....

Have you tried the Gazelle?  Positively you get the benefit from stretching, walking, running, cross country skiing, aerobic dancing and resistance training without jarring impacts!

I had one years ago that I got from Wal-Mart but I couldn't stand it so we got rid of it.... I could go forever and not even break a sweat or get tired. 

Well, by varying the incline and elevation, besides speed, they can be tough! How about the stairmill [revolving stairs] or the rowing machine? Of course, stationary bike is popular too, our Spin classes are the biggest group fitness classes we have.

We do have the revolving stairs and mini stair stepper than I can try.  I used to use them it has just been a while.  We don't have a rowing machine.    I've been a little hesitant to go back to spin because it hurt the last time but I could try that again.  I guess I will try all those options and hopefully I will be able to run again sometime soon.  I stare pitifully at all the people running....   Yeah we don't have any gazelles at our gym and that one was not that fancy.  It sounds like they have really improved them.