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FulcrumPilot · Jun 22, 2005, 11:40 AM

While skateboarding this morning. The pain is tolerable (but my threshold for it is on the higher side), but it has swollen visibly. Could be borken or is it just a sprain???

Goldfinger · Jun 22, 2005, 11:49 AM

Err, get an x-ray ?

Warung · Jun 22, 2005, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

While skateboarding this morning. The pain is tolerable (but my threshold for it is on the higher side), but it has swollen visibly. Could be borken or is it just a sprain???

You're probably still in shock. Happened to me once while dropping in from a mini ramp. Twisted my foot 360° and broke my ancle.

But, yeah, go and see a doctor and get it x-rayed.

Good luck.

finboy · Jun 22, 2005, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

While skateboarding this morning. The pain is tolerable (but my threshold for it is on the higher side), but it has swollen visibly. Could be borken or is it just a sprain???

Get it Xrayed in case. I twisted mine in a foxhole once, and it was "sprained" (at least according to the doctors at Ft. Bragg). It was as big as an orange for about 6 weeks. I still have trouble from it, 20 years later. Have them look for a hairline fracture, and be sure to keep off of it for a while.

FulcrumPilot · Jun 22, 2005, 12:29 PM

Bizzare thing is that I can skateboard without a problem but cannot walk without a limp!!!

olePigeon · Jun 22, 2005, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

Bizzare thing is that I can skateboard without a problem but cannot walk without a limp!!!

Are limps still cool? I've been outta the loop.

finboy · Jun 22, 2005, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

Bizzare thing is that I can skateboard without a problem but cannot walk without a limp!!!

You've probably torn a ligament or tendon in there. See a Dr. pronto.

turtle777 · Jun 22, 2005, 01:09 PM

You have skateboards and doctors in Russia ?

-t

ort888 · Jun 22, 2005, 01:14 PM

Your foot is broken.

nforcer · Jun 22, 2005, 01:56 PM

Yes, ask the brilliant doctors here at MacNN if anything is wrong. Our in house staff is so exceptional we can diagnose problems and pass judgement in a matter of minutes, even without the need of pictures or tests. Remember: the higher the postcount, the smarter the person.
-----
Have it checked out right away.

turtle777 · Jun 22, 2005, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by nforcer

Remember: the higher the postcount, the smarter the person.

In light of that, you should disregard nforcer's advice.

-t

ManOfSteal · Jun 22, 2005, 02:21 PM

I blame ankle_brains.®

FulcrumPilot · Jun 22, 2005, 02:34 PM

thanks for all the good advice and empathy, its gettin better every minute, not hurting me as much, swelling still there. I've been injured worse though while snowboarding so, no biggie this come to think about it...

Mithras · Jun 22, 2005, 09:47 PM

I walked on my broken ankle (see this thread) for three days before getting an X-ray and confirming it was, in fact, broken in two places. Go ahead and get an X-ray; and even if it's just sprained, you may want an air cast (brace) to help it heal properly.

d4nth3m4n · Jun 22, 2005, 09:53 PM

/blog

jamil5454 · Jun 22, 2005, 10:11 PM

Many times sprained ankles hurt worse than broken ones. Tearing a tendon or ligament is more painful than fracturing a bone. Also when you break a bone, your body immediately dispatches natural painkillers for a few hours as a primal instinct during "survival mode." So my guess is that it's broken. Did any of that make sense? Cause I just drank a bottle of Robitussen.

Cody Dawg · Jun 22, 2005, 10:34 PM

See how it is tomorrow.

Do you have a problem with getting an x-ray? Get an x-ray for peace of mind.

Once I fractured my foot and I didn't even know it. It hurt a little, but not like I'd think a broken foot should feel like. I had to wear a cast on it for about 4 months because the fracture was in the little bones and they wouldn't heel properly.

It's not worth risking your health over is it? Get an x-ray. Go to a hospital and get it checked out.

If you can still skateboard on it, however, it's probably okay.

James L · Jun 22, 2005, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

While skateboarding this morning. The pain is tolerable (but my threshold for it is on the higher side), but it has swollen visibly. Could be borken or is it just a sprain???

Bummer....

