TMGant

Member
Mar 30, 2013
2
0
My son sprained his ankle while riding motocross when his foot got pulled off the peg by a deep rut.

We did the RICE treatment and the swelling went down within a few hours. He rested it for four weeks. The fourth week he was able to exercise and run normally with no pain or swelling so we let him ride again.

His foot hit the ground while going through a turn at practice and he immediately fell off the bike in pain. He said it felt like his foot was torn off. Yet the pain and swelling went away within the hour. We thought the problem was because his ankle was not fully healed.

This time he stayed off the bike six weeks. He had no pain or swelling and was able to run and exercise normally. Yet the first time he hit his foot on the ground while riding the shooting pain knocked him off the bike again.

We took him to an orthopedist. He thoroughly manipulated my son's foot and ankle but was unable to pinpoint or reproduce the pain. He said we did not let it heal long enough the first two times and told us to rest it a minimum of eight weeks while doing physical therapy exercises to strengthen the ankle muscles.

Eight weeks later, he was back on the ground.

I believe now that his problem isn't sprained muscles or ligaments. I think that the first sprain put a nerve in such a position that it gets pinched if his foot is impacted hard enough.

My questions are how is something like this diagnosed and how is it treated? We need to do something. He won't be able to qualify for Loretta's if we don't get this fixed soon.

PS - Isn't it aggravating that when a doctor finds out your kid was injured riding motocross, he tells him to quit. Yet if the accident happened during football, the doctors asks if he won.
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
No idea on the pinched nerve, but I can verify that ankle problems do not heal quickly.

Broke a small chip off my ankle and stretched a bunch of ligaments playing basketball when I was 21 years old. Air cast and crutches for 6 weeks. I should have stayed on crutches for 8 weeks, because it flared up and bothered me if I stepped on it wrong for at least the next 18 months. The worst was about six months after the injury, I stepped on something funny and it was excruciating.
 

TMGant

Member
Mar 30, 2013
2
0
Dave, how long was it before you completely healed?

We've been told by everyone that he really has a very good chance to get to Lorreta's this year, but it would be dangerous and useless to try if he isn't completely healed. I worry because if he can't get back on the bike by May he's out of luck until next year.
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
'Completely healed' is tough to quantify. It was 30 years ago and I can still make the ankle 'crack' on command when I rotate it a certain way. Not painful, but loud.

FWIW, I was taking a break from riding during college, so I did not test it that way.

My theory is that circulation is poor to the ankle, so it takes longer to heal up.

The healing time was extremely frustrating. I'm convinced I would have healed faster if I had stayed on crutches 8 weeks instead of 6, but I was young and in a big hurry not to be on crutches anymore.

I basically did everything wrong, and mine was still annoying me a little 12 months after injury. By 15 month after, I would say I was 100%

Here is what I did wrong: At six weeks, I threw my crutches away, and walked a few blocks that first night. Very bad idea.

I could walk normally within 3 months or so, but even a slight mis-step hurt for 4 -5 months. Then at six months after the break, I stepped on a telephone my roommate left on the floor, twisted it bad, and nearly went back on the crutches.
 
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