Sprain healed up in about 3 months and now I have trouble recalling which ankle it was.
Not bad for an Old Broad 
Another thing that helped me a lot was - once the sprain was pretty well healed - a velcro brace I got from Walgreens. The added stabilization really helped. Not only for riding but walking.
Amen :yes:
And for stepladders and Saintly, patient horses!
Sam was such a SuperGood boy to stand while I scaled all 17h+ of him to get on & off while I was still less than 100%
You really donāt realize how much your ankle/foot/etc is doing until it gets taken out of the equation!
Foot bone really is connected to the Leg bone!
I had an early morning fall down the stairs on August 1st, spraining my right ankle. Somehow, I missed the last two steps and took a flying leap off the steps, landed on my right ankle and heard a āpopā sound. I seriously thought I had broken it. (Oddly enough, I sprained my left ankle 3 years ago on August 11th.) My best friendās mom took me to the ER and they wrapped it up in a big ass splint, told me to rest, elevate it, ice it every 2 hours, and referred me to an orthopedic doctor. The splint SUCKED, because how is one supposed to easily ice it when itās wrapped up in 3 Ace bandages that youāre having to take off and put back on every hour or so? Crazy.
I went to the ortho and he told me to get an Air Cast and to wear that for 3-4 weeks. I asked him about riding and he said, āSure, you can ride, since you donāt really use your ankles while riding.ā I was like, āHuh?!?!?ā but didnāt correct him because, hey, I wanted to ride.
So, I wore the Air Cast for 3-4 weeks, and then finally got annoyed and stopped wearing it. I was on my horse within a week, with a saddle, using stirrups, and it was hard and a little painful, but not impossible. Maybe not the smartest thing I ever did, but my horse really needs the work and I was super careful. I thank my lucky stars that one of the things I teach every horse Iāve had is to stand quietly while I dismount at the mounting block. It makes my life a lot easier when Iām moderately injured and allows for a less jarring landing.
Now, here I am 5 weeks later, and thereās still some pain when I touch it and some mild swelling when I work out. Normally, I prefer to run, but Iām now doing mostly elliptical and the stationary bike. I still canāt wear any sort of heels at work, and my personal trainer is livid over the fact that the doctor didnāt prescribe any sort of therapy or tell me that I should come back for a follow-up to make sure Iām healing OK. I think Iāll be fine, but when I hurt my other ankle, it swelled up worse than this one did and seemed to heal much more quickly, even though I was back on horses within 5 days then, too. Hopefully, itāll be healed by Columbus Day as I have a ball to go to and am afraid that whatever dress I wear will be far too long without the heels to give me some much needed height!
Anyway, thatās just my experience. I hope that you heal very quickly and are back in the saddle soon. I totally understand how frustrating it can be!
A number of years ago, I twisted my ankle and crack a leg bone. The doctor was most concerned about the twisted ankle, as the weakness could cause future injuries. The treatment was all directed toward the ankle, while the crack was let be. This was a sports medicine specialist.
So, donāt take that ankle lightly.
At the risk of sounding overly cautious, I would:
a.) hold off until you get the second x-ray, and
b.) see a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, if your insurance and/or funds allow. They will understand active people and the need to get back out and stay busy.
c.) do whatever this doctor says. The ankle itself should heal quickly, but if it were to give out on you, you could tear ligaments and REALLY lay yourself up.
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