Achilles tendon rupture – rehab
i torn my achilles tendon the end of July. i went to see a chinese bonesetter for more than two weeks before i consulted an orthopedics to find out that in fact i had a complete rupture. so, immediately, i was advised to get a surgery. so now, it’s been 5 weeks since the operation and am on a cast. was advised that i can take off the cast by end of next week and from there onwards, i will need to go thru 6 weeks of physiotherapy. as i am quite concerned how long it will take for a complete recovery but at the same time, i would want to take time to make sure my leg will function as well as it used to be, i want to see if there is anyone in this forum who had the same injury and could advise me on issues i need to watch out during this upcoming rehab period.
Also, there is a small lump found near the incision area which the doctor said it will go away “completely” in a few months. he gave me a name of it “fibr..” but i don’t remember what it’s called. i wish to find out if it is normal or if it’s some sort of complications that will stay with me forever.
i will deeply appreciate if anyone who can provide me with some insights how to deal with the following weeks to come. many thanks.
JL
71 comments
chrispycrunch
Walking Update @ 13 weeks post-op
I am limping far less than when I posted a few weeks ago. There are brief short moments when I feel I am walking at full speed without any pain. But after that there are aches on the heel, warmth and some mild swelling on the achilles area.
Fully extending the walk to heel to toe…there are some aches in the leg/ankle area if I walk too fast.
I am using an ice gel pack regularly, 10 minutes max on, towel stretches, regular exercises with the theraband. I’ve also been doing the wall ‘stretch’ and seeing some improvement each day. I really like the 1 legged bottle pick-up exercise!
DougDigital, for problems walking down stairs, take baby steps (two feet on a stair)! If you have to, use a crutch. Get to walking comfortably before walking normally on the stairs.
Next week I have a 6 week follow-up with the orthopedic. The last PT note was walking only, no running. We’ll see how it goes (not that I’ll start running any time soon!)
beagle
Doug ~
It has now been just over 7 weeks since I’ve been walking without the walking boot. You asked for rehab exercises. Please read all of my previous postings. I’ve mentioned several that I’m using. Gerry mentions several more as well. A word of caution. I wouldn’t use any that are being suggested here unless you’ve cleared it with your physiotherapist. We all recover at different rates and some activities may be too soon for you. I think it’s great that you are already walking without much discomfort. Walking is excellent for recovery but of course you need to do everything else such as stretching and strengthening to help breakup the scar tissue. I’ve asked my physiotherapist several times now if when we do these rehabilitation exercises we are trying to “stretch” the achilles the tendon. Apparently, not. From what she says, the achilles tendon does not do the stretching. What you’re trying to do is break up the scar tissue that is built up around the repair so that the tendon “glides” more smoothly. If fact when you do warm up activities such as facing a wall and placing one foot further from the wall than the other with the heel flat as you lean into the wall, you’re not stretching the tendon. You’re loosening up or making more flexible the muscles that make up the calf area so that there is more give thus putting less torque on the tendon itself.
Another reason for the rehab activities is to get all of the other tendons, and the ligaments, soft tissue etc. in your foot used to the activites, such as walking, that they once were accustomed to. The fact that one of your calf muscle groups has atrophied is typical evidence of a lack of use. It’s likely that the quad muscle in the bad leg has also been weakened. In time this should get back to normal for you.
A word of advice about going down the stairs using hand rails. I’d be extremely careful about that. If one of the hand rails should give way unexpected along your journey or your grip should slip or you land on your good foot incorrectly you could end up with some serious problems, even reinjuring the repaired site because you ended up using your bad foot to recover. Though you can walk do not forget that you have had an injury far more serious than a simple broken bone. The actual surgical repair has had 3 months to recover and is well on its way to being as good as new no doubt. But the rest of your foot and leg is what the physiotherapy is for. And that is going to take months. The swelling is due to inflamation so ice after a good walk is something you might want to try. Be careful not to put the bag of ice directly onto the skin or you may have other problems.
The advice I’m getting is to learn how to read my body. Each day you are improving, but you will have your down days and think you’ve made no progress. Then it is time to back off. The other day my massage therapist really massaged the scarred area in hopes of trying to break up the scar tissue inside. She went too deep and I could hardly walk for 2 days I was in so much pain. I’ve told she’ll have to ease up. For the past couple of days I did very little in the way of walking, swimming etc. My physio said there was no problem taking it easy when I need to. There can be a tendency to think that the more aggressive you are when it comes to physio and activity, the quicker the recovery. This is not necessarily so and I would recommend against it. It is very important that you can into physiotherapy as soon as you can. The biggie, is breaking up that scar tissue that has formed and is impeding your range of motion. The stiffness you’re feeling is because of the scar tissue build up most likely. Something else you should be doing is massaging the incision site itself everyday for about 5 minutes. You can use what’s called ” shea butter” which is natural cream. There are all sorts over the counter products Just ask your pharmacist.
When it comes to rehabilitation consistency balanced with moderation is my best advice at this time. Good luck with your physiotherapy.
DougDigital
PS. Gerry and Beagle,
Thank you for the advice. I have been going up and down stairs only when need be. Sometimes I will walk up the stairs with my body turned to the side and lead with my good foot. That keeps your tendon from stretching while going up the stairs because you’re not really walking or stepping forward. It’s really equivalent to standing on you’re bad foot for a second. If I’m going down the stairs and there are hand rails present I will just swing down the hand rails. (Landing with the good foot) Other than that, leading with you’re injured foot works perfectly fine. Walking in the pool is a great exercise as well. My lifeguard thought that I was afraid to swim at first but I explained the situation to him. I have yet to get on a exercise bike but that will come very soon. THanks again
DougDigital
Hey everyone from “Ruptured Inc.”,
Just wanted to get an update from everyone on how their recoveries are going. It has been 3 months total since my surgery for a completely torn achilles and I’m now walking at normal speed. It feels a little better each day, however if I’ve sat down for a while it does stiffin’ up when I attempt to walk again but it warms up quickly. The ankle is still a little bit swollen yet it is getting easier to do my ABC’s while watching TV or on my computer. I am supposed to start physio this friday and I was wondering what kind of exercises other than using a heel cord have been used during rehab? Thanks to anyone who responds and good luck to everyone and their recoveries from this very “patience testing” injury.
Doug
gerryk60
Chris, Yes I had a complete rupture. 9 weeks conservative method. Dont know much about partial tears as most all of the people on this forum have snapped their tendons. Would think the treatment is pretty much the same except quicker recovery time. If the tendon is still joined, you should get back to fitness pretty soon.
Regards.
Gerryk
beagle
anand3~ So sorry that you’re having to go through this at your age. As Gerry said, you just had some bad luck but chances are good that you’re going to make a full recovery. Some things you should know:
*20 weeks is not a long time for this type of very serious injury. We did not break a bone which in many instances only requires around 6 weeks for healing. We damaged the strongest and largest tendon in the body! My physiotherapist told me that I will likely be doing rehabilitation anywhere from 12-18 months. That doesn’t necessarily mean going to physiotherapy for that length of time. It just means that it may take that long to know whether or not I’ve made a complete recovery. By then, to put it in her words, ” What I’ve got I will have for the rest of my life.”
* There is only around a 5% chance of re-injuring your tendon again. That means you have a 95% chance of not re-injuring it. Those are pretty good odds I figure. However, statistically younger people are more prone to re-injuring themselves. As I mentioned to someone earlier this is likely due to the fact that young people are more active and therefore put themselves at greater risk.
* Most importantly and you’ll be happy to hear this, most people who have had this type of injury are able to return to their former playing abilities, be it basketball, squash, baseball, or yes, even tennis! Just how soon is the big question. Everyone is different and recovery rates vary. You might be pleasantly surprised and be back to full participation in your favorite sport (s) sooner thatn you realize or things may take a little longer. It comes down to accepting that this a major injury and recovery time cannot be rushed.
* Not only are you rehabilitating your injured foot but you’re also trying to get your entire body back into shape from the cardiovascular to muscle strength. After my injury I gave new meaning the word “sedentary”. I did squat for more than 3 months and was bed-ridden for a fair amount of time. Yes, I was mobile with my walking boot so I wasn’t really chained to the bed but as far as a regular regimen of exercise was concerned I was pretty much out of the loop.
