Pain in lower right foot/ankle

[dwill1085]

For about 2 months now, I've been dealing with a nagging pain in my lower right foot/ankle area (right under the bone that protrudes some from your ankle).

3 weeks ago, I saw a doctor about it. He prescribed me Flexeril, Vicodin, and a steroid called DexPak. For a few weeks, it worked perfectly, and my foot showed no irritation or pain.

However, this week, the pain has come back. The doctor told me to visit him again if the pain returns, so that he can take x-rays. But I'm weary of paying so high a price for x-rays (my med insurance will cover about 80% of it) and then nothing is answered. Not just that, but I really do not want to be put on a steroid again, as it caused me to feel very strange and break out horribly.

Here's some background information. My right foot and leg were injured in a bad car accident 6 years ago. My peroneal nerve was damaged (it is healing, and it is almost fully functional again), causing my foot to go numb for a good amount of time, and my fibula was broken (the doctors said that is more than likely what caused the damage to my nerve). Could this be a factor of my pain?

My question is, what could the pain be? Is anyone familiar with the causes of this pain I am having? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Dan

[dwill1085]

Thank you, Dr. Mathur! I greatly appreciate your advice, and taking the time to write me. I guess I need to have an MRI done soon, because the pain keeps me from doing a lot, and I'd rather not be a slave to my pain.

Again, I appreciate your reply to my problem!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi Dan!
The pain that you are experiencing can be due to non-union of fracture ends, mal-union of fracture ends, pinched nerve, ligament tear, tendonitis or due to poor position of foot due to peroneal nerve injury. Non and mal union would be evident on X-rays. To diagnose nerve injury and pinched nerve, you will need nerve conduction studies. Ligament tears would be evident only on MRI. Please discuss this with an orthopedic specialist. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.