It could be either. When assessing suspected sprains, the first thing to really know is the mechanism of injury. I.e., what EXACTLY happened? Was it a twisting motion? In what direction? How far? For how long? Was it a direct blow? An impact? Something fall on it? How heavy? Did you feel a tear? Feel a crack? Hear a crack? Etc.

If the mechanism is indicative of a sprain (in the ankles, usually rotational), then the next thing I do is to determine what past history of sprains, or other strain/sprain type injuries the person has. Soft tissues rarely heal perfectly, and reoccuring injuries are common.

Finally, a decent physical exam. Assuming the sprain appears rather simple (no significant swelling, and the person can weight bear on the leg), then I palpate the leg from above the knee down (sometimes adjacent joints take the stress of the fall, so the knee might be injured also). I attempt to determine exactly where the pain is (along a ligament, or along a bone). I compare the injury to the uninjured foot to see how severe the swelling is. Finally, assuming I am going down the path of a simple sprain, I conduct a range of motion by moving the ankle slowly in different directions. If the ankle is broken, often movement in ANY direction causes pain. If it is a simple sprain, however, then it tends to only have significant increase in pain when you move it in the direction that tore the ligament (which is what a sprain is), but not really in the other directions. This is because the one direction pulls on the torn ligaments, whereas the others don't always do so.

If the swelling is minimal, the pain is isolated to one area, the history suggests a sprain, and the range of motion suggests one also, then the treatment usually consists of a few days of rest (keep off the foot as much as possible), ice whenever possible (alternating on and off), elevation, and compression (usually done with a crepe bandage wrap). The idea behind the treatment is basically to reduce swelling and promote the healing process.

If, on the other hand, my exam is indicative of a fracture, then I tend to ice, traction (if indicated), immobilize, give pain meds if necessary, and send to the hospital for x-ray.

And then there are the 1000's of injuries that fall in between (the grey area), which should usually be treated as a fracture until an x-ray shows otherwise.

Hope it feels better man!

Cheers,

James

James L · Jun 22, 2005, 11:02 PM

Oh, one final note... don't seek medical advice on the internet!!!

xi_hyperon · Jun 22, 2005, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by finboy

You've probably torn a ligament or tendon in there. See a Dr. pronto.

That's what it sounds like. I tore a ligament (not while skateboarding though) a few years back. The funny thing was, it didn't really hurt until I went to the doctor and he bent the foot to the left as far as it would go. After that, it hurt like hell.

Anyway, yeah, go to the doctor and get it checked out.

Demonhood · Jun 23, 2005, 01:02 AM

x-ray!
i sprained my ankle awhile back. couldn't walk on it for a day or two. the bruise traveled down to the foot so that, after a week, most of my foot was black. the ankle also swelled like a baseball. it's still bigger than the other ankle by a little bit. and this was 3 years ago.

get it checked.

badidea · Jun 23, 2005, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

thanks for all the good advice and empathy, its gettin better every minute, not hurting me as much, swelling still there. I've been injured worse though while snowboarding so, no biggie this come to think about it...

I once broke a vertebra and probably both legs while snowboarding - didn't realize that my leg was broken (nothing was visible on the x-ray) and walked around with it for 2 months until a doctor found out about it while examining the broken vertebra...
...that's where my name "badidea" comes from!

Go see a doctor!!

Randman · Jun 23, 2005, 03:23 AM

Get it checked. It may be feeling better now but in the long run, it could cause problems. Strained ligaments and tendons could make it more likely for a serious sprain or fracture or fully broken ankle down the road.

Super Mario · Jun 23, 2005, 03:24 AM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

While skateboarding this morning. The pain is tolerable (but my threshold for it is on the higher side), but it has swollen visibly. Could be borken or is it just a sprain???

My girlfriend, one of them, no...an ex-girlfriend sprained her neck muscle when she was working on me.

amsalpemkcus · Jun 23, 2005, 07:14 AM

Get it x-rayed dude.
If itsa hair line fracture you could make it worse by strainin on it walking while you imagined that its just a figgin sprain. You will need a lot of rest in that case as well. Dont fock with joints when they get injured, get it checked out totally. Good luck!

FulcrumPilot · Jun 23, 2005, 09:46 AM

Got x-ray done. Didn't break any bones in there. Seems I tore a deltoid ligament. Using an elastic splint for more stability, seems to help! Thanks for all the input guys! Wonder how long it will take to heal.

iLikebeer · Jun 30, 2005, 08:32 PM

Heh, I think I just broke my foot flying a 3 meter kite at the park. I got some nice air off a wind gust and my foot got caught in a divot on the landing. It got jerked back real fast and felt weird, then slowly started hurting more and more. I have a huge knot on the outside middle of my right foot.

