Back in 1996 or 1997 I broke my right ankle falling off something at Stanage. It was x-rayed and I was told it wasn’t broken so carried on trying to use it. After 3 months it was not getting any better – turns out it was broken, cue lots of physio to get strength and movement back. I was offered a fusion but declined as I was about to start a job in Moscow and was also told that in 10-15 years the next joint down the foot would probably give up due to the extra stress.

It never really got completely better but I adjusted what I did – cycling instead of running, gave up climbing.

It’s now at age 53 getting considerably worse to the extent that unless I’m taking ibuprofen all day every day the weight of a sheet on my toes at night wakes me up with lots of pain. Walking round a museum for half a day will guarantee that I can hardly walk at the end.

2 questions – is there a problem self medicating like this and are there any other options to make it better?

Long term NSAID use is pretty nasty, i’d certainly go and speak to your GP!

I’d echo that. Go and chat to you GP with a view to getting reassessed by the orthopods

What did you fall off at Stanage?

Sounds very similar to me, I’ve just had a talo-navicular fusion. 3 months in a cast/air-boot but I’m out now and it’s much better for pain reduction, I’m currently doing physio to build strength and that could be another 6 months but it’s worth considering.

Are you carrying too much weight?

I had a triple orthosis nine years ago (not been any mention of a 10-15 years before other problems kick in, hopefully not). Mine was a childhood injury (am 54 now) that never really recovered as the ligaments became weak. I wore through the joint and grew a monster counterbalance bone growth at the ankle bone. Was in constant pain.
Used to climb trad at a fairly high level but avoided grit with the “hit the deck from the crux” scenario.
Now I don’t climb, just mountainbike and hill walk. Completely pain free; hopping drainage ditches is a lottery as no lift is generated from the ankles!
I would say go for it!

From four years ago when I was taking Ibuprofen to help reduce the swelling in my hand from a double metacarpal fracture and wrist damage, I was told by a physio that the anti-inflammatory effect reduces a lot after ~3 weeks and I was advised to stop taking them.

Where are you based? I had a similar problem. I’m in Stafford and my Physio reckons the best ankle people in Europe are in Oswestry. He recommended to my doctor that I be referred there on the NHS. That happened and the turnaround was remarkably quick. I saw the doc on 30th September, had an initial consultation with X-rays, then an MRI scan, and last week I went back and they mended it. All at no cost (except it’s a 90 minute drive away). I’m walking and riding already, and have just booked a windurfing holiday for a week’s time.

Those people are absolute experts. Each surgeon only specialises in about a 3 inch slice of the leg! I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a left ankle surgeon and a right ankle one. You feel a bit of a fraud as some of their patients have stepped on landmines, and all I want is to be able to ride my bike down rock gardens and windsurf in chop without pain. But even at age 64, he was as keen to get me where I wanted as I am.

If you can get a referral jump at the chance (oh, sorry, you can’t) and if 3 months is too long to wait the previous top ankle expert has moved to Wrexham hospital where he does mostly private work.

Those people are absolute experts.

And the consultant I was under there is a mtber too.

Thanks all – I’ll go see my GP after the winter rush is over (my mum being part of the “it’s Christmas, time fall and to break something” rush – welcome to Stoke Mandeville)

@martinhutch – Eliminator, gear held but enough stretch in the system to hit the ground.

@oldtennisshoes – not really, 183cm, 83 kg. I could do with losing 5kg I’d say.

@BigJohn – Buckinghamshire, so Oswestry is a bit far.