Accupuncture - Aurora,CO

I am not qualified to advise you, but just a heads-up. My aunt, prior to the time she had her ankle fused, was very active and athletic. After she had her ankles fused, she couldn't get around well and gained between 100 and 150 lb. You might try less invasive techniques first.

I have enjoyed tremendous success with accupuncture, but not for anything remotely similar to what you are describing.

I would imagine that since your describing just sprains, and not breaks, which in the long run, your sprains are worse, there is a relatively new technique used by PT's (Physical Therapists) called ASTYM. It is basically a severely painful deep tissue and ligament massage that creates a micro-reinjury of the injured site, and gets the body's immune system to return and heal again. Then you would also implement a course of physical therapy. I honestly don't know if you're a candidate, but it is certainly worth researching before going under the knife. Feet and ankles are notoriously poor healers due to the lack of circulation.

Hope you find some successful therapy somewhere.

It sounds like maybe the doctor hasn't communicated much about why he wants to fuse the bones--? Definitely insist on a second or third opinion. I am not clear why sprains, which would be muscles/tendons, right?, would benefit from fusing bones, unless somehow you sustained long-term bone damage from them. But we're not doctors here on Mamapedia, and the surgery may indeed be necessary after all, but with or without it you can try acupuncture. I have never used it but my brother had it, and swears by it. Like someone else said, also look into physical therapy options.

I would do a lot of things before submitting to surgery to permanently limit movement. Acupuncture can be very successful. So can chiropractic. So can nutritional supplementation to help with inflammation and muscle repair/regeneration. I can help you with the last one. For acupuncture and chiropractic, get referrals from your primary care physician and from others you respect - sometimes friends, sometimes fitness trainers at your gym, etc. If you have xrays from your doctor, take them to the chiropractor. For acupuncture, you can ask if they need to see them - most won't, but you never know. And the xrays belong to you so you are entitled to them.

Love acupuncture. I strongly recommend it.
Not sure why to fuse, but agree with posters about a second opinion

Go for it! Accupuncture is awesome and I don't know if it will work for you but what do you have to lose? Along with my own success story (my accupuncturist turned over my breech baby - at 37 1/2 weeks!!!), I've heard countless people have much better pain control from treatments.
Find an accupuncurist that has been through a reputable school and that has excellent recommendations. Don't just go to anyone or pick out of the phonebook - some aren't so good.
Mine was sooooo good that I liked my accupuncture treatment better than getting an hour full body massage!!!!!!!

I love acupuncture and would recommend it over bone fusion if it will help you. As others have said, get referrals and try to get a second or even third opinion on why fusing the bones would help over physical therapy or acupuncture.

I have had great success with acupuncture for colds, allergies, migraines and various aches and pains. Occasionally I will go to an appointment just to relax for a bit:>)

OMG I mean surgery vs Accupuncture? Give it a try first before going under the knife what do you have to loose? I would suggest though making sure you get a good accunpturist. Here is a website I would check for referrals http://www.iama.edu/. I always tell people. 1 hour of accunpture to try is worth way more than undo pain and suffering and wishing you should of. It's only about an 1 1/2. Give it a try. I go monthly and have thru two pregnancies. I would go more if I could afford I love it SOO MUCH!

Hi--
Acupuncture can be great for a lot of things, but I'm thinking you might want to try rolfing. Rolfing is to soft tissue what chiropractic is to skeleton. It realigns the soft tissues of your body so they are working correctly. It changed both my life and my husband's. I can recommend two good rolfers if you are interested. And heck, a good acupuncturist at that :-) Good luck in your decision.
J.

My husband was headed to a total knee directed by his surgeon of many years. He just feels too young and not up for such a big jump. Ultimately he tried accupuncture and bloodletting and within days his pain had minimized to the point that 6 months later he still has not gone back to see his surgeon. We are both BIG fans. Now he did say that he found it very uncomfortable and that the bloodletting was downright painful, but he does have a phobia of needles so I am not sure it would be that way for everyone.

I have heard that you want to be sure to go to someone good and even referred to you. I guess there are big differences between accupuncturists. We also live in Aurora if you want I can find out who my husband went to .

Good luck!

I would really get a 2nd opinion first, from a Specialist, before you commit to the surgery.

Next, sprains, are injuries to the muscles/tendons. Not the bone.
WHY would fusing your bones, help?

Limiting ankle movement, can then, to me, create other problems & pains.... afterward. Maybe even in a handicapping manner... physically or limit your mobility...
And I personally would, consider other manners of treatment first.
I would not want to fuse my bones together in such an important joint.

Have you ever tried physical therapy?
Had recommendations to strengthen your muscles, in that area?

Or is the problem, a problem of your joints???

Acupuncture helps pains etc.
I had it for my morning sickness/migraines as well, when I was pregnant both times. And it was the ONLY thing that got rid of it.
Friends have had it for their back pain etc. or other bodily ailments. They liked it.

Before you commit to any surgery, which would fuse your bones, I would really get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion, first.