Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 10/31/2008

Question
Hi there,
I am currently recovering from a broken ankle, and did not lift weights during the first four weeks of my recovery.  However, about a week ago, I decided to do a bicep workout.  About an hour after the workout, I tried to bend my left arm back and scratch my back with my left hand, and I felt a sharp, intense pain in the area of my lower tricep near the elbow.  Since then, I have felt a tingling sensation in my left triceps when I am on my crutches, and tonight I moved my arm backwards and suddenly felt a sharp, burning pain in my lower left triceps. The tingling is not constant, but when I first get out of bed or off the couch and get on my crutches, I feel the odd tingling/burning sensation in my lower left triceps.    
I was just curious what might be causing this? I hypothesized that it might be a partial tear of my triceps or triceps tendon, but this is just a guess.  I was also wondering what you think the healing time for an injury such as mine might be?  Thanks a lot for the help.


Answer
You may have a partial tear of the Triceps, but I would almost bet that you have a compression injury from the crutch.  A broken ankle typically takes 4-8 weeks to heal, but pain and stiffness can last for months.  By now, you should be off the crutches, unless they were found to be necessary, and using weight bearing exercises for the ankle.  Myofascial release can help with the stiffness, and can speed the recovery process.