Weight Related Injuries

[globally yours 0]

I posted this in another area, and didn't get much feed back. Maybe you all have had similar problems.

I have had in the last 10 years probably 6-8 sprained ankles. In December I tore my Gastroc Muscle in my right calf, which was very painful. This evening my DH is sick, so I took him to an Urgent Care (tried 3, but all were closed! We have had a HUGE snow here). When we got back home, I stepped out of the car, stepped wrong on a mound of snow, and twisted my left ankle so hard it cracked, and I thought I was going to toss my Cookies it hurt so badly.

Has anyone else experienced these types of injuries? Those who have lost weight, and did have these problems, did losing weight help?

It's embarrassing for me. Could sure use some feedback, and encouragement. I was just getting to the point where I could walk a mile again, and now this. GRRR.

Thanks Melinda

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[gordonfamily3 0]

Well I am very clumpsy when it comes to walking...although knock on wood it's been about 2 years since I had to be treated for fractured ankle. I can only feel your pain....my sister (who has never had a weight problem) and I can really step off a step wrong and break/fracture our ankles. We are soooo bad it's a running joke w/ our husbands.

I know I didn't help you but know that I feel your pain. Have you seen a ortho doctor for help? Have you thought of wearing different shoes? Something w/ more support? (not sure what you wear)

Good Luck!

[globally yours 0]

Well I went to the Ortho surgeon when I tore my gastroc muscle. He was about as helpful as a wet noodle. I'm going to talk to some PTs I know. There's something called an active ankle, which might be helpful.

Thanks for your support, and sorry you and your sis have problems too. From one klutz to another....here's to staying upright!

[AlysonRR 0]

Has anyone else experienced these types of injuries? Those who have lost weight, and did have these problems, did losing weight help?

Melinda - I'm not very far along in my banding journey, but before losing some weight if I stepped wrong or bent down to pick something up off the floor one or both of my knees would "pop out", leaving me unable to walk without immense pain for up to a couple days. I was using a cane almost all the time.

Within a week after surgery, when I'd lost ~25 lb, I was able to stop using my cane and I noticed my knee joints didn't hurt as much when I bashed a foot against something. And after almost 50 lb I have a much higher activity level and my knees haven't "popped out" in at least a month.

So yes, in my case, the repeated injuries have decreased dramatically with only a relatively small loss (okay, it's a freaking big loss ). Hope that helps, and good luck!

[globally yours 0]

Thanks so much for your help Alyson. Sure hoping the surgery will help in this regard too. Swelling is down some this morning. My DH sounds like he has bronchitis, so we both are going to the Dr a bit later.

HOORAY for your loss!! You're doing wonderful! Nothing like seeing the scale go the other way, can't wait to make mine go the other way too!

[AlysonRR 0]

Glad it helped - hopefully you can strengthen your ankle and have fewer injuries, too. Has your doctor sent you to physical therapy at all? I went when I had the first acute knee pain and they gave me a series of exercises for strengthening the muscles supporting my knees/hips - they really help (gotta start doing them again - I'm procrastinating on exercise at the moment...).

Good luck with your surgery, and I hope you and your husband feel better soon :-)

[globally yours 0]

I did go thru PT after the gastroc tear, which really helped. So will do those exercises on THIS ankle after it's healed a bit.

We went to the DR today. My DH tested positive for Flu, so they started both of us tamiflu. They give me an air splint which is helping.

Thanks for your input!

Melinda

[Telecia 1]

Oh gosh I had horribly weak ankles growing up BEFORE I became majorly overweight. So the sprained/strained ankle dance I can do in my sleep.

If I had a dollar for everytime a injury/serious pain put me n a walker or on the cane for a while I'd be able to pay for the band for sure. lol.

I have this bad habit of curling one leg up on the couch/bed when I sit, and the motion of being on one leg and turning just a bit to sit has torn my knee out of place many times. Enough I don't sit like that anymore untill my butt is down first.

