Pain with sprained ankle 3 months later

Hello all, I sprained my ankle very badly 3 months ago, heard/felt a crack as I fell.

Couldn't walk on it for 4 weeks then put in to a walking boot, I'm now in PT which is helping with range of motion but oh boy the pain is still quite bad.

Wondering if this is normal? it hurts on the outside of my ankle, on the top...which is also numb up in to my toes, and underneath my foot.

At the ER the Dr diagnosed this as a fracture but the Ortho said no, just a sprain.

Walking of course aggravates the pain so I'm limping, sleeping hurts too so put it up on pillows.

Anyone been through anything like this? I wear an ankle brace to go out.

Hello and thank you,

Yes, I do have the X-ray which says it was an avulsion fracture, Ortho said no but he did say on the X-ray he could see a piece of bone pulled off which after investigating I believe that is an avulsion fracture??

He said he didn't know if that piece of bone was there before I fell, if the only way for a piece of bone to come off is from trauma then no, it wasn't there before, never hurt my ankle before.

Just wondering if this pain is normal, gets worse with every step, Ortho told me to keep walking on it and not come back to see him if it's improved even a little :( felt like I was bothering him :(

I actually just went thru this myself. I fainted and ended up with a really swollen ankle. X-rays showed I chipped a bone, but that is treated as a sprain. I was diagnosed with a 3rd degree sprain and was told that a clean break would have been a much better diagnosis. I was in a boot for 5 weeks and I'm still in an aircast/splint for a number of weeks. I still have inflammation and pain. In pt we are working on balance and strengthening. I have JRA/RA and my ankles are my best joints! Told my ortho he better take good care of them :)

I would talk to your PT. After you have completed your sessions, they have to send a report back to the Dr. If things don't look good, your PT will know.

Bad sprains are often more painful and take longer to heal than a break. I have bad joints already, but my Dr said it would be around 6months for the ankle to heal. Even then, it will be more prone to injuries than the other ankle. Of course, I've broken and sprained each ankle a number of times, so I hang on to my crutched, high walking boot, and low walking boot. I could open up a medical supply store. I even have a walker around here somewhere :)

It easy to say, but be patient. It sucks, I know :(