Many people experience leg pain after an ankle fracture . What to do in this situation directly depends on the characteristics of the injury and measures aimed at restoring the normal functioning of the limb. Damages of this type are quite common in medical practice. As a rule, when injured, a displacement of the bones located in the lower part of the ankle occurs. Such injuries often affect people involved in professional sports.
Typically, a leg after an ankle fracture is fixed with plaster. In more severe cases, surgical intervention is required. The recovery period depends on many factors. However, if we talk about how long the leg hurts after an ankle fracture, then we need to consider how serious the damage was. If the person underwent surgery or was forced to walk in a cast, then full recovery may take up to 12 weeks, but in simpler situations, healing takes 2 months. The ankle is a very fragile part, if the fracture occurs in this place, then you need to immediately seek help.
How to identify damage
If a person suspects such an injury, then the pain after an ankle fracture will be quite severe. Usually, discomfort is localized in the foot and lower leg. At the same time, a person cannot move a damaged limb. A noticeable swelling appears on the ankle. If you try to feel the damaged place, then the person will experience acute pain and hear an unpleasant crunch. The limb is slightly deformed in the ankle. If we are talking about a complex fracture, then the bone can pierce the skin and go outside. Due to severe pain after an ankle fracture, a person may even lose consciousness. Often there is dizziness and a feeling of great weakness.
If we are talking about light damage (when bone displacement does not occur), then it is often mistaken for ordinary injury. This is very dangerous, because if a person has a fracture and does not take any action, the situation can become very complicated.
So, we are talking about the fact that after an ankle fracture a leg hurts. What to do in this case? You need to contact the emergency room as soon as possible. Even if a person suspects a slight bruise, it is best to consult a specialist and rule out more complex damage.
Diagnosis and treatment features
Speaking about what to do after an ankle fracture, it is worth noting that, first of all, the doctor conducts a visual examination. However, only a serious fracture can be visually determined, in which part of the bone comes out. Regardless of the damage, the doctor must give the patient a referral to an x-ray. After that, he will be able to see a clear picture and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
How long your leg hurts after an ankle fracture will depend on the type of damage. If the patient was diagnosed with an isolated fracture in which there was no displacement, then in this case a plaster cast is applied. It is enough to go through about one month with her. In a situation where bone fragments have formed, gypsum is applied for at least 8 weeks. If the situation is complicated, and the person has undergone a surgical procedure, then the dressing is applied for a period of 4 months to six months. Sometimes it is necessary to install special structures that hold the limb in the correct position. After removing the plate after an ankle fracture, the leg hurts for a longer time. This is due to the complexity of the damage and therapeutic measures to restore the normal functioning of the patient's body.
What to do with a fracture
First of all, it is important to avoid any pressure on the injured leg. If a person accidentally steps on it, then there is a big risk of further aggravating the situation. It is best to call an ambulance and wait for the doctors to arrive. Often, due to the fact that patients independently try to fix the limb, this leads to the fact that they provoke an even greater displacement. In this case, the answer to the question of how much the leg hurts after an ankle fracture will depend on how much additional damage was done.
Doctors should very carefully transport a person with such an injury. However, before their arrival, you can slightly alleviate your condition. To do this, wrap a little ice in a towel and gently attach to a sore spot. In no case should you press. Thanks to this cooling, the pain syndrome will be slightly lower. You cannot move a sore foot or try to walk. If a person feels that against the background of severe pain, he may lose consciousness, then it is better to take a painkiller. As a rule, the most effective drugs are Ibuprofen and Paracetamol.
Features of treatment by a doctor
It is considered quite logical if, after an ankle fracture, the leg hurts and swells. However, few can cope with such strong pain. In this case, the specialist anesthetizes the affected area with an injection. In especially difficult situations, a dropper or even inhalation anesthesia may be required. This is necessary so that a person does not fall into a state of shock.
Anesthesia is also required so that the doctor can perform a procedure called reposition. It lies in the fact that all broken parts of the bone are neatly aligned with each other. During this exercise, patients do not experience pain. A similar procedure is needed so that the leg does not hurt so much after an ankle fracture.
If we are talking about simple damage, then you can do without reposition. After that, for 4-12 weeks, depending on the severity of the damage, the person will be in a cast or will begin to wear a special splint. In some situations, after a month, the patient is allowed to replace the plaster cast with specialized shoes. Throughout this period and after removal of the cast, the patient should regularly visit a doctor so that the specialist checks how correctly and well the bones are fused.
During reposition, fixative plates, knitting needles and other devices are often used. In some situations, they are removed, but most often a person has to live with a foreign body inside. But do not worry. Such products do not bring discomfort. Only if a mistake was made during the surgery, is there a chance that the patient will complain that his leg hurts after an ankle fracture and plaster removal. In this case, you will have to repeat the procedure. Most rarely, surgeons use external fixation devices.
Recovery period
Speaking about how long a leg hurts after an ankle fracture, you need to understand that this process can be delayed. However, it is important to be patient and not to overload the affected limb. It is important to consider the specifics of the patient. If he is engaged in physical labor, then it is necessary to return to labor activity gradually.
