Treating a bad ankle roll

Katy, the dogs and I headed over to Gorham, NH on Saturday, June 20th.  It was a beautiful day for a hike/mountain run from Gorham to the peak of Mount Moriah and back.  Katy and I try to make this trip at least twice per year.

We had gotten a late start, so fell short of our goal to tag Moriah. All was fine on the way down, at least until we were within a couple hundred feet from the end of the trail.  I was flying along on the final pine needle covered section with fading sunlight, when all of a sudden I rolled my left ankle so badly that I heard a crack.  This was the first time in my life that I was not able to run after turning an ankle.  Boy did it hurt.

I started the recommended Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE) treatment as soon as we got home. I continued this for the first week as both my left foot and upper leg started swelling.

I also spent a lot of time with my left foot in a bucket of ice. I also started taking large doses of curcumin and made more use of our whole body vibration plate.

The swelling had lessened in my lower leg and foot over the first two weeks, but my ankle was still quite swollen. The below is from July 3rd, which was almost two weeks after the incident.

Katy decided it was about time to take X-rays and try her Class IV therapy laser.

Katy prepping the X-ray.

The X-rays showed two fragments, but neither Katy nor my sister the Radiologist felt these fragments were of concern. There was quite a lot of swell, shown, no surprise there.

Next up was the laser therapy.

The protocol called for 10 watts for about 7 minutes.

I was shocked to find that the swelling was reduced the morning following the laser therapy.

I have had two additional laser sessions and will continue with the ice, vibration, and curcumin.

I have also gone to three acupuncture sessions in an attempt to reduce the swelling, which is still persisting after four weeks.

The good news is I was actually able to complete a trail run with Katy yesterday without any pain.

More updates later.

Enjoy!

[UPDATE 07-20-15: I went in to see Dr. Brian Knighton, Freeport Medical Center, today.  Dr. Knighton diagnosed my persistent swelling as being due to tendinitis of my anterior tibialis. This is not the tendon which typically gets injured from ankle sprains, but it was in my case. So more RICE and stretching exercises are in order.]