Kiwi Farms

Discuss everything related to injuries, including recovery and prevention.

---

in 2012 I sprained my ankle a dozen times over a few days. The last time, I heard a click in my left ankle and when I looked at it, the lump of muscle just below and in front of the bone on the outside of my ankle was detached from my foot and floating under my skin. It gradually disappeared over a few months.

The lump of muscle on that foot was gone, and I had almost no ability to push off with that foot, or to flex my toes back towards the front of my knees on that foot. I dragged that foot a bit when I walked, which produced a noticable wear pattern on my shoes.

Since then the lump of muscle has grown back somewhat, and I regained most of the ankle mobility and especially toe flexibility and strength. My shoes don't wear unevenly and my ankle doesn't ache unless I walk more than 12 miles at a time. I'd say it's at 75% to 90% of it's original capacity.

However I can't squat - low bar or high bar, with an unloaded EZ-Bar or a standard barbell - with correct form. I can't keep the bar even over the middle of my foot, I always lean forward to much, and sometimes one leg can't lift as much as the other and I wobble from side to side.

What are my options here? I can't afford PT or surgery. Should I drop squatting and instead do dumbbell walking lunges, leg presses, and other machines? Is front squat an option?