* Getting your leg back into top ship shape performance is only part of the equation. You’ll also need to deal with conditioning especially if you’re hoping to compete in tennis. And that is what I’m concerned about for you. Tennis is such an explosive game with such incredible stop and go moves that the body has to be in top condition lest it suffer serious injury. I’m not saying this to scare you off. I’m saying it because these factors need to be considered. I think the best people to talk to about your chances of returning to competitive tennis in 5 months are your physiotherapist and the surgeon who worked on you. I think the main thing you have going for you is your youth. But you also have to factor into the equation what your surgeon said about this being a very unusual injury for someone your age. Ask your surgeon direct questions. Don’t be afraid to ask what should someone expect given your age and given the type of injury and more importantly what sort of time frame might you be looking at.
Continue to work out, everyday if possible, with the specific goal that you hope to be playing tennis again in the future. Your body will tell you day to day what that time frame will be. Best of luck you.
Beagle
beagle
Dougdigital~
You wrote, “I guess my question to anyone who is walking normally after a full tear is: How much did you push yourselves to walk normally after you were allowed to walk with normal shoes on? Good luck again to everyone and I hope to hear from you soon.”
I tore my Achilles tendon completely (no partial). Thus the 12 week recovery time in a cast or in my case, a cast for a week and a walking boot for 12 weeks. The degree of pain is pretty much dictating how much I can push myself. I continue to try and walk without a limp but right now the pain can be too much for me. There is no sense in pushing yourself. It’s very important to listen to what your body is telling you. Your head will probably say, “Hey, the longer and harder you work the faster you will recover” Trickery, trickery! Not so. When the boot came off I began using the exercise bike for only 10 minutes. That was all I could do because I was pretty much exhausted. After about 2 weeks I increased the bike activity to 15 minutes and added 10 minutes of very slow walking on the treadmill. Today, I did 25 minutes on the bike, 25 minutes on the treadmill and 20 gentle laps in the swimming pool.
The ankle is sore because it’s had quite the workout. If I’m in a lot of discomfort by tomorrow then I likely will do very little activity except some stretching. This is what I mean about listening to your body.
Gerry~ Excellent advice about the heel to toe walking. My physiotherapist said exactly the same thing. The treadmill is excellent for this. At a very slow and deliberate walk I focus on the specific elements of taking a step forward making sure it’s the heel first followed by the toes. It’s hard to do when it’s done correctly. I’m able to walk up and down stairs but as you say, goind down is the most difficult part.
Dougdigital~ hope this helps
beagle
Gerry~
The bottle exercise is one I’ll definitely be doing. I think I’ll even pass the idea onto my physio.
Yes, I have enough strength to “try” and balance on my injured foot. I say “try” because I’m useless right now and can only balance for 3-4 seconds before falling over. And THAT’S with my eyes open! My physio is encouraging me to try and balance with my eyes closed as well. What a hoot. I never realized how dependent we are on our sight for balance.
CrispyCrunch~ I’m in my mid-fifties and feeling every day of it! Thanks for your encouraging words about hoping to see me back at tennis but I highly doubt I’ll be returning to it. Well, maybe as a ball boy! I love the game. When I was in my 30s and 40s I played like I was possessed. I lived and breathed the sport. But for other medical reasons I had to give up the game about 6 years ago. When I tried it out again this past April I was just hitting the ball around and not really playing much of a game. Because I ruptured the Achilles tendon as easily as I did, I’m feeling paranoid that even with proper stretching I could do it again, and perhaps even the same leg!
Oh to be in my 30s again! However, I’ve read that those in their 20s and 30s are at greater risk to reinjure the healed tendon. I think this is because they are more active and more apt to return to playing as vigorously as before. So be careful. Those who are older are less likely to re-injure I think simply because they(we older folk) don’t exert our bodies to the kind of punishment we used to.
Update:
-it’s now been 30 days since the boot cast came off
-I’m able to drive again
-some exercises prescribed by the physiotherapist include:
*placing a cloth on the floor and scrunching it up with my toes
*balancing on one foot with eyes closed
*using “theraband” elastic to stretch and “work” the foot. Theraband is the same material dentist use as a dam when drilling
-physio recommends wearing a compression sock that goes up to the knee
-using an exercise ball (the kind you sit on)
-deep tissue massage to break up the scar tissue
-applying heat before stretching is recommended
Walking continues to be painful. I’m unable to walk any distance without pain. As you say Gerry, this can be expected and I’m doing my best to take it in “stride” (pun intended). I’ll keep everyone posted as I progress. Good luck to all.
gerryk60
Beagle… Just remembered a couple of things my physio showed me. Maybe not now but later when you are stronger, only you will know. One way to gauge how well your tendon is stretching is…..
Go over to a wall and put your good foot about 6/7 inches back from it. Keeping the heel on the ground, bend the knee and see if you can touch the wall with your knee. Keep moving the foot back or forward until thats the most you can stretch.
Now, mark that spot.
Start now with the bad foot and see how far back you can put your foot in order to get that knee touching the wall.
Remember, dont not allow the heel to come off the ground or thats cheating !!!!!!
Also dont push the bad one too much. Gently does it !!!!
If you do this a couple of times a week you will see yourself improving and hopefully soon, both marks will the same distance from wall.
Another one is…when you are ready,
Stand on top or first step of your stairs.
Put good foot down on the next step gently then bring it back to the top again. Dont force the heel to stay on floor, just the normal way you would walk downstairs.
You should feel the tension in the tendon as your good leg lowers. Hold onto rail or crutch if you want, dont overdo the strain !!
Good luck and if I think of more will post them.
Gerryk
Just thought my physio had me do the alphabet with my ankle when I was watchin TV to help mobility and to get rid of swelling….It’s very tiring, believe me …
DougDigital
Hey again chrispycrunch, gerryk60, beagle and the rest of the “Ruptured Anonymous” crew,
I’m glad to hear about everyone’s progress and I wanted to let yall know that last friday(8/26) the doctor allowed me to walk without a boot. I only spent about 3 weeks in the walking boot and now I’m currently on the 11th week overall. He said that I can walk around with any good shoe or barefoot but I may not walk up and down stairs yet. Right now I will either take any elevator I can find or I will go up steps while keeping my leg stiff to prevent from pushing off of it. I have not tried to walk at normal speed yet I have simply walked very slowly. When I’m walking I am not really pushing off of my foot completely yet I’ve felt no pain so far. The tendon feels tight when I am walking but that it expected. I’m not cleared to do any physio yet but I can feel the calf muscle building up again. I have been known to have big calf muscles and the differences in size between my good and bad leg are very very noticeable. And plus that left leg is the one that was operated on so it is shaven as well so it looks as if I have a girls leg on my left and a guys leg on my right. I do not plan to shave my good leg to balance things out.(lol) Looks like I’ll be wearing pants for a while. I guess my question to anyone who is walking normally after a full tear is: How much did you push yourselves to walk normally after you were allowed to walk with normal shoes on? Good luck again to everyone and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Dougdigital
gerryk60
Doug, Just read your post. I found going up the stairs fine if you lead with your good foot. You then bring up the bad one without any weight on it. Going down is harder. If you lead with the bad foot, then it has to support the other as it travels down and does increase the pressure on it. If, however, you lead with the good foot, then the bad one is stretched. That was one of my physio’s favourite exercises when my leg and tendon was stronger. Standing on top step and putting good leg down first then pull it back up again. Its hard..
Practice walking in the swimming pool. I keep telling this to people as the buoyancy will lessen the weight on your foot. I use to get really strange looks off the lifguard !!! But it works…
I also used a treadmill. Advantages are. no potholes, no kerbs. Small steps at the beginning at slow speed. Gradually building up to walking at normal speed. Read my other posts about full range of movement for foot. Over the next weeks, with your exercises, the tendon will stretch. So you will be able to increase your stride without discomfort. But please take it very carefully.
Gerry….
anand3
I tore my right achilles tendon on 4/2/2005 and had surgery on 4/7/2005. Im only 17 years old and i was just playing tennis when it happened. My surgeon told me it was highly unusual for this to occur to me, but I guess that’s what they always say.
It has been 20 weeks, almost 5 months, since my repair and I have been doing physical therapy for 1.5 months, 2-3 times a week. When I first started, my therapist told me that my right tendon had been significantly lengthened after surgery and that this is a common procedure which decreases the tensile strength of the achilles tendon and prevents re-rupture. However, it has been lengthened to the point where I have 8 degrees more dorsiflexion in my injured leg than my normal one, and it has caused my right calf muscle to be extremely weak. At this point, I can walk in a shoe with no pain, but when i walk barefoot, i do feel slight pain when i push off. I still cant tip-toe with my right foot only, I can only perform the bilateral toe raise. Also, my right calf muscle is half the size of my left. My therapist says that I am far from running and jogging, but she feels optimistic.
