I have no previous injuries to my ankle-area. No family history of arthritis. However, recently I've had occurrences in which I will point my toe down (to the floor) and when I try to bend my foot upwards or walk, I am not able to bend my foot up further than standing up straight. If I walk, the bend of my foot (or if I point my toe up towards me) it feels as if my ankle has locked, leaving me incapable of walk without limping nor bending my foot lesser than 90 degrees. About 10 or so minutes later, if I walk on it or stay off my feet, the pain will instantaneously go away and I'm able to walk normal. I have, also, no crackling or pops in my ankle that is painful. Anyone help figure out this mystery pain? Much appreciated.
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I have experienced the same issues, normally beginning when I wake up in the morning. My occurances will normally last a few minutes, but in bad cases have lasted up to 10 hours. I have visited a doctor to receive x-rays, only to be told that nothing appears to be broken, fractured, etc. Anyone with any recommendations, please help. This is not a pleasant experience!
me and my younger sister have the same issuse were ill be going up or down the stairs and my foot will randomly lock or frozen in place making me stuckon the spot with pain and it will last for about 30 second and just dissapear but also i have my hip which dose a simalar thing but it will hurt untill i crack it so what is it that both my sisiter have
I have an ankle that locks up also. I went in to the Dr while it was actually locked up (mine lasts anywhere from a few moments to 18hrs) and they found a bone chip, or loose body in the ankle joint. I have had several x-rays of the same ankle since then and sometimes you can see it and sometimes you can't. They did a MRI and did see it there. I also have a fragmented distal fibula and loose ligaments that someday they will get around to fixing. Honestly I think the loose body (which the Dr's don't seem to worry about too much) causes me more pain than the other problems. I think it floats in and out of the joint and when its in it hurts to move and is totally non weight bearing. Good luck, this whole ordeal has been very frustrating for me so I feel for you!
OMG!!! I have had this problem for at least 10 years now, I am 25 years old.. I went to 2 different doctors and neither of them could tell me what it was, I've had the x-ray which came up empty..When my ankle "locks" it hurts and can enable me from doing things at the time without limping..My fiance doesn't understand it and neither do I..I'd love to know the term for this or how to avoid it, but its hard when the docs don't find anything
If anyone out there knows what this is please email me tonda15@hotmail.com
I was about at my wits end and googles "ankle locks up" and found you all! I am with the previous two posts. I had this happen after having surgery on my plantar facitis and a bone spur removed. It just started with ankle pain but within years I was having these locking type episodes that would last from 30 seconds to days! I have now learned how to get out of them. Sometimes I have my boyfriend traction my ankle/foot or I shake it around. I had several x-rays and an MRI only to be told nothing was wrong except some arthritis in my ankle joint. I presume that was from years of pain. I went for the ankle arthroscopy in December as my last resort. My ankle has been great for months with no episodes until Saturday it started again. It's getting that "stuck" feeling every day now which can debilitate me in the middle of Target or work and I can;t even get to a chair or the car. I stand and shake it and try to get it out of that mode. I called my doctor and he wants MORE physical therapy and ibprofen! My ankle has been through 5 months of PT and it is pretty strong, he just doesn't get it! I have always said it feels like there is something in there floating around and getting stuck in between a bone or something and now after reading these posts I feel that might be true and their just not finding it. I told the nurse the next time it locks up good I'm driving to the ER and having an X-ray done then and there. This ankle pain has caused many years of grief, significant weight gain, and the lack of a normal life of being able to go on walks and spend time on my foot!
I have the same problem, my ankle locks up and feels as if it's going to break if I try to move it. It usually happens when I am in a resting position and slightly move my foot. The pain is terrible. I have to massage the side of my ankle in order to move it. It will continue to hurt but I will no longer have the sensation that it is going to break. I am sure this is a result of hurting my ankle several times and always self-treating the injuries. I have an appointment with my orthopedic tomorrow. Hopefully he will be able to determine what is causing it!
