Sprained Ankle, now calf pain?

[BuckheadBetty]

I sprained my left ankle pretty severely about 2 and half weeks ago, missing the last step of our back porch (genius, I know!).  I heard it pop when I fell, but was at my grandparents farm where there is no ER.  I applied RICE that night and went to the Dr. the next morning for X-rays.  Not broken, but sprained on both sides.  I can walk normally now, it is a little stiff in the mornings, and only hurts going down stairs or when I try to stretch it all the way to one side or the other.  The most painful is when I try to flex my foot all the way out (pointed down like a ballerina), particularly on the left side of my ankle.  The weird thing is that when I do that and my ankle hurts, I also get some pain in my calf on the left side as well.  Nothing major, but since the sprain sometime I get pains in my calf, behind my knee, or in my thigh.  Once again, nothing really painful, just like a very, very mild cramp or muscle spasm.  The best way that I can think to describe is that it feels like "growing pains" from when I was little.  Also, the pain will go away for a several hours, come back for a little while and go away again.  There are says when I can go almost all day and not have any pain.  I have read that sometimes a DVT will cause pain when flexing your foot up toward your leg and I tried this and have no pain at all.

Is this normal when healing from a sprain?  I have no insurance, and I checked with the Dr. who did my X-rays, and he says that my body is compensating for the ankle, and I am using muscles in that leg in a new way so there may be a little pain, or considering that I sprained both sides, I could have pulled some muscles/ligaments in my leg.  I guess I am most afraid of having a DVT, but the pain is mild, does not feel "deep" at all, and moves around (i.e., thigh will hurt, then calf, etc.).  There are no other symptoms at all other than the pains.  The only other factors that make me afraid of a DVT is that I spent about half of a day with my leg up when I sprained it, and I am overweight.  I am a 25 year old female.  Does this sound like a DVT?  As stated above, I have no insurance and don't want to be an alarmist if this is normal for a sprain.

Any advice/info is greatly appreciated!

[trophynuts]

it must be something in the water. Same here with all of the op's symptoms, i can move my ankle really well and its only been a week and a half, i'm not wearing a brace anymore. The one thing that bothers me is going down stairs just like op said. I can go up them fine. But the lower calf pain on the side and front of my calf is bothering me a little at times. It does feel good to stretch mine on almost every way except from side to side.  i'm going to give my situation another week or so and if the lower calf pain doesn't go away i'll go back to the sportsmed place. I have been soaking mine in hot water with epsom salts as well. Some of you may want to try that. Just google it.

[mike1549]

same thing happened to me, but more severely, I got a high sprained ankle back in apr 2010, playing bball. could not walk or do anyhthing for about a month. and now its been 6 months  I can walk and run but not back to my full speed, ive noticed that my calf really hurts now, since a month ago.  like it feels like its burning or something, (hard to explain) and day by day goes, it does not get better. i dont know what to do? how long will it take to be all good again? are there any pills there I should take? i still play on the team , but once a week, and when i do, it obviously makes it worse, but this pain will not go away

[bassinbill42]

See an orthopedic doctor ASAP. You need professional help right away. I'm recovering from a high ankle sprain I had at my employer. I'm currently attending physical therapy paid for by the workman's comp insurance company.

[Jesica949]

I have that problem too.

[panther664]

Wow.  We have almost identical symptoms and history.  What a relief- are you still alive?  I'm also worried about DVT and have had sprained ankle then calf problems.