If any of you have any advice they can give me, or an inspiring story of their own experiences, i would really love to hear it. Its my senior year in high school, and i would love to be able to play tennis come february for my last year. I just want to have that reassurance that I will be strong enough to be able to do all the things that i used to do, even despite my lengthened tendon. Also, I am 5-6, 126 lbs–hopefully tht might help. thanx.
gerryk60
Hi Anand. Sorry to hear of someone so young having this type of injury. You were just very unlucky I quess. Dont know much about surgury as I had mine treated conservatively. i.e. 9 weeks plaster and that was it !!!!
I can reiterate what I said before. Make sure when you walk you go thru the full range of motion and that includes pushing off gently with toes. Your shoe will cushion that effect and thats why you dont feel it. Try to concentrate on that when you are walking in shoes. When you are in barefeet, your toes will be in contact with the floor and the pushoff will stretch the tendon and put pressure on calf muscle. Hence you will feel a little pain as it is not use to it.
As for the size of calf muscle. I did mine 18 months ago and the calf is still smaller than the other one. My physio said it was the toe thing again. On your good foot you walk as you always did. After injuring AT your body adapts to compensate and your foot will protect the tendon without you even realising it. Your foot doesnt want to push off on toes cause its weak and sore.
You then develop a new walking stride so the calf isnt getting the same exercise as the other one. Do you understand what I am trying to say ???
I started in the gym on the treadmill and concentrated on walking with full range of movement. At first very slowly then gradually building up. I was slow jogging by 5/6 months no problem.
For the tiptoeing use the pool if you have access to one. Go to deeper end where water is upto your chest. Hold onto side of pool and practise going up on toes. Be careful and take it easy. You can try the bad leg but do make sure you are in as deep as you can so there is less weight on ankle.
As you get stronger and more confident, gradually move towards the shallower end. This will put more weight on the foot. Remember to take it slowly and easy. You dont want to rush and make it worse by re-rupturing.
The scariest part of the recovery is the step into the unknown. Will it snap, will it tear ??? Sometimes you have to take that leap of faith to improve. Your physio should be able to advise you as well.
You are young and I would say that your rate of recovery should be excellent. Of that I have no doubt. February is 6 months away. Loads of time to get stronger and fitter. You will look back then and wonder why you worried so much about it.
Sorry to keep going on but P A T I E N C E.
Physio use to say my mortal enemies were.
Kerbs, potholes, ladders (especially in swimming pools) and the worst of all IMPATIENCE !!!!!
Anything else just ask.
Gerry…
chrispycrunch
beagle – I really hope you’ll play tennis again. I injured myself probably because I didn’t warm up, but that was about 30 minutes into playing. How old are you? I’m 30 so I wonder if that explains my enthusiasm for return to sports!
gerryk60, I am on week 9 (Jun 24 –>Aug 20). I have been walking for 7 days now. I limp if I go too fast – tendon is a bit tight, but foot, toes are very weak and get sore quickly. Walking slowly is fine, conservative, and what I do to remind myself to be patient.
I’d like to know what gym exercises you did. My PT is concentrating only on walking for now but in a few weeks I’ll be allowed to run (not that I’d do that!!)
gerryk60
Hi Chrispycrunch, Can hardly bring myself to print out that name. !!!!! Whats your first name for next time….
The reason you are limping is if you go too fast you are pulling at the tendon which is still probably quite tight. My physio told me that walking after you have done your tendon is very important. Your body compensates for the injury and you will not be going thru the full natural range of movement.
Before the injury, when you walked, like most of us you would have put your foot down heel first carried thru and pushed off with the toes. You dont even realise you are doing it. When you recovering from the injury, the foot doesnt like that push off as it puts tension on the calf muscle and the tendon. You end up walking with a limp if you go too fast. That is why you must walk slowly at first and deliberately make the foot go that way. The slower, the less pain. As the tendon gets more supple and the calf muscle builds up you will find you can walk faster and faster and finally without a limp. Some physos like you to wear a little heel raise to help the tendon. Mine didnt like that idea so I never had one in my shoe. What exercises have you done. ?? What has your physio told you to try. You havent been out of a cast for very long so you need to take your time. My physio said that impatience was the chief reason for re-ruptures. Wouldnt want to give you exercises that may put your recovery back. Let me know and will post any help I can straight away.
Gerry,….
chrispycrunch
gerryk60,
I am definitely walking very slowly to avoid limping. If I start limping, I’ll make sure I’m not moving too quickly.
I agree that I haven’t been in a cast for very long. I wonder if some of you had a complete rupture (mine was partial) which means 12 wks, not 6 wks in a cast?
Exercises I’m doing:
1) With rubber stretching band:
10 reps of 3 – 5 sets of strength/stretch (holding position for 20 seconds)
2) 10 reps of 3 sets towel stretches starting yesterday – hold for 30 seconds
3) 3x a week at PT – moving foot on a wood board (with a 1/2 cup in the bottom middle) for about 5 minutes.
4) moving sideways and dorsi/plantar with foot in air
5) moving my leg (from the knee) and moving my entire leg – to increase circulation
gerryk60, any gym exercises (which I’d do later) that you could post? I’m not ready for that yet but I hope to be…soon.
Chris
gerryk60
Chris, a little tip is to take smaller steps so as not to stretch the tendon too much. People tend to start walking again the way they did before the injury. Walk like you are taking your old granny or your 3 year old for a walk !!! Thats what my physio said to me.
The exercises that you are doing at present are fine. The ones that I may give you would be too hard and dangerous at this stage. Have they given you any to do on stairs yet or a raised surface. ???
How about balancing on one leg ???
Let me know.
Gerry…
beagle
Gerry~
Yes, by all means do pass along other ankle exercises I can try. I’d appreciate that.
Beagle
gerryk60
Hi Beagle..One of the best ankle ones I got was….get a plastic bottle. Set it down in front of you where you can bend over and reach it. Imagine you are standing on a clock face. Balancing on your bad leg, reach down and lift bottle, come upright then down again and place at say 9oclock.
Come upright and then down again and lift bottle, come upright and then down to say 4 oclock and so forth. I tell you, its a tough one. Its for balance. It is also very hard on the muscle, ankle and you get tired very quickly. As you get better and stronger, fill the bottle with water or use something heavy that you can get a grip on when you bend over. Don’t know how strong your leg is at moment so be very careful if you havent progressed to standing on one leg. As I have said, take it easy and careful.
Let me know how you get on.
Gerryk60
beagle
PROGRESS UPDATE
Finally removed my walking boot on July 29/05. Hallelujah!!
Saw the physiotherapist for the first time August 12. She was very impressed with what I’ve been doing so far and made some recommendations. Here are some of the exercises I’ve dong to date:
Stationary bike
Slow walking on treadmill
Swimming pool exercises
Very light weights for upper body
The swimming pool is an excellent place to stretch the muscles of the achilles. This include:
-toe tips
-facing the side of the pool with one foot ahead of the other and slowly bending towards the side of the pool while keeping the back heal down
-knee bends
-drawing the alphabet with the injured foot
-simply walking in a straight line
-bicyle peddling while using the edge of the pool for support
-swimming lengths (anyway you can!)
The pool provides enough buoyancy to assist you and enough resistance to make it worth while
It is important to stretch the foot laterally both ways (inside/outside) and of plantar/dorsi. Holding it in these 4 positions for a few seconds is important.
Toe tips using the wall for support was recommended. I was surprised at how weak my injured foot is. Muscle mass in the right leg quad has been compromised because the leg was not getting exercise. This will improve with time.
Toe tips while sitting on a chair was recommended also.
* DougDigital
It should be okay for you to use the stationary bike even with a walking boot on. I did without any problems. Check with your physician.
** My physio suggested that I apply heat the ankle to assist in the stretching.
12-18 months of recovery time is what I’m facing. I don’t think that means 12-18 months of physio.
Presently, my leg and foot are very weak. There is some limitation to range of movement. Pain can be intense at times. The pain varies from throbbing to at times a severe sharp pain. The physiotherapist says I should begin to see a marked improvement in as few as 3 weeks of physiotherapy. I’m seeing her twice a week.
