Question
Today I was in P.E. and I twisted my ankle. This is normal for me as my ankle became weak after I severely sprained three ligaments over a year ago. But this time, after the pain died down, I had been doing butterfly stretches and was repositioning my hand underneath my ankle and it popped and my foot moved out of place. It felt similar to if it would have popped out of place. Later, I was rotating my foot in a circular motion and it sounded like if you were to pop your knuckles. Is there anything to be worried about?

Answer
Hello Anna,

I am so sorry you are experiencing this pain. I think what is going on is that one of the tendons on the outside of your foot is popping around your outside ankle bone.  The medical name is subluxating peroneal tendon.  Typically the body heals itself but sometimes surgery is required.  The future treatment is typically dependent on your symptoms and the severity of them.  This problem is common after ankle sprains and what I typically do is place the patient in a custom orthotic to prevent abnormal motion of the foot.  This support gained by the orthotic controls the motion of the foot joints and prevents strain to the tendon.  In short the orthotic will prevent the popping from happening because your foot will not move abnormally.  An MRI might be needed to rule out any possible damage to the tendon.  Either way it is in your best interest to check out the problem with a foot and ankle specialist. Meanwhile I would suggest applying some kind of ankle brace to support the ankle when walking and engaging in physical activity.  I hope this information helps.

Best of luck!

-Dr. Jairo Cruz Jr

www.thetampapodiatrist.com
813-875-0555
2919 West Swann Avenue Suite #203 Tampa, Fl 33609
[email protected]