3 Months Post-Sprain, Finally Some Answers

Today, I got some answers.

After 3 months since I sprained my ankle, and 2.5 months without access to any medical specialists, today I was finally able to see an osteopath.

My sprain wasn’t that bad, but it was causing me issues that I didn’t expect to have after 3 months of healing. Most people told me that it was normal, that it was part of the process, that I just needed to rest. But even when I rested or took a few extra days off, it didn’t get better. I could tell something was off.

My suspicions were confirmed today. My ankle and foot were healing, but not in the way they were supposed to. My bones, ligaments, tendons shifted when I slipped on the ice that February afternoon, and with no one to put them back in place my body was just doing its best to heal. Every time I walked or ran or jumped, things moved and rubbed in ways they weren’t meant to, causing pain and inflammation that wouldn’t subside.

I spent an hour on the table, getting things moved around. Scar tissue broken up, resetting some of the “wrong” healing that had already happened. My ankle is swollen and uncomfortable, but it feels different than it did this morning. Reset, reheal.

It feels good to know that my instincts were right. I feel relief more than I feel frustration, even if I could be looking at another month without running. Good thing I didn’t stop biking.