Well, I think I’ve pretty much covered everything for now. I’ll keep you all posted. Good luck and remember…every day that goes by is another day of recovery and healing. Your tendon is becoming stronger though it sometimes doesn’t feel that way.
gerryk60
Hi Beagle. I am 18 months post rupture.
I found the swimming pool an excellent place to stretch and exercise the tendon. Starting in the deeper end of the pool, it really helped my confidence to be able to tiptoe for the first time. Then gradually move towards the shallow end as the tendon got looser and stronger. I must admit I got some strange looks from the lifeguard the first time he saw me hopping across from one side to the other !!!
I was in physio for about 6 months before I went solo !!! They can only do so much and then the rest is up to you. I am running and going to the gym pretty much like I use to do. Still wont play racket games though !! The psychological barrier, I think, is the hardest to get over. I still think twice before doing something physical that before I would’nt have hesitated to try. Mybe thats just getting old though !!!
Gerryk60
beagle
gerryk60~
It sounds like you’ve been out of the boot/cast for about 15 months is that correct? I’m very encouraged to read that you’re going to the gym and running like you used to. Especially the running part although I’m not much of a runner. Please tell me, when you were going through physio and exercising on your own, did you experience quite a bit of pain? That is the most difficult part for me. The physio got down to massage the tendon area and boy did it ever hurt. I think I’m going to call her Dr. Pain. I’m sure things will improve. I’m just a little impatient.
I can identify with your comments about the psychological thing. I’m even petrified when I’m walking along the sidewalk or along a bumpy pathway. One surgeon I spoke with told me he tore his achilles tendon just getting off a curb. Can you believe that? I’m concerned that I’m either going to reinjure the tendon or do damage to the ankle area ( ligaments, other tendons, cartilage) because it is terribly weak at this time due to lack of exercise.
I doubt that I’ll return to tennis. I just don’t want to take a chance. I know I should have warmed up more but now if I warm up for a game of tennis I won’t know if I’ve warmed up enough until I start to play and I sure don’t want to find out the hard way.
I completely understand your “fear” of getting back into racquet sports. I used to play a lot of squash and that involves a lot of explosive force on the achilles area. Personally I wouldn’t go back but that’s me. Having said that, a doctor I visited told me he tore his achilles tendon and was back to playing squash. He says he doesn’t have the same range of motion but he plays anyway.
I know what you mean about the toe tips in the pool. It feels great to be able to do that. I would mention that according to my physiotherapist it isn’t the tendon that’s being stretched when exercising, it’s the muscles that make up your calf muscle. These are the gastrocnemius and the soleus. I think when I tore my achilles it was because I had not stretched those and warmed them up. The net result was that they were tight and contracted allowing very little give when I needed it most. This resulted in severe strain being placed on the achilles tendon.
gerryk60
Hi Beagle, I was treated in the conservative method. 9 weeks of plaster, changing the angle of my foot every few weeks. Then one day, off came the cast and they bade me farewell. No boot, nothing. I went straight to physio to book an appointment. When the cast came off, the ankle was a sorry sight. Calf muscle had shrunk and my ankle was badly swollen. The physio said that the 9 weeks in plaster had done a lot of damage to the foot. With no exercise, the blood and fluid had just stayed in the foot. It was quite a job to finally get rid of it.
Like you, I was impatient. But even my wife noticed a change in me over the weeks. I knew I could rerupture and not to rush the recovery. Overnight, I decided to change and really take my time. I did all the exercises, strengthening and stretching 6 or 7 times a day without fail. The physio told me my mortal enemies were curbs, ladders, swimming pool steps, potholes and worst of all……Impatience…Pushing too hard too quickly.
Now as for pain. I personally dont think it is possible not to have pain whilst you are pushing yourself to get better. If it starts throbbing and you get sharp pains then you stop and wait for it to settle to see if you have done any further damage.
The tendon has received a major trauma. It will be stiff and sore. It doesnt want to stretch at the beginning so you need to perswade it !!!! Its stepping into the unknown, hoping that the next time you increase the exercise, it doesnt do any damage. Its a leap of faith at times. Thats why they say, increase slowly and decrease the chances of further injury.
I started going to the gym again after about 4 months and started very slowly on the treadmill. Over the next few weeks, gradually increased until I could jog at very slow speed. It was suck it and see type of situation. I was given lots of good exercises to do in the gym which really helped my recovery.
The tiptoeing bit was good. The muscle in the calf is very important to the tendon so I needed to home in on that one.
Thats my lot. Any other questions, just ask. As I have said before, I have particular exercises for foot, ankle and tendon. If you like can pass them onto you.
Regards.
Gerry.
kite
Hi, my name is Kite, and I’m a newly inducted member to “Rumpture anonymous”. (July 5, 2005)
ALL of the post have been a great resource of information, and I wanted to add my 2 cents worth. DItch the crutches! Get A LEG UP scooter! Website http://www.alegup.biz
Instant mobility w/ zero weight on your injured anke. Make dinner, brush teeth, grocery shopping, take a walk, (stroll). Do yourself a favor during this unpleasant injury, and get one. Good luck!
DougDigital
Chrispycrunch and Beagle,
Thank you for your responses! I found both responses to be very helpful. I am now currently in a “walking boot” but I am walking very slowly I still tend to use my crutches when having to walking a lost distance. The boot comes all the way up above my chin. My foot is at 90 degrees inside of the boot and it feels fine. You were right, I have lost quite a bit of calf muscle which is understandable. I almost wish that I had a matching walking boot on my good foot because the boot raises me up about an inch higher than my sneaker. The doctor said that I will most likely begin physio in 2 weeks and he will then allow me to walk without the boot. I find that hard to believe since it has been 8 weeks since I have had surgery and I have only been in the walking boot for a week. I have read some peoples stories about how they wore a boot with their foot pointed downward. I guess that I’m taking a different approach. My question is: does anyone experience any discomfort or pain when using a walking boot?
chrispycrunch
Hey DougDigital,
I didn’t put weight while in the walking boot at first. When I did do that, it took about 2-3 days before i could walk in the boot without crutches.
In the last two weeks, I worked on strength and ROM using a rubber exercise band.
Am at week 8 right now and have just started to walk indoors without the boot. Boy does it feel very strange! In the next 2-3 weeks I am going to work on walking without the boot at all. I am told the band and walking will strengthen the muscles.
Any ideas for further exercises? I don’t plan to join a gym until I am clear to start/try running (in 6 weeks).
Every milestone looks impossible but when you get there, you make another milestone for yourself! Good luck all and keep posting your progress.
beagle
Dougdigital:
I’ve learned that different surgeons take different approaches to their treatment of choice. Yes, I too would have liked to have had “matching” walking boots. *chuckle*
The height difference from one foot to the other does present a challenge. Consider putting some inserts in your other shoe to bring it more level with the walking boot. I know you were saying it tongue in cheek about having a second walking boot for the other foot but then you would have to have physio for both legs because neither foot would be getting the much needed exercise.
You might experience discomfort while wearing the boot. How much walking and standing around may cause the discomfort. I found that if I were standing for more than an hour or so or doing too much walking my foot would throb and become very sore. So much so that I could not stand any longer. This was because of the edema collecting in the injured area. It was the bottom of the heal that gave me the most grief.
Some people may not experience edema( collection of fluid in the lower extremities)the way I do so this may not present a problem as far as the injury is concerned.
12 weeks of cast/walking boot appears to be the norm from what I’ve been reading. As long as the foot is completely immobilized this appears to be the time required for the repaired tendon to heal properly. The foot is kept immobile be it in a walking boot or a standard cast or combination of both in order to keep the tendon repair from tearing apart prematurely. I’m not sure if it matters if you are in a regular cast for 8 weeks and a walking boot for 2-4 weeks after as long as the doctor is satisfied that enough recovery time has been allowed. Good luck and keep us posted on how you’re doing.
karate_wall_climber
I ruptured my right achilles injury the day before Thankgiving 2004. I am 8+ months past the surgery date. I was doing an exercise of climbing the wall in karate when it happened. We were supposed to tip to 2 steps up the wall. We did this about a dozen times in a row. That 13th time, I tried to climber just a little bit higher. The achilles kept stretching then belw out. It was lieka shotgun blast whith everyone in the room hearing it.
