sprained ankle/torn ligaments

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otter2

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Hello! I wonder if you guys can help! Basically, I'm in a University Royal Navy Unit and I've been on deployment around Scotland and fallen down a solid wood flight of stairs on ship, breaking two of them in half purely with my ankle and also made quite a number of the others rather wobbly :o

My CO has sent me home and I've been to the hospital and whatever and they've said it can take up to 8 weeks until I can walk completely normally again, I'm on crutches now and can't put any weight on my left leg and dosed up on lots of strong painkillers

Has anyone had something similar and how long until you were back in the saddle and if you went back before the time your Doctor told you has it now weakened that part of your body for good?

I want to ride my horse!! :(
 
I tore the ligaments in my anle 6 weeks ago with a question mark as to whether a small chip of my ankle bone had actually seperated due to the force of the ligaments pulling. I was advised that I wouldn't be able to ride for 8 to 10 weeks however I competed last weekend and will be doing so again this weekend. I rode after 2 weeks although it was with 1 stirrup as I couldn't bear the twisting pressure on my ankle when my foot was in the stirrup (think turning green and churning stomach pain). I was advised to purchase an Aircast ankle support and I must admit without this I would not be back riding. I'm not saying it doesn't hurt to ride but with my ankle brace and some good painkillers it's definately possible.

I can't comment on the long term effects of riding too soon I'm just hoping it will work out ok. Hope you soon back in the saddle.
 
I did mine years ago. I couldnt walk for ages at least 10 weeks :(. I cant remember when I started riding as I wasnt riding often at that point. Yes it is a constant weakness but it gets better I can only ride in short boots and gaiters if I want to do any work in light seat as my ankle gives way or really hurts. But its workable and makes no diffrence to my riding if I have the right foot wear on.
 
I injured my ankle18 months ago – horse had a bucking fit and in an attempt to do a one rein stop kind of thing I got my own foot stuck between his shoulder and his chin…he bucked and the force of it sharply wrenched my foot back away from my leg. Sounds a bit far fetched but that’s what happened!

Anyway…I pulled the ligaments off my foot and in doing so took a piece of bone with. I was on crutches for 10 days and then a cast for 3 weeks to stick the bit of bone back. There was a lot of bruising, my leg was black and blue from the knee down – looked like the leg of a corpse!!

Anyway, I had the cast off on the Tuesday and was back riding by the Thursday. I found walking much more painful than riding personally. Rising trot was a no go for a while but everything else I managed. I got my physio to look at it and she recommended lymphatic massage and some exercises which really helped. 18 months on and whilst pain free I have that foot in a slightly different position, slightly toe down and braced. I have to think about relaxing through my ankle. Guess that is just remembered pain? Also I discovered I cannot wear 4 inch heels either as ankle doesn’t flex that far anymore!
 
I tore my ligaments 18 years ago, pony bunny hopped a fence, and i landed with foot facing at a 45 degree angle my leg & landed in a crumpled heap :rolleyes:

Although very painful it doesn't sound as bad as some of the other posters, as i dosed myself up on painkillers & continued to ride without stirrups the next day!!! It was painful for a few weeks, but i just did what i could.

I still get twinges in my ankle and long rides with short stirrups makes it ache, but on the whole its fine :)
 
thanks for all your replies :) i'm really worried about permanently damaging my leg so I don't think i'll try and ride until i can walk normally again, definitely atm i wouldnt even have any chance of getting on!

hope we all make a speedy recovery!
 
I tore ligaments in my foot after finding myself underneath a rather chunky ISH :o Luckily I was back at uni 2 days after (which stopped me riding) and was there for 8 weeks (on crutches) before I came home - I came home still walking with a stick and just about managed a small hack, but it was perhaps 12 weeks before I could school again.
Its a sensible idea not to ride again before you can walk! :o
K x
 
I badly sprained my ankle a few years ago but not as badly as you by the sounds of it. It was walking and riding 2/3 weeks later but a year on I was getting stabbing pains, it would get stiff whilst riding and also by the end of the day it would be swollen. I had a few physio sessions and it has been OK ever since.

The Physio's advice was to have treatment on this type of injury whilst it was healing not wait until it had healed wrongly and then go and have physio.
 
Sealine said:
I badly sprained my ankle a few years ago but not as badly as you by the sounds of it. It was walking and riding 2/3 weeks later but a year on I was getting stabbing pains, it would get stiff whilst riding and also by the end of the day it would be swollen. I had a few physio sessions and it has been OK ever since.

The Physio's advice was to have treatment on this type of injury whilst it was healing not wait until it had healed wrongly and then go and have physio.
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okay, thank you for your reply, I might try and get some physio then, i hate not being able to do stuff for myself!
 
You are young so it will get better in time, as a keen person you have to restrain yourself, rest and elevation.
I am very old, and I have more problems in that the ageing process means one day in recovery equals one of your weeks!.
I agree with physiotherapy.
 
Whatever you do dont get into a hot bath with it! I thought someone had severed by foot when I did this. I was riding again four weeks later (ankle) and after two weeks (knee), however when wearing high heels on a night out I'm frequently found in a heap on the dance floor blaming the horses for my lack of stability as sometimes knee and ankle just go! (OH seems to think the alcohol is the main culprit/and or high heels :D) and i know have to wear a pressure bandage for badminton or on holiday when walking miles.
 
Orionstar said:
Whatever you do dont get into a hot bath with it! I thought someone had severed by foot when I did this. I was riding again four weeks later (ankle) and after two weeks (knee), however when wearing high heels on a night out I'm frequently found in a heap on the dance floor blaming the horses for my lack of stability as sometimes knee and ankle just go! (OH seems to think the alcohol is the main culprit/and or high heels :D) and i know have to wear a pressure bandage for badminton or on holiday when walking miles.
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oh! i'm so glad you posted this, I got back last night from Scotland but just went straight to sleep and all day i've been looking forward to a nice bath cos obviously we don't have any on ship but now i really won't!! i don't want more pain!
i'm gonna sort out some physio and listen to what they say about riding again, i'd rather wait an extra few weeks rather than do some permanent damage
 
otter2 said:
oh! i'm so glad you posted this, I got back last night from Scotland but just went straight to sleep and all day i've been looking forward to a nice bath cos obviously we don't have any on ship but now i really won't!! i don't want more pain!
i'm gonna sort out some physio and listen to what they say about riding again, i'd rather wait an extra few weeks rather than do some permanent damage
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I fell off on the road and landed on my ankle and all I could think about was a bath when I got home - you live and learn!
 
MrsD123 said:
it s not about permanent damage I think it is about getting better now.
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yeah! it's so frustrating though! i had another week of deployment left and then i was meant to be learning/playing polo then going to bavaria to do white water rafting for a week then i was going travelling. it's the most inconvenient thing ever!! :(
 
stilltrying said:
Anyway…I pulled the ligaments off my foot and in doing so took a piece of bone with. There I got my physio to look at it and she recommended lymphatic massage and some exercises which really helped.
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I have had medial collateral ligament and I think a bit of bone [self diagnosis but this is my third "leg"] Where do I find out about Lymphatic massage, and as no one has put me in a cast or advised any treatment, I live in fear that it will all break down again [three breakdons in five weeks, each one worse than the last], nine weeks to wait for a hospital examination so I will either be fine or I will drive up to A and E [to get an X-ray] if it happens again., My crutches are within reach at all times. The maddest thing is that I did nothing really, it just happened. I now wear light shoes or boots so that my proprioreceptors kick in, that seems to be working, but I dare not ride, I have to rely on YO to get my boy out of the field.
 
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