u/StrangeBuy7515

About 8 months ago I had a bimalleolar ankle fracture that healed well. According to my physiotherapist, my ankle itself is functioning quite well now: range of motion is good and stability has improved over the past months.

The main problem is that my nervous system seems to have become overprotective after the injury, causing my muscles to react too slowly and making my foot feel as if it “gives way,” especially on uneven ground. He doesn’t think there’s a structural problem that surgery or another doctor’s visit would solve. Instead, we’re focusing on very gradual, targeted rehabilitation (starting with just 2 minutes of cycling a day, then slowly building up).

I’m curious if anyone else has experienced something similar after an ankle fracture.

• Did your foot feel unstable even though the joint itself was healing?
• Did your physiotherapist talk about an overprotective nervous system or altered muscle activation?
• Did gradual, targeted exercises eventually improve your confidence and walking?

I’d really like to hear success stories as well as experiences from people who recognized this pattern.

Thanks!

Title:

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for people with a similar recovery, because most stories I find are either from athletes trying to get back to running or climbing, or people with severe fractures and lots of hardware.

I fractured my ankle about 8 months ago. It healed well on X-rays, and I don’t have plates or screws.

My biggest problem is not constant pain, but walking for longer periods and walking on uneven ground.

For example:

• Around the house I can move around reasonably well.
• After resting, I can usually walk around for 5–10 minutes before my ankle starts to feel tired and painful.
• Walking on flat pavement is much easier than walking on grass, gravel or cobblestones.
• Uneven surfaces sometimes cause a sharp pain, making me feel as if my ankle is about to “give way,” although it usually doesn’t actually collapse.
• If I overdo it (for example spending 30–40 minutes on grass with my grandchildren), I can have a setback that lasts several days.

The frustrating part is that I can still work part-time, do groceries and take care of my family, but everything has to be carefully paced. It feels like my ankle has very little reserve.

My physiotherapist believes it may be more of a stability/endurance issue than a healing problem, and I have another appointment next week.

I’m not looking for medical advice. I’m looking for people who had a slow recovery and eventually improved.

• Did anyone else still struggle this much around 8 months?
• Did uneven ground stay difficult for a long time?
• If so, when did things really start getting better?
• Was there anything that helped you regain confidence and endurance?

Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one recovering this slowly, so I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have been through something similar.

Thank you!