I was operated in 5 days later since all the surgions were on vacation. Surgery was successful, and then into a splint for the first 2 weeks with no weight bearing, on crutches. Unfortunately 3 days before I was to be fit with an orthopedic shoe, I fell down the steps as I was trying to climb with cruthes and 1 foot. I landed on the bad foot, twisted and almost went thru the railing. After 3 hrs of ice, I was able to determine that I had severly sprained the ankle with the splint intact the achilles was uninjured. Thank God.
Then I went 12-16 weeks (I can’t remember the exact # of weeks anymore). I was able to go from crutches to a kane in 10 days. This was harder because of the sprained ankle. After this time, I was able to limp around with no cane (painful). Getting from the car to my office just about killed me. I was back to work in 1 month after surgery, wearing the orthopedic shoe. Hills up or down killed.
After the orhtopedic shoe came off, I was allowed to wear sneakers with a heel lift for 2 months. So about 5 months after surgery, I was cleared for sports at my pace.
I did all my rehab myself. What I did was start with non weight bearing stretches, in circular motion and left to right and back and forth. I did this for a month, then went to tip toe eventually on the bad leg only. Regimen was 100 toe lifts consecutively, three times a day. The one legged toe lifts I can only do about 30 in a row.
SO I did all this and then started to run on the tread mill 5.5 months after surgery. Around the same time period I went back to karate (but took it extremely easy, not much mobility)
At 6th month, I took my yellow belt test even breaking the board (side kick) with the bad foot. I figured a compression kick would not harm the achilles. Now in the 8th month I got the blue belt! (hook kick to break board)
I have my bounce back, can run about 4 miles and walk without a limp. I am aggressive in my therapy/recovery but am also carefull not to strain it. If I feel weird or strange in the achilles I stop.
Taking off as many days as necessary if you feel like you strained it is ok and what I did.
My experience with recovery is a slow road with gradual improvement. I tried to hit milestones. Any running should be done with a gradual increase in mileage. At first I was only doing 2 min on treadmill, now can do 1 hr.
I still have pain in the heel and have a thick tendon at least 3 times thicker. I still get worn out at the end of the day and am wondering if I will get a full recovery with normal sized tendon?
Does anyone have any suggestions to continue to strengthen the tendon, besides tip toes, running, stretching. Vitamins??
Maybe something like glucosimine?
killkenny
Here’s a ruptured achilles story with a so far happy ending. Ruptured my right achilles playing basketball. I usually never play the sport so I think that’s why I ruptured. Muscles unfamiliar and no stretching. I’m 37 male, firefighter. Work out with weights 3 x week, cycle, ice hockey and snowboard. Had surgery 10 days after injury. If your debating to have surgery or conservative tx, do the surgery. Less down time and less chance for re-rupture. 4 days after surgery saw my surgeon. He placed me in a removeable splint and encouraged me to take the splint off several times a day and do simple toe lifts while sitting on a table or edge of bed. Lift till you feel some stretch and that’s it. He told me to do this for 6 weeks and I should have full ROM. During the 6 weeks no weight bearing at all. Also started therapy at this time. After the 6 weeks I was almost full ROM. I was then given a walking boot and told to use the crutches 50% weight bearing. Did 50% for 2 weeks. Then went to no crutches and 100% weight bearing in the boot. Around week 9 started to walk around the house with no boot at all. Week 10 started walking without the boot period, just wore some shoes with somewhat of a heel. I’m now at week 12 and I feel great. I’ve been doing some easy road rides on the bike but no running yet. Strength is coming back, should be back to the fire station next week.
I think the key to recovery is the following: surgery, early motion/movement (try to avoid a hard cast after surgery, you’ll have much less atrophy), good physical therapy (do your exercises and stretches, don’t skip), positive attitude.
Good luck to everyone with this injury. It’s not fun. Any questions I’ll be happy to answer.
beagle
Good luck. By the way, I notice you have AIM. So do I. I’ll keep an eye and look you up. I’m *no* PDT time.
Should read: “on PDT time”
DougDigital
Hello again, This is a question to everyone on “Ruptured anonymous” who is past the immobilization stage. When you were placed in a walking cast and allowed to put pressure on your foot and walk for the first time, what difficulties did you run into? I’ve heard of people still using crutches with a walking boot and others using one crutch for support. I have been in a hard cast for 6 weeks(2 weeks pointed all the way down/3 weeks slightly pointed down/1 week slightly above nuetral) and I am supposed to be placed in a walking boot next week. Is it really possible to lose that much leg strength or calf muscle strength in weeks when you’ve been walking your whole life? Thanks to anyone who replies and good luck to all recoveries.
Sincerely,
Doug
beagle
Doug:
I began wearing my walking boot 10 days after surgery. I used my crutches for balance and because I was concerned about putting weight on the injured foot. The concern was only mine of course because the surgeon had given me the green light to go ahead and wear the walking boot. Like the name says, it is a “walking” boot which means you should be able to put all the weight on your foot you would normally put on if you were not injured. Throbbing occurred when I would be standing around for more than an hour. There was of course a lot of swelling but all in all the walking boot allowed me to be reasonably mobile though it was like dragging a pit bull around all day. I would suggest you wear a compression knee high sock. This should keep the swelling down. I took my walking boot off everyday at various times and would ice and elevate my foot to bring the swelling down. I also received massage treatments 2-3 times weekly. Yes, muscular atrophying can be a complication but I think for me, the massage treatments were a big help.
I’m happy to say that as of July 29/05 I no longer wear a boot and will be getting physio in about a week. My foot hurts more now than when I was wearing the boot but that can be expected after all my foot was pretty much immobile for 3 months.
Good luck. By the way, I notice you have AIM. So do I. I’ll keep an eye and look you up. I’m no PDT time.
chrispycrunch
Hi DougDigital:
Muscle atrophy is unavoidable in all cases, unfortunately. Even my upper leg is a bit skinnier than the normal leg but I did/do leg exercises every day (bending leg up and down, moving entire leg up and down). I found this also helps for circulation.
Even at neutral, I’m not putting weight on the walking boot yet. I’m told to work first on getting full ROM (range of motion) before putting weight on the foot. Then building muscle. While I just want to have muscles to walk, I’m told I’ll need to join a gym to be strong to pre-injury levels so I can return to the sport.
Physio also consists of ultrasound to break down scar tissues and liquids around the ankle.
My next step is putting weight on the foot – how painful was it? How did you know when to stop?
beagle
Continued from previous posting. I’m trying to use the stationary exercise bike but my energy level has been so low that this has been problematic. The alternative of course has been to lie in a vegetative state whilst plugged into my only life support machine, the TV,… not a viable alternative!! So, I better use sheer will power and get on with it.
I’ve read on the internet that I can expect the repaired tendon to actually be stronger than prior to the injury, however my surgeon says the complete opposite. I don’t like the thought of having a weakened achilles tendon particularly given the fact that what I was doing was not strenuous when I injured it. I’m encouraged to know that statistically there is a 4%-6% chance of re-injury. I prefer to think of it as having a 94%-96% chance of NOT re-injuring. I’ve also read that people in their 20s or 30s or more likely to re-injury the same tendon. That may be because they return to much more rigorous activities than someone like me in his mid-fifties( gag that sounds old!!)
Physiotherapy will start in the first week of August. Massage therapy has been a big help so far. I’ve also been encouraged to massage the actual incision itself to keep it pliable.
Based on the way the foot is feeling so far, it seems that healing is going according to plan and that there will not be any complications such as chronic pain, limited range of movement etc. I’m not a really active person so I don’t expect to be doing anything that would put strenous pressure on the tendon. If I can get back to my dancing, brisk walks, and a little golf I’ll be happy. I do worry about the other foot however. I figure if I was able to injury my right one this easily, what’s to stop the other one from going too, given the right circumstances. Oh well, I guess that is a story for another day.
As so many of you have pointed out, patience is the key so whatever you do, don’t rush things or you might be setting yourself up for a major crisis. I will have my walking boot off in a couple of weeks but I don’t expect to be pain free until around Christmas and back to “normal”. This is because of the trauma the whole ankle and foot area has received. There are other tendons, ligaments, blood vessels,and nerves that are all affected as a result of the injury itself and the surgery. Right after surgery my foot was black and blue and swollen like the Michelin Man! The incision itself was ugly. Now, all of this is past and my foot is looking pretty good.
