tablets under the tongue
Arnica Montana tincture on the foot and ankle
DON'T ride the bike--Give it a rest to let it heal
About 6 years ago I had complex foot surgery on my left foot to repair a severe Hammer Toe and a huge bunion on my big toe.
I had 140 stitches and lots of bone surgery, and my RN wife labeled my foot, the Franken Foot. Xrays looked like an Ace Hardware ad for metal screws and other metal devises. My Ace foot still sets off metal sensors alarms at airports and to get into pro football stadiums (that is not a problem any more). I a knee walker for about 2 months.
6 Months post op,and I was still healing and had limited use
on my foot.
I contacted along time Orthopedic Doc friend via the internet.
He said with serious foot bone surgery to add 1 month extra healing time for each year I was over 65. I was 74 at that time. This is due to poorer circulation with age.
Also, he told me to throw away my cane as a very dangerous tool for me to use and to go to the two walking sticks designed like ski poles.
Besides being more secure while walking, the walking sticks basically neutralized the weight of each arm and shoulder, that put less pressure on the damaged and recovering foot.
I got the sticks quickly and threw away the cane.
Within a couple of days I could easily walk from my truck or wife’s car and get up a ramp into my home. After another week, I was walking on level ground a couple hundred yards at a time, two to three times per day.
A month later, I was going a 1/4 of a mile, twice a day with no pain.
I saw my foot doctor about 2 months after using the walking sticks. His X rays showed basically 90% healing.
2 months later with a lot of level walking, the doctor discharged me with checkups if I felt the need. He was amazed at my final healing X Rays. He now recommends the walking sticks after about 2 months post op. I have not returned to see the doctor.
I’d get a second opinion from an orthopedic surgeon. You’ve done what this guy says, and thinks haven’t gotten better. Time for a second opinion.
Get a different doctor and check for gout as well.
Regards,
No, I'm not a physician - I just play on on Free Republic. But seriously?! Asking for medical advice online?!
If they were torn, you wouldn’t be walking anywhere. Severely stained ligaments will take at least six months to mostly heal. Not unusual for it to take an entire year to totally heal.
I have a hand injury that is over 2 years old.
The fingers and hand were slowly pulled on (horse related) and there was no pain as injury was happening.
Next day hand swelled, stiff fingers.
It is now 2 1/2 years later.
Tendon pulls and tears in microscopic things take a very long time to mend.
Doctor was no help.
It is slowly improving.
I had to hold my hand high, elevate while sleeping etc.
Was very painful.
Is now to point of being stiff fingers but not bad.
Tendons are a long term healing process.
I did if course REST the injury.
It concerns me that your doctor said to do so much on an injured limb.
Sounds like a bad idea to me.
Trying to get back on my feet and this damn cold is not helping one bit!
This was my wife’s foot when sever sprained the ligaments a few years ago. She was in a walking boot 3-4 months and not completely healed for year. The color was actually much worse than the picture shows. Showed this to my volleyball ref friends and they had never seen one worse.
Breaking your ankle will heal up quicker that tearing all of your ligaments and tendons. It could take 6 month or longer, depending on how bad it is and how much you take care of it versus use it too much before it's ready.
You're injured, not diseased. Count that as a plus.
Do you elevate your feet whenever you are not walking? Put them above your heart when seated, if possible, for the swelling to abate some.
Changes in the barometric pressure can cause pain in a injury. Weather fronts moving into your area, for instance.
Two years ago, I was out in one of the pastures on our farm, chain-sawing a big oak limb that had fallen on the fence in a storm into smaller pieces to haul away. Everything was going fine until one of the pieces I was cutting off, fell and landed like a battering ram right on the top of the arch of my foot. It hit so hard, it knocked me to the ground and I lost consciousness for a few moments.
When I came to, the pain was so severe, I cried. It took me quite a while to get up off the ground and when I did, I couldn't put any weight on the foot without thinking I was going to pass out again. I obviously could not walk. My wife was out of town on a trip so I literally had to crawl a quarter of a mile back to the house. It took me almost an hour to make that short distance with so much pain. When I finally got there, I didn't come outside for four days. Nothing I did helped but soaking the foot in a bucket of ice and water.
The foot swelled to twice it's normal size and turned a god-awful ugly black, purple and blue color. Throbbed all the time. I couldn't sleep. It was so sensitive, just touching the foot was painful. I was, in short, a real mess.
My wife finally came home from her trip and she drove me to the VA to have it checked out. I thought for sure I had broken some bones. But the x-rays said differently. No breaks.
I asked my doctor how bad it was. She said it was severe trauma and that I was lucky to be alive. I asked, "How's that?" She said that if the three foot section of the 6" branch had hit me in the head instead of my foot, I'd be dead.
That was two years ago. it's only been in the last six months or so that I don't feel any pain in the foot. Except when the weather changes and the barometer drops. Then it seems to throb for a day or two.
Keep the foot iced when possible, elevated when you're not up and about and expect a long recovery. Like I said, tearing your ligament and tendons is much worse that a clean break. But eventually the foot will get better. Just don't rush it.
When I say I feel for you, I literally mean it. Good luck to you.
I would see an orthopedic surgeon and dump the podiatrist. I have gone through torn ligaments on some of my toes and if they are torn and not repaired you will just wind up with scar tissue and it will never be normal. Too late for surgery for me I did not know any better.
Do you smoke? Are you diabetic?
Either can seriously slow down healing.
If you tore your ligaments, get a second opinion...
My guess is you need ortho surgery... and your doctor is a quack
Check with your primary care doctor...
Investigate:
Systemic Enzymes (e.g., “Neprinol”)
Noni Juice (both internal and external via soaking.)
M.S.M. (flake or powder)
“Silica Gel” (Hubner)
Christopher Originals “Complete Tissue” (formerly, Bone, Flesh, and Cartilege) - original formula only available in cut & sifted, and powder
Look into prolotherapy for torn ligaments and tendons. There should be some good ones not too far from you.
What it is...Injections precisely into where ligaments attach to the bone to accelerate their healing.
You need an orthopod buddy
Podiatrists like osteopaths and chiropractors have limitations
Torn tendons and ligaments needed surgery
I fell and tore ligaments and the Achilles’ tendon in my foot (as well as suffered a break in the ankle and 2 metatarsals). It took a good 6 months and physical therapy for everything to heal. I ran a marathon 16 months after the fall. So ligaments and tendons do heal. It just takes time.