Ankle Sprain -> Erector Spinae

[dibblego]

Hello everyone, I had a sprain on my right ankle in June 2007. At the time I was playing squash around 4 times per week, including competition. The injury was not playing squash, but kicking a football and coming down wrong. It was the most painful of the 5 sprains I have ever had and I think it was the most damaging. I resumed squash as soon as I could after a few weeks, but I knew my ankle was not right. After not too long, my muscles started to become really tight and I became magnesium deficient.

I have recently learned - through lots of reading - that chronic ankle instability can lead to muscle wastage in the buttocks and back. I also have sore muscles in the upper back (I was eventually hospitalised with migraines at one point). I have been taking Mg supplements for a while, but I still have quite severe muscle pain - especially in my erector spinae (slightly worse in the left).

I have since stopped heavy sporting activity in May 2008 and I have also recently undergone a Brostrom Repair and medial ligament repair to my right ankle (September 2008). I have yet to start physiotherapy on this joint. Although I am confident of the cause of my other problems (i.e. muscle pain), I am not clear what to do about treating it or what my expectations should be.

Is it often expected that the surgery restores normal range of motion and the muscle problems alleviate themselves (after all, I was fine prior to the ankle injury)? Do I require specialised physiotherapy? Every time I google, I get these snake oil doctors, so it's hard to see the forest through the trees, so any other advice or answers to questions that may be relevant are most appreciated.