Though I’m tempted, I refuse to put any weight on the injured foot without it being in the walking boot. There is no way I’m going to rush the process. So, follow your surgeon’s suggestions to the letter and ask lots of questions if in doubt. There is a lot of good information on the internet. Good luck to all who have sustained such a miserable injury and I wish you a successful and speedy recovery.
beagle
Well, as I mentioned in my last posting, I tore my achilles tendon April 27/05. Surgery was done on April 29th. In 9 days it will be 3 months since I had the surgery. 12 weeks in a cast or walking boot seems to be the norm. I was issued a walking boot and it has been far superior to one of those non-removalable plaster casts. I’ve been able to take this thing off every night and now can actually sleep with it off. During the first several weeks I slept with the thing on because I didn’t want to risk getting up in the middle of the night and forgetting that I wasn’t to put any weight on the injured foot whatsoever. I think I should be okay now. The surgeon made it clear that I was to use the boot for a minimum of 12 weeks. I’ve not tried driving with the boot on but I think I’ll try today or tomorrow. During the first several weeks my foot swelled considerably and edema was very obvious. A compression knee high sock has been a big help. I still feel a lot of discomfort in the ankle area and there is still swelling if I stand for too long. I can move my foot in all directions though there is considerable stiffness. The doctor recommended a stretching exercise which involves taking a long towel, rolling it up and placing my foot in the middle of it and then straightening my leg out above my head for a 10 second count. I do this 10 times daily. I’ll tell you more in the next posting.
chrispycrunch
Hi: After 3 full weeks in a pointed cast, I am in a removable boot – the foot is just below the neutral position but not past “dorsal” position. I will be starting physiotherapy this week (week 4) to work on flexability.
I fear re-rupture having read some of the messages here, but at this point the question is about giving the leg some flexability versus allowing the tendon to heal.
While I have just started the long road to recovery, allowing some motion in the leg is mildly painful and the tendon is very tight as expected. As for the boot, it is easier to get around in it and to have it removable. A get has never been so happier to have some air!
gerryk60
Hi reference a quick recovery. Some do recover faster than others. I had very good physio including acupuncture for some weeks after cast came off. The word is patience, not a word that people like to hear. I did the exercises given to me by the professionals everyday. Never missed one or cut it short. In fact probably overdid it at times. Never took chances with it and always erred on the side of caution. I bought these acutouch therapy pointers from Genesen. You can use them yourself during the day and they work !!!
Its based on holistic home therapy. My physio had been using them on me for weeks before she asked why I hadnt bought them myself!!! I didnt know I could !!!You can get more information on site http://www.Genesen.com
Gerryk60
Arcwolf
Hello, I ruptured my right Achilles tendon, May,18,05: Ironically, the day after I turned 43. Went to E-room, saw specialist, had surgery on Mon.05,23. Felt very little pain, after rupture, most pain, night befor surgery. After surgery, I was up and about, all that same day; I believe I overdid it somewhat, next day spent at home, and icing my foot area.
I still have not experienced severe pain, taken very little of the prescribed pain killers, only at night, for first couple of weeks after surgury.
The Dr. gave me a boot, with it set at 15 degrees, and I wear it often, I moved it to 10 degrees, no tension on the tendon.
I still workout regularely; befor the injury I was preparing for a powerlifting meet, in Oct. 05. That won’t happen now. I still lift regularely on my upper body, and my left leg; only leg extensions, and light, on my right.
I have been driving regularely, since shortly after the surgery, I also have a clutch, but I tighten the boot up, and put no tension on my right calf or tendon.
I think what mainly caused my rupture, was purely, going into a very fast sprinting race, with no warm up or stretching whatsoever; I knew better than this, since I have been an athlete, all my life. It did not even dawn on me, that this could happen, and it happened at my son’s field day at his school, parents and teachers running a relay race; I anchored, and had to gain 50 yards on my opponent; I had caught up, and bang, it felt like someone had kicked me, and I fell flat on my face. I got up, and literally looked around to see, if anyone was near me, no one. I tried to run again, and could not. I immmediately knew what had happened, no tendon was there.
I am now 48 days after the surgery, and the Dr. still says, no walking, till the 8th week, and then only with help, from a crutch, and to begin therapy at this week.
My question is, does anyone know a relatively quick way to recover, maybe Acupuncture?
gerryk60
Hi There. Did my achilles playing badminton 17 months ago. Conservative treatment i.e 9 weeks plaster, no boot nothing. Then straight to physio.
My physio said most of the damage was done by the plaster as your leg is immobilised and the fluids and blood just congeal. There will be a lot of swelling (usually) when the plaster comes off and makes walking difficult cos its stiff and sore. I had exercises to stretch and get more movement into the ankle and tendon. I used crutches and then single crutch for a few weeks until the leg was stronger. When watching tv used my ankle to spell out the alphabet to get it more supple and to rid myself of the swelling. It took a long time to go away. Its a slow process and one not to be rushed as you will read of peoples re-ruptures who tried too much too soon. Be patient, I know it is hard but you will recover and be normal again. I was back to running within 6 months (although not as far) and going to the gym.
Swimming is good as there is very little weight on the tendon and you can stretch and eventually walk on tiptoes in deep water when your confidence returns. If I can answer any specific questions I will. Just ask and will give you the benefit of my experience during this difficult time.
gerryk60
DougDigital
Hello all. Last June I joined the “ruptured club” by tearing my achilles playing basketball. I’m 24 and I’ve played basketball through high school and division 3 college. I slacked off for a few months and started playing basketball again on a weekend basis. The other day, I went up for a dunk and while I was jumping I felt a sharp snap as if someone had kicked me in the heel. I had surgery on June 17th as I was place in a hard cast with my foot pointed downwards. I was in that cast for 2 weeks and place in another hard cast with my foot pointed nuetral. I’m supposed to be in the “nuetral” cast for 3 weeks and then I’m supposed to be placed in a walking boot. I’ve experience no pain at all since surgery and I have not used any medication at all. I was wondering what kind of issues did yall run into when you were allowed to put weight on your bad foot? Any advice will be greatly appreciated, I’m glad I found this site!
Sandra uk
Hi to all you unfortunate people in the same situation as me. This is my dairy so far….Achilles tendon rupture on 14th May 05 being treated without surgery, 5 weeks in cast toe pointing down, then supposed to move ankle for next cast but ankle would not move. Had a removable cast fitted and had 2 weeks of very gentle physio in order to get foot to move to position for next cast(45 degrees) which I achieved today. One to three weeks like this followed by one to three weeks in removable 90 degree cast with physio ongoing. Should be starting to weight bear in one or two weeks. A total of 11-12 weeks in cast but with physio from week 5. It sure is a long process but now I can see my ankle begining to move I feel a lot more hopeful and more in control of my own recovery. Thanks for sharing your stories and Good Luck to all
chrispycrunch
As much as anyone would hate to be a part of, add me to the ruptured achilles tendon club.
This happened last week and surgery was on June 26th. I am on cast #1 (pointed toe) and am anxious for it to heal. Having read the thread and the results of rushing things, I will certainly take good time when I eventually reach the PT phase. What scares me is that re-rupture or injury to the other leg happened for some of you.
Even if I reach complete recovery, and everything feels 100%, does that mean I will always have to be fearful that it will happen again? What can I focus on during PT to minimize this risk?
MadWedge
Hello all.
Like everyone else I’m glad I found this forum. It’s been extremely informative.
I ruptured my left achilles tendon playing football. I went to lunge for the ball and heard a load slap/pop. I thought someone had kicked me from behind and actually turned around to have a go at someone but there was no-one there. My weight then shifted onto my left foot and I went down like a sack of spuds! My consultant said that it was unusual for someone my age (22) to rutpture their tendon and put it down to overuse. I was playing football about 3 times a week then and had never had any achilles problems before!
The only confusing thing I have been told so far is the recovery time. My consultant first said that it’ll be 6 months before I can walk properly without a limp, 12 months before I can do distance running again and up to 18 months before I can do activities involving twisting and turning of the ankle (football, badminton etc). Then when my cast came off the registrar said it’ll be 6 months before I can play football again!! Thats a big difference in time (a year!!). I’m more inclined to believe the consultant cos he gets paid more!! I think I’ll just take it a day at a time!
I had surgery on Tue 5th April and was in various casts for 8 weeks (every two weeks my foot was adjusted closer to 90 degrees and re-cast). I’ve had one PT session so far have have been given a dorsiflexion exercise to do where I hook a towel round my foot and try and stretch my foot up as far as I can and hold it for about a min. I do this for 10 reps 3 times a day.