A bought of planar factitis(sp?) once that took a year to cure.

For a few years I had massive hip joint pain. Medication got rid of that. But here lately its been my feet. More specificly the heel of my right foot.

Getting out of the van one day I steped on some snow that was up against the curb and something in my heel went SNAP! Excruciating pain, bad enough it called for a trip to the ER. 5 x-rays later they sent me home with pain pills and crutches. No break, no bone spurs etc to cause the pain. They couldnt say why I couldn't walk. I find I can't wear any of my shoes or it starts hurting again. I'm stuck for now wearing my BF's summer sandels of all things till I get into the podiatrist. Bleh

And at the end of the day feels like the soles of my feet are bulging outwards? What's with that. They don't feel that way when I wake. Yet another dilema the podiatrist will have to figure out.

I'm looking forward to NOT having as many issues as I get my band and start losing weight.

[globally yours 0]

O dear so sorry about all your injuries. Hopefully soon we will feel much better!

[Stewy929 0]

I know it's been awhile since you posted this but I will tell you had a 3 years of walking in a cast boot because of fractures and achille's strains in my left foot. I can't tell you how many stress fractures I had...when the whole thing started i was about 275...at my hightest up to 375. My left ankle is still very weak and just stepping wrong getting out of bed makes me fall to the ground. My dr said loosing weight will help but will not be an all time cure. I have had 4 surgries in 2 years to help fix some of the issues and will have to have one more in about a year. LOTS of PT and that seemed to help alot as well. You might want to see a podiatrist and see if they will put you in a walking boot...they give TONS of support...they have an AIR walking boot that is kinda like your brace but can go up to mid calf or to knee...and it has the air pockets on the side you can blow up to keep your foot and ankle in one place. I know it wasn't a help but a podiatrist can be wonderful...I know mine was! Everytime I hurt my foot I would go back into the boot for about a week or so...and then start all over...was it fun NO...didn't it help YES.

[globally yours 0]

Thanks for your reply. Never to late to get advice. Sorry you´ve had such trouble.

I´ve been pretty good since June. Can tell a HUGE difference walking. If I keep up with my walking I do so much better.

We were on vacation last week at the Outer Banks, and there were loads of stairs which irritated my ankles. Sand is difficult to walk in too.

If I do have problems again I´ll check out a podiatrist. I work for Physical Therapists, and they give me hints, so that helps too.

Thanks again for your advice.

[L12 13]

I haven't had major problems, but since I've gained the weight (I wasn't always heavy) I have lots of aches and pains.

I've had plantar fasciitis since I hit 180; I think it's in "remission" right now after about 10 months of treatment, but I'm pretty sure if I go out for a long walk it will flare up, so I'm giving it more time.

My knees and ankles hurt quite often. And I have pulled a muscle in my side from twisting around on the toilet around my ginormous hips and butt to take care of my business. TMI, but sad and true.

I'm very hopeful that there will be fewer foot and toilet injuries in my future after I am banded!

[Jachut 487]

I had a chronic bursitis problem in my right heel. it was very painful. It started as an injury, when I started powerwalking to lose some weight and overdid it. It never went away and over a year or so became chronic so that I was limping nearly all the time and starting to do stuff like get in the car to drive from the bottom of the shopping centre to the top just to get to the bank or whatever, because I didnt want to walk through the centre.

Weight loss helped a LOT. Not completely. I also have sciatic problems on that right side and there is some sort of muscular or biomechanical abnormality that folloows right along the chain, either the hip is out of line causing me to overpronate that foot or the foot is overpronated, affecting the hip. But big weight loss and lots of acupuncture has cured the heel pain entirely, and the back bothers me way less than it used to. I mean, i can run regularly without more than a bit of hobbling in the morning - after a long run I feel about 100 years old when I get up the next morning.

So overall - yes weight loss has helped heaps. Hasnt fixed the problem entirely but reduced it from debilitating to merely annoying.