In the recovery process, it is important to adhere to a special motor regimen, which the traumatologist selects individually. It is forbidden to wet gypsum. Also, experts recommend agreeing with relatives or friends so that they go to the store and do housework. For several months, the patient will not even be able to fully move around the apartment. He will have to use crutches and do special exercises so that the leg muscles do not atrophy.
When you need to visit a doctor
In the recovery process, the patient may encounter a number of problems. If a leg hurts after an ankle fracture, what should I do when even painkillers do not help? In this situation, you need to contact a specialist. Perhaps the patient has complications or he simply needs more powerful drugs.
You should also consult a doctor if:
- Planned flight by plane. Often after surgery, there is a danger of thrombosis. Therefore, it is far from always possible to carry out flights after surgery.
- There was a loss of sensation in the toes. Also, the patient should be alerted by tingling in the limbs.
- The postoperative suture reddened or discharge appeared, which was distinguished by an unpleasant smell.
- The skin in the fracture area began to take a bluish tint.
In rare situations, the transmission of nerve signals or blood flow is disturbed in the ankle region. There is also a risk that the patient has developed an infection. Similar symptoms are very disturbing. Therefore, when unpleasant symptoms appear, you should definitely talk to your doctor.
Using a bandage
If a leg hurts after an ankle fracture, not everyone knows what to do. However, a bandage will help reduce pain. This product fits tightly on a damaged limb and prevents the possibility of a second fracture. This is very important, since even after complete bone repair the ankle is slightly weakened. The patient can easily suffer from sprains or other problems. Therefore, it is worth excluding such a probability.
Thanks to the bandage, the pain in the legs stops. This is due to the fact that after removing the cast, a person begins to exert pressure on the limb, which has not been strained for several months. The bandage takes on part of the load.
Features of taking painkillers
Medicines can stop the pain, however, taking such medications is not always worth it. Over time, the body gets used to one or another component. I have to increase the dosage. Ultimately, it can harm the whole body. After a long time of taking potent drugs, the patient runs the risk of starting to use them uncontrollably and provoke drug poisoning.
Power Features
During the recovery period, a person should consume as many minerals, vitamins and protein as possible. In order not to think about why the leg hurts after an ankle fracture, it is worth understanding that at this time the patient needs to saturate the body with calcium.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are recommended daily. You also need to make sure that in addition to calcium, the patient receives vitamins C and D. The doctor can prescribe a complex of natural preparations that will help to recover faster. Nutrition and medication should be discussed with your doctor. Much depends on the age of the patient and the characteristics of his body.
It is recommended to include dairy products in your diet. For example, a large amount of vitamin D is found in milk and cottage cheese. Fish and eggs are needed in order to get protein and calcium. It is useful to periodically use jellied meat, jellies and jelly. These foods contain a host of bone-friendly ingredients.
Physiotherapy
Such treatment can be prescribed on the third day after the patient has been cast. However, it all depends on the specific situation. As a rule, doctors select a treatment that helps restore bone tissue as quickly as possible and restore the person’s ability to move normally. As a rule, UHF procedures are recommended for this patient. Enough 10 sessions for 15 minutes. Also helps the Ural Federal District. To alleviate the pain syndrome, 5 procedures are enough. Additionally, magnetotherapy and laser therapy can be prescribed.
Physiotherapy
Thanks to specialized exercises, a person restores the normal process of blood circulation entering the affected limb. Against this background, muscle tone is restored faster. Often, when the patient is in a cast, he stops loading and a healthy leg. Thanks to physiotherapy exercises this will not happen.
However, doing therapeutic exercises, you need to be extremely careful. In no case should you overload a sick limb. During exercises you can not make sudden movements. Only measured training will give a positive result.
As a rule, after ankle fracture, it is recommended to do gymnastics in a prone position. In this position, it is recommended to perform slow rotational movements of the knee and hip joints. It is additionally recommended to bend and unbend the limbs. You also need to move your toes. If during the repetition of exercises the patient begins to experience severe discomfort or pain, then the procedure stops.
Other fracture recovery methods
Additionally, the patient can visit a resort or sanatorium where mud treatment procedures are performed. However, it’s important to consult a doctor before going to such wellness centers.
There is also mechanotherapy. A similar rehabilitation method allows you to restore the performance of not only the lower leg, but also other parts of the limb (thighs, toes, etc.). Classes are held only in the presence of a specialist who will monitor the patient's condition.
Homeopathy is also widely used today. However, even if it is a natural drug, it is important to consult a doctor. Natural components tend to accumulate in the body. In addition, there is a risk that the patient is allergic to one or another component of the medication. Therefore, self-medication for fractures is strictly prohibited.
On the other hand, phytotherapy helps some well. In this case, we are talking about the use of herbs and medicinal fees. For fractures of the extremities, dogrose, comfrey, birch leaves, cedar resin and other plants are most effective. However, in this case, there is also a risk that the patient will be allergic to such traditional medicine.
Many people suffer from ankle fractures. With the right doctor’s approach and if the patient adheres to all recommendations, the recovery process will be faster and the limb will begin to function normally again. However, this takes some time.