Author: Foot Doc
Date: 4/23/2007 3:50 pm PDT
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DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS- ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, AND/OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
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Though certainly, as I have not examined your ankle, I can't say with any degree of certainty what your prognosis is. But improperly or insufficiently or non-timely treatment of a moderate to severe sprain will often result in long-term . . even life-long disability. Often, a fracture provides a better prognosis.
A sprain is a stretching of a ligament beyond its normal capacity to stretch or even the tearing and sometimes the shredding of that ligament. Sprains are graded in relation to their severity as reflected by the type and degree of injury visited upon the ligament. The function of ligaments is to hold joints in alignment while also allowing for "give" as the joint structures move through their range of motion. In doing so, they tend to act somewhat like a shock absorber and prevent dislocation within reason. When ligament are damaged, and especially when torn, when healing takes place, it heals with fibrous scar, which, unlike the original ligament tissue which is elastic, is non-elastic. Accordingly, the function of the ligament is mitigated to one degree or another, and the joint no longer functions in a nominal fashion, and is especially subject to instability and repeated and likely more severe future sprains.
Certainly, the first thing you should do is have your ankle assessed by a qualified specialist. If I am inferring your status correctly, in my opinion, it is possibly unlikely that any real improvement can be made in your situation after 10 months have passed other than by one of a variety of surgical procedures intended to improve joint stability. These are often a combination of ligament surgery and redirection of local tendons to at least partially replace the damaged ligament's function.
I have no way of knowing whether such aggressive treatment will be required in your case and that some form of PT will or will not materially help you, but . information. |
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