I hope it's just bruised, but I got a bad feeling about it. How much do x-rays usually cost, as I'm not sure my insurance policy has gone into effect yet.

Gankdawg · Jun 30, 2005, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by d4nth3m4n

/blog

Cody Dawg · Jun 30, 2005, 08:53 PM

I'm sure it's broken or a torn ligament also.

Get it x-rayed.

I love how this MacNN community diagnoses itself all of the time. Next time I want to have a baby and I think I'm in labor I'll post here and ask if I should see a doctor or go to the hospital.

villalobos · Jun 30, 2005, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by Mithras

I walked on my broken ankle (see this thread) for three days before getting an X-ray and confirming it was, in fact, broken in two places. Go ahead and get an X-ray; and even if it's just sprained, you may want an air cast (brace) to help it heal properly.

Hey Mithras how are you doing? I am walking now. But certainly no running or anything crazy like that. Still having some PT but things are definitely looking up. Hope you healed well as well.

Kevin · Jun 30, 2005, 09:23 PM

Take 3 percocets and call me in the morning.

villalobos · Jun 30, 2005, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by KevinK

Take 3 percocets and call me in the morning.

Percocet is useless. As well taking some adult Tylenol. Cheaper and better for pain.

CreepingDeth · Jun 30, 2005, 09:29 PM

I think I've finally come to see FP's posts as a fine wine.

Kevin · Jun 30, 2005, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by villalobos

Percocet is useless.

Ok, how about a few of these then?

320mg of Oxycontin should kill the pain.

iLikebeer · Jun 30, 2005, 11:29 PM

1st official broken bone, fingers and toes don't count. Only 1 though, I was afraid I might have 2. The outside metatarsal on my righty. Should heal okay on its own, but I have to go see an ortho just in case.

They offered pain killers, but I have a bottle of Jack if it starts to hurt. It's not bad at all. Told me to take Ibuprofen every 8 hours, but I live on the 2nd floor up a long flight of stairs. I'm not leaving again tonight to buy some. If you're ever in trouble in AZ, the folks at Yavapai Hospital are very good. In and out in 2 hours, even with a few bleeders ahead of me.

budster101 · Jul 1, 2005, 12:05 AM

Take two nurses and call me in the morning.

OB1 · Jul 1, 2005, 02:36 AM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

While skateboarding this morning. The pain is tolerable (but my threshold for it is on the higher side), but it has swollen visibly. Could be borken or is it just a sprain???

I'd recommend hi-tops. I know It's virtually unheard of for skaters to wear hi-tops these days but I've gone back to wearing old-skool style basketball shoes for skating, and strapping them up tight! My poor weakened ankles are digging the support. I'm currently skating in some Nike 'Air Force1'

If you're not down with that, there are lots of medical ankle supports that you can buy.

I wont bother trying to give you any medical advice, as you say, you've ALREADY tried to skate on it

Hope you heal fast!

Kevin · Jul 1, 2005, 08:32 AM

Do they not make high top vans anymore?

xi_hyperon · Jul 1, 2005, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by FulcrumPilot

Got x-ray done. Didn't break any bones in there. Seems I tore a deltoid ligament.

Heh. Told you! Hope you get better soon. When I tore mine, they sewed it back together, and I was in a cast for a month. That was teh suck.

Eug Wanker · Jul 1, 2005, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Warung

You're probably still in shock. Happened to me once while dropping in from a mini ramp. Twisted my foot 360° and broke my ancle.

Contrary to popular TV belief, medically shock usually means something completely different from what you think. If he's posting here, he most definitely isn't in shock.

But, yeah, go and see a doctor and get it x-rayed.

Yeah, go see a doc.

wdlove · Jul 1, 2005, 10:39 AM

I very happy to hear that you visited your physician. Just be sure to follow his/her advice.

OB1 · Jul 1, 2005, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by KevinK

Do they not make high top vans anymore?

Oh yeah, they still make them. Lots of older skaters seem to still wear them, I haven't found them to give a great deal of support though, and they wear out fast.