I have also been told I can start using a static cycle but I have yet to try this so cannot comment on how effective this is.
It also benefits me that a mate of mine is a physiotheropist. He has said a good exercise to do is to put your foot on some bathroom scales and to try and push to get to 7 stone. I have done this a couple of times and it started off painful but is getting better. The aim is to not hold it at 7 stone but more pulse on and off to that weight.
I have my next physio appointment in a couple of weeks whereby I should be able to start doing some weight bearing exercises although I can more or less walk around with just one crutch now. I can also put full weight on my left foot when standing still although not too often as I dont want to rush things and it is still very tight!
Hopefully in about 4/5 months i’ll be more or less back to normal!
Good luck all. And remeber not to rush things!
Adam
beagle
I tore my right achilles tendon on April 27, 2005. I was hitting a tennis ball around a little. Nothing aggressive, just casual play. Surgery was performed on April 29,2005. I’m now in my 6th week of recovery. For the first 10 days I wore a “splint” cast, non-weight bearing. This is a cast that is not the conventional type. It is like a splint that covered the top of my foot and up the shin to just below the knee and also the bottom of the foot, up the heel and then covering the calf. It was thoroughly wrapped in a tensor bandage. It almost drove me insane because I hate to be confined and this thing felt very claustrophobic. I ended up having one major panic attack because of it. I think taking Tylenol 3 exacerbated the situation as Tylenol 3 is notorious for causing constipation. On May 09, 2005 the splint cast was removed and I’m now wearing a walking boot with a 2 inch heel riser insert. I must wear this for no less than 12 weeks. It interesting that most of the posters on the forum here said they had to wear a regular cast for several weeks and were not allowed to put weight on the foot. Anyways, I’m glad I’m wearing a walking boot and not full non-removable cast. Over this period of time, the heel riser thickness will be reduced until my foot is in the normal position (toes not pointed down). I get around, but just barely. I often use my crutches. I say barely because after a very short period of walking, usually with crutches for added support, my foot begins to throb. Swelling and edema are chronic. I’m getting massage therapy 3 times a week. This has been a big help as it helps to deal with circulation and the lymphatic system.
Here is a list of positives and negatives of my ordeal to date:
Positives:
1.It’s a walking boot so I can remove it anytime I want. I can air my foot out and get some relief from wearing the cumbersome heavy boot all the time.
2. Because the walking boot allows me to put weight on the foot I can take showers, making sure I wrap my leg up in plastic. Baths are another story!
3.The incision appears to be healing properly, just a little redness.
4.This week I will be 1/2 way through having to wear my walking boot.
5.Physio starts in a week or 2
Negatives:
1. considerable swelling and edema
2. must wear the boot while sleeping
3. very fatigued because I’m not getting any exercise whatsoever
4.cannot drive my car
5. full recovery(if there is such a thing) will be evident sometime around Christmas or early in the new year. That makes
about 8-10 months
6.activities have been terribly restricted due to fatigue, body stiffness,and limited mobility
7.having to take sleeping medication to make sure I don’t wake up in the middle of the night
8.Foot throbs at different times of the day
Concerns:
1.the length of time for recovery
2.given the ‘innocence’ of the activity I was engaged in when I tore my achilles tendon I’m fearful that my left achilles tendon might pop as well
3.fearful that there may be persistent chronic pain, or limited range of motion
4.fearful that I’ll have a permanent limp
5.fearful of a recurrence
Hope this information has been helpful and good luck with your recovery
Beagle
twotimes
34 YR Male
I exercise 4-5 times a weeks using weights, basketball and football
I tore my right Achilles Tendon on 1/9/01. I had surgery on 1/16/01. I was in a cast for 6 weeks and on crutches. 6 weeks post OP I was using a walking brace. I started PT immediately following the removal of my cast. 8 weeks post OP I was biking on a stationary bike without my brace and minor walking. 10 weeks post OP I was doing leg presses with a brace and seated calve raises without a brace. 12 weeks post OP I was using a 1/2′ heel with normal shoes. By 4/17/01 ( 4 months) I was walking the treadmill at a 4.2 rate and leg pressing 200 lbs 15 times. On month later I was jogging on the treadmill at 5.5 (so this was 5 months post OP). By six months I was playing 3 on 3 basketball and squating with 315.
That’s the good news !!
Unfortuantely – 4 weeks ago (May 10, 2005) I tore my LEFT Achilles Tendon. I hope to have the same speedy recovery time. I get off crutches tomorrow and into a walking boot for 4 weeks. I hope to start PT next week. I’ll be pushing my doctor for an agressive rehab.
Just thought I share some good news on getting back to your sport of choice by 6 months. I plan getting back to basketball and football by November
jz9520
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28male
Hello all,
i made a daily diary for my re-ruptured ATR. From the date of this posting, i am on my 7th week. hope this helps in understanding this kind of injury.
here is the link..
http://www.marfell.me.uk/nuke/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=403&sid=875b19618b8cbc837cc8e9e8060f6156
AnnP
Re driving queries,I started driving for short distances at the end of week 8, by this time I was walking with one crutch(had cast off at week 7)Found using the clutch quite a good non weight bearing exercise used handbrake a lot,hard to hold car steady on clutch alone,found I was using thigh to push clutch in rather than pushing foot to pointy position at first.At 12 weeks now and driving easily.
Mr. Disheartened
Hello to all . I am glad to have found this forum and been able to read your experiences with this annoying injury .
I am 44 years old and a very athletic man who spends many hours weight training and stretching . On Sunday 4/17/05 I ruptured my left achilles tendon while chasing down a fly ball hit during a softball practice. It felt like I was shot and I immediately went down. For all the training and properly performed stretching I do ,I’m totally shocked that this happened to me,especially since it occured 40 minutes into this practice . My surgery was on 4/20 and I was immediately placed in a hard case which my surgeon told me will be replaced with another one on 5/20 with a slight change in the position of the foot. While I realize everyone has different pain tolerance levels I must say I never experienced pain when it happened or since the surgery . I had hoped this would translate to a quicker rehab and recovery to work/ physical activity but after reading these posts I am discouraged about my injury. I am a UPS driver who neeeds to be able to carry pkgs and otherwise perform his job fully before I’m permitted to return to work . My doctor wrote on my disability paperwork that my estimated time out of work would be 3 months but from what I’m reading here I wonder if he’s a brilliant surgeon or insane. If posters find it difficult to walk or fully straighten their leg in 8-10 weeks,how can he think I’m driving a clutch and carrying/delivering all day .My next appointment is on 5/20 and I now have a ton of questions for him. I must add at the risk of running on too much that I had to have my left foot operated on in Sept 2003 for a bunion problem and a previously undetected bone fracture that healed improperly. The surgery required bone removal and slight restructing with insertation of a pin and a screw. Since the surgery I am pain free but totally unable to flex or move my big toe either up or down. I believe he severed the ligament or tendon that is on the top of the big toe prohibiting my ability to flex it. After reading about cause and effects of achilles tendon ruptures ,I discovered that plantar fascitis(which I periodically suffer from ) and a lack of flexibilty in the big toe joint or ball joint(which I’ve had since the Sept 03 surgery) adds to a tight heel which leads up to a greated tendency for achilles tendonitis and ultimately rupture. This seems to me to be something my podiatrist should have mentioned to me knowing I play sports as often as I do . Thanks for reading -any comments would be appreciated and hope you all heal quickly .
Cg3
Hello, I ruptured my achilles tendon about 5
weeks ago. It happened during a basketball game and I felt no pain. I had surgery four weeks ago and Im now in a walking boot. I was told that after six weeks I would be able to walk again. My question is how long did it take before you all started driving?
The injury happened on my right leg? how long did it take for you to be able to move without crutches. When did you destroy your crutches
MattR
I suffered a complete Achilles rupture in my left ankle on March 03rd playing Squash. I was diagnosed straight-away, both at the leisure centre and also at the hospital. I had surgery on March 09th. I was in a temporary pointed cast for 1 week, then placed in a proper pointed cast for 5 weeks, then a further two weeks in a slightly less pointed cast. I have had my neutral cast put on today and will remain in this cast for 1 week. This will mean a total of 9 weeks in plaster since the operation.
I have yet to speak to either my doctor or the physio about what’s involved so I need some advise.
