Ankle sprain healed incorrectly and femoral nerve damage

by Jessica
(Detroit, MI United States)



Ankle sprain healed incorrectly and femoral nerve damage; also patella tracking disorder are probably all connected.

I badly sprained my ankle years ago. I believe it did not heal correctly, and my right foot seems to naturally point outward when walking.

I was given a walking boot and was not told how to use it. So now I realize that it stuck out to the right when I walked and when sitting or sleeping the weight of it pulled my foot down to the right. I was not told to walk heal to toe so I gimped around the best I could.

Also I believe I have femoral nerve damage, my right thigh has been numb for years among other things (tingly, electric feeling, pain, but mostly complete numbness). My ilotibial tendon is tight I think because I can feel it through my leg and sometimes where it connects to my hip.

So I believe all these go together in what began to cause my knee to have a tracking disorder. I was walking at work and it felt like my knee cap popped out. I tried to finish work, waitressing, but it kept happening so I had to stop walking and go home. My knee was swollen for a few days and ever since there are occasions when it either happens again or feels like its going to happen (none as painful as the original time). Also if this matters it happened when I was walking down a slight decline and it happened as my right leg straitened and my right foot hit the floor to step forward.

My question is do you think this is all related and can you possibly explain in detail why incorrect gait and femoral nerve dysfunction can cause patellar tracking disorder. I am making a presentation on PTD for class and I am finding there is not much information out there except for the basics.

I want to know the causes such as weak muscles and tight tendons and specifically which ones and what are the possible causes. If you can answer or even point me toward some in depth literature I would greatly appreciate it.

Hello Jessica,
Let's start with three little tests.

1. Lie on your back and pull your knee to the chest, towards the opposite shoulder, make a circle and then drop your knee into the lotus position. Compare with the other hip.

2. Using a pin, prick the outer thigh and compare sides.

3. Starting at the ASIS with a little oil on your thumb, run through the groin, lightening up as you cross the femoral nerve and artery and down the inner thigh. Again compare with the other side.

Let me know.

Dr B


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Interesting challenges of the day

1. Mr S is a 76 year old man with neck pain of some 9 months duration. Luckily, most of the discomfort is upper cervical which is only rarely arthritic; his lower cervical spine is a degenerative mess that I've left alone. After seven treatments his pain and stiffness is 50 percent better, and he's happy in the circumstances. He can sleep through the night now and that makes a huge difference.

2. Mr P is 32 year old man with very severe lower back pain radiating to the big toe which is 30 percent numb. He had an episode three weeks ago, took anti inflammatories and was soon better as is typical of the medial disc herniation. But before it healed, after a trivia it came roaring back, much worse. The characteristic crossed sign was evident; sitting in a chair, straightening the right leg provoked severe left back pain and tingling in the leg. He's doing well.

3. Severe lower back pain is scary; just ask Mrs P. Just watching her get out of the car I she was in trouble; she had a slipped disc at L4 making her lean towards the opposite side; luckily she had no pain in the leg. Despite family pressure that this was far too severe for a chiropractor, she persevered. Within five days she was standing upright, and after two weeks almost painfree. 

Despite a hectic job, she wisely took my advice and stayed home for what I call exercising bed rest.

4. Mr S has had lower back, groin and back of thigh and calf pain for fourth months.

He has a pincer deformity in the hip causing the stabs in the groin, and a degenerative facet causing the sciatica. Both are responding well to chiropractic and he's well pleased; sixty five percent better after three treatments.

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6. I too have had serious lower back issues, luckily fixed by my own chiropractor; so I too have to do my exercises, take care when lifting supers full of honey, gardening and using the chainsaw. Regaining the function of your spine is just as important as the pain.

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8. This 65 year old lady is a serious gardener; every day she is bending, lifting and digging for 2 to 3 hours a day. It regularly catches her in the sacroiliac joint, so she has a treatment once a month that sorts it out. She does her lower back exercises faithfully.

9. This 88 year old lady is an inspiration; every day she is busy in the community. With a nasty scoliosis she manages very well with a chiropractic adjustment every six weeks and exercises faithfully done.  

10. Mr X is a 71 year old retired man who wants to continue with maintenance care every six to eight weeks; he had suffered from two years of lower back pain when he first came a year ago. He has no discomfort now after 8 chiropractic treatments, but is aware that danger lurks.

11. Mrs C has been having severe headaches, and taking a lot of analgesics. It's a non complicated upper cervical facet syndrome, and she's doing well.

12. Mr D is a 38 old year man with chronic shoulder pain after a rotator cuff tear playing cricket. It responded well to treatment, but he knows he must do his exercises every day; for two years he couldn't sleep on that shoulder.

13. Mr D, a 71 year old man, has a severe ache in the shoulder and midback since working above his head. Trapped nerve tests are negative but he has advanced degenerative joints of Luschka; after just two treatments he is 50 percent better. Can we reach 90?

And so the day goes; chiropractors shouldn't be treating the elderly most medical sites state but that's so much bunkum.

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