Dr. Timothy K. Durnin - 8/29/2007

Question
About a month ago I started experiencing pain in my left ankle after running while delivering newspapers.  I went to the ER where they did x-rays but they said there was no break, but since I had a lot of swelling and pain they put me in a soft cast and told me to go see an Ortho.  3 Days later I went to see the Ortho, who again looked at the x-rays said there was no break, took off the soft cast, told me he "thought" it was tendonitis(sp), and to come off the crutches and to start putting weight on it slowly.  He did send me to get an MRI, he said just to make sure it wasn't something else.  So I started putting weight on it slowly, still with a lot of pain and swelling.  Went for the MRI the next day, and got the next available appt. with the ortho again which was the next week.
Well, I went to see him yesterday with the MRI scans, and he says I have a stress fracture, he showed me you can see the break half way through the bone.  Well, he just put me on crutches, and told me not to put any weight on it for a month. He did not support it in anyway, and gave me no pain management.  I am in a lot of pain, and don't know what to do.  The swelling is really bad about the size of a baseball, and ice doesn't seem to help, also advil doesn't seem to be doing anything for the pain.  Should I go to the ER with the MRI scans and see if they can do something to relieve my pain?  I really don't want to deal with this Ortho anymore.   Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Answer
Hi Julie,

I agree, don't go back to that guy, it is obvious he should quit his job. Get some pain meds but continue icing, this is imperative. If possible, get therapeutic ultrasound to cut the healing time in half. This can be found at PT and Chiropractic offices. Avoid the cast, it will only cut off blood supply to the fracture because of swelling. Getting an air cast once the swelling drops would be a good move. I would go to the ER and start over, if you get another bone head doctor, I will find you a competent one if I know the area you are in.


Good Luck!

Dr. Timothy Durnin
drs.chiroweb.com