Question
I'm 19 years old. I don't have arthritis. But I couldn't decide where this question would go. I live a very active lifestyle and I'm in decent shape. When I'm relaxing at home or just standing around at work (sitting too) I'll get a very sudden, sharp pain in my ankle. It will last maybe 5-10 seconds before I can't feel a thing. Sometimes it will come back for another spell, but usually that's it for the day. It doesn't happen every day. It only happens rarely. It's starting to make me mad though because every once in a while it hurts so much I start to feel it in my head, but than dissapears just as fast as it had come. I don't have any history of ankle injuries (in that ankle anyway) and have not had any incidents to maybe clue into it. It's started to happen in the past year or so. I honestly can't think of what it could be. Usually I don't even think about it because it comes and goes so quickly. Better to know just in case though.

Answer
Hi David,

These things are common, it is more than likely a dis-articulation of the calcaneous on the talus. What this means is, the joint surface that glides against the top and bottom potion of the ankle is out of line. All you need to do is see a Chiropractor and have it "popped back in". It is painless and quick, should be a piece of cake.

They may take X-rays of your ankle to be sure it isn't serious, I suspect strongly they will be negative for any disease.

Good Luck
Dr. Timothy Durnin
drs.chiroweb.com