I have had this ankle condition for several years now. It usually occurs when I'm surfing and my toes point while paddling. When the ankle locks there is great pain when I try to put weight on the foot. Minimal swelling, no signs of bruising, it just feels like its stuck and won't "pop". After a couple of days of RICE I can rotate the foot with my hand and the ankle will release. However, this time it hasn't released...over a week now and no luck. Have to wear an ankle brace to go to work. Very frustrating. Ortho only found some scar tissue and a small bone chip near the hinge. I also think its the chip creating the issue.
I have been having this issue for a little over a year now. In mid walk it will only bend to a 90 degree angle, and lock. Stopping me dead in my tacks. After this happens i can stretch my toes down towards the ground, and off to each side. Just not upwards towards my shin. Slight swelling on the inner side of the ankle will occur.
I have been to the doctor several times and to a sports Doctor as well since the other two doctors keep thinking its a sprained ankle. I have had a compressed growth plate when i was younger, and there is a calcium build up around the joint. The docters swear up and down that the floating chunk of calcium is not the cause of this. They keep putting me in a air splint and sending me off as a sprained ankle. If anyone needs more info about this, or have a good answer for me, please feel free to email me. scaryjerry912@yahoo.com
Hello guys, the same thing happened to me yesterday when I was sitting on a couch with my legs hanging in a weird position.
I stood up to go to the bathroom and my ankle just wouldn't move towards my shin and not from it ether. Forcing it to move was also very painful.
Thought I'd try to sleep it of and just went to bed but woke up the same. When I tried to force it to move it felt like the ankle was going to break and I was sure I would have to see a doctor because I was unable to walk.
After hours of thinking and trying to snap it in every possible way I finally managed to loose it up and it went completely away.
What worked for me was to lie down and having my friend grab my ankle and pull it towards him quickly (in my case I lied down in an open doorway and held on pretty hard).
The pain went completely away and i'm now able to walk and run pain-free, I just hope it's not a temporary solution.
At least you can try it next time your ankle locks. Hope this helps, and please be careful when you try to snap it free.
It is definitely bone spurs. I have been playing every sport on this planet since I was a very young child. I skateboarded for 15 years + and u name it I have done it. I have spainged/twisted/rolled my ankles anywhich way possible. It took me about 5 years of all the symptoms you guys have been telling me to finally visit a doctor. I finally spent the time to go to many bone specialists in southern Louisiana and none had a solution for me. In the meantime I moved to the San Francisco bay area after finishing college and I had the same pains again. I then got extremely lucky and my health insurance provider recommended I see Dr. Eric Nelson located in San Leandro, CA. After a few x-rays he concluded that I had bone spurs. Along with loose bone fragments in my joints. These little bone fragments get caught in your ligaments and they break down your ligaments when you move them. Eventually it feels like you have 0 fluid or ligaments left in your joints.
The solution:
1. Get an MRI. You will see everything wrong inside of there.
2. Schedule to have your bone spurs removed.
3. Do one ankle at a time to make sure that it fixed your problem. Then later on schedule another surgery.
4. Win.... Seriously I feel like I have a new ankle from this.
Dr. Nelson said he performs about 25 of these surgeries a year and he has been doing them for at least 20+ years. He seriously gave me my life back. I was in such pain from my ankle and he made it 99% brand new.
They will tell you to expect to take off of work from 3 weeks to 3 months... but all in all I took off 3 days and had the surgery done on a Wed. I was at work at the following Monday... On crutches for a few more weeks with a boot on (no cast). I am a 26 year old male so the recovery time was good for me.
Take what you want from this but I lived in the same excruciating pain until I really couldn't procrastinate getting it fixed. Was the best decision of my life having this surgery.
I have been suffering from the same thing for the past 8 months. I will be walking and my ankle will suddenly lock up. Waiting for a couple of minutes will loosen up the ankle again but meanwhile I have to limp to get around. I've taken to wearing an ankle brace to keep the ankle stabilized at the suggestion of my physiotherapist. My problem is actually with the ligaments in my ankle. The ligaments are too loose from many previous sprains. Scans showed that nothing was wrong with the ankle. I'm seeing a doctor for prolotherapy to tighten the ligaments. Time will tell if this will work but I have had great success in treating a hypermobile SI joint with this therapy.
Ankle Locks-Up
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