What should I be expecting in terms of a physio schedule? I assume that I’ll have some daily exercise or stretching to do, but how often and for how long will I need to actually visit the physio?
Also, will I be able to drive satright away? My left ankle is required to operate my manual clutch pedal.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Medieval
Hi. I’m very happy to have found a forum for this injury. I keep hearing of “other people” who know “other people” to whom this has happened but haven’t actually been able to talk to anyone first hand.
Well, here’s my story to add to the list.
I first ruptured my left achillies tendon on January 10th 2005. I do medieval reenactments, heavy weapons combat. I had open sugical repair and 7 weeks in a solid cast. My doctor took the last cast off and sent me on my way with some excersices to do(no physical therapy). 4 days later it poped again. I assume I pushed it too hard and too fast. I had my second surgery on March 12th 2005. This one involved harvesting tendon from farther up the achillies where it is wider and using it to “cover” the gap in my tendon. I am now 7 weeks into what my doctor is calling “at least 12 weeks of solid cast”. This time he wants me to do 6 weeks of physical therapy after my solid cast is removed.
Has anyone else had problems with their good leg during recovery? My right achillies has been a little painful during recovery. I’m assuming this is due to overuse. I live in a second floor apartment and have to do a lot of stair climbing with crutches.
AnnP
Hi D’girl
You seem to have been in plaster longer than is usual these days, Iam at week 9 and walking slowly with 2 gel heel lifts in my trainers.have a look at http://www.stoneclinic.com/achilles at the rehabilitation protocol,look at weeks 3-8 and speak to your physio.Don’t worry you will start to move on pretty quickly once you get that foot down with lift support.
duffgirl
Im a 19 year old female long jumper and I ruptured my achilles tendon in my first competition this season(9/january/2005). I had no tendonitis trouble beforehand, it just snapped as I was on the runway. I had surgery within the next week and had a cast on for 11 weeks. I am now just one week into my physiotherapy and have full range of motion back but cant actually walk on it. Finding bending my knee while keeping my heel on the ground a complete terror. Was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on this to help me any little bit.
AnnP
Joined: Apr 04, 2005
Posts: 3 Posted: 2005-04-18 19:23
For anyone on crutches who can bend at the knee and can afford to buy what I can only describe as a scooter that you kneel on so your hands are free with no need for crutches see http://www.walk-aid.co.uk. The mobility and freedom it is giving me with my Achilles Rupture is worth every penny of the £235 it cost.
_________________
Hi All,
Like mostIhave had to research all over the place for any useful info.Story so far.
18th feb total rupture achilles tendon 40 mins into a step class.Iam 46& try to keep fit have never had problems before, it was totally out of the blue.
joetong
I am so glad to have found this forum. I hope that I can share in the experiences here and receive some advice from others with the same injury.
I’m 31 years old and last week suffered a complete rupture of the left achilles tendon approximately 2.3cm from the heel while playing basketball. I had a open surgical repair of the tendon after two days and have now spent 5 days in a hard removable breathable brace. There is absolutely no discomfort or pain but I want to find the most aggressive rehabilitation which improves the speed and possibility of full recovery in strength and flexibility without increasing the risk of a re-rupture.
I have been reading that some doctors have recommended either unloaded movements and even partial weight-bearing movements in physiotherapy as little as 2 weeks after surgery, even though most doctors conservatively start such post-op treatment after about 6 weeks of immobilization. The risk of rerupture with unloaded movement is quite low but does not do much for muscle atrophication. Partial weight-bearing is very aggressive and in some small studies have significantly speeded up complete recovery to full pre-injury levels.
I was wondering if anyone has experience with early movement exercises and physio with either unloaded or partial weight-bearing before the usual 6 week recommended immobilization.
Again, thank you for everyone ahead of me who shared on this page.
sdishman
Here is an update of my long road to recovery. I am now close to 6 months post op(10/11) and there is more recovery to go.
I did Phy Therapy approx 2-3 times per week from the end of Nov till end of Jan. At the suggestion of my PT, I stopped going doing the month of Feb. Up through Jan my progress was good and I would say I was approx 80% of former capabilties, good range of motion, walking with no pain but weak by the end of a day. But here is were I have plateaued. Note that my Doctor warned me that the last 10% of recovery can take from 6 to 24 months but being the optimist I assumed 6 months. I have a treadmill and started trying to go past 3 mph but started having more pain and stiffness. I went back to PT and they suggested alternating days on and off (to allow healing) my treadmill, doing more stretching execrcises like toe lifts, and going longer on the treadmill 30-45 minutes on my on days. I still have the pain and stiffness on my walking days and am going to review with my Doctor next week.
Regarding the therapist wanting info from your doctor, mine asked the same thing, but explained that this was because different doctors want rehab to be done different ways or using different “protocols”. Some Doctors prescibe or lean to strength over mobility and vis versa.
Pete in Sussex
Good site is http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/achilles-tendonitis-pt1.htm.
there are 4 articles in the series which are worth looking at.
Good luck
jack275
Wow I was thinking I was alone. I tore my achilles tendon Octonber 19, 2004 playing basketball and had surgery October 21, 2004. I am currently on month number 5 of rehab. I can tell you you will not be ready at 5 months to return to sports. I have the bigger tendon issue and the lump small one and my leg still hurts. I can walk without the limp but only after my leg has warmed up. I can even slow jog and lift up on my tiptoes but this injury should be taken seriously don’t rush the rehab or you’ll be back on those miserable crutches and walking boot. I’m hoping by month 7 I will be without pain.
hopalong
HI
Thank god I’VE FOUND A FORUM FOR THIS TOPIC…im interested in passing on my story and getting feedback from others.
I first ruptured my achillies in May 2004 flaying soccer….5 weeks in a cast followed by 4 weeks in a walker i started my phsio….things seemed to be going well…and I was almost ‘back to normal’ after 5 more weeks….then “bang’ it went again…..9 more weeks in cast/walker resulted in a withered leg and no strength.
Its been 4 months since then and things are still very sore…i have limited strength in my leg but things are getting better….no one to date has told me how long it will be before i walk without pain….or a limp.
I’m angry at the doctors for not explaining to me the process and spelling out for me how long this process would last.
robby17
I am an athletic therapy student and am trying to research the rehabilitation that goes into an achilles tendon rupture. I’m wondering if any of you can give some insight into what kinds of things you are doing in therapy and what things they are telling you not to do. I haven’t been able to find any really good research on this topic.
elampson
I ruputed my achilles on September 28th and had surgury Septebmer 30th. It has been a long process I wanted to see if I could correspond with you and compare your progress to mine, I am currently about 3 months and 1 week post surgery, I can walk, have good range of motion, but have paine and achilles swells often
On 2004-09-18 04:59, joanslam wrote:
i torn my achilles tendon the end of July. i went to see a chinese bonesetter for more than two weeks before i consulted an orthopedics to find out that in fact i had a complete rupture. so, immediately, i was advised to get a surgery. so now, it’s been 5 weeks since the operation and am on a cast. was advised that i can take off the cast by end of next week and from there onwards, i will need to go thru 6 weeks of physiotherapy. as i am quite concerned how long it will take for a complete recovery but at the same time, i would want to take time to make sure my leg will function as well as it used to be, i want to see if there is anyone in this forum who had the same injury and could advise me on issues i need to watch out during this upcoming rehab period.
Also, there is a small lump found near the incision area which the doctor said it will go away “completely” in a few months. he gave me a name of it “fibr..” but i don’t remember what it’s called. i wish to find out if it is normal or if it’s some sort of complications that will stay with me forever.
i will deeply appreciate if anyone who can provide me with some insights how to deal with the following weeks to come. many thanks.
JL
[/quote]
[email protected]
[I ruptured achilles tendon , same one, twice as well, second rupture came only two weeks after having cast removed that had been worn for six weeks after surgery. Don’t push things too quickly.]
On 2004-11-02 01:37, atlphl04 wrote:
all recovery experiences shared in this post are in line with what i’ve experienced for my achilles tendon rupture…the first time. if any of you are still active in any way (‘weekend warrior’, sporadic sprinting/bursts of speed), i would encourage you to (a) give yourself ample time to stretch prior — even if you’re playing a round of golf (b) add 3 more months to your initial recovery period before contemplating going full tilt. my second rupture (on the same ankle) occurred 3 years after my first (happened this past sept). doctors claimed that poor healing/circulation was the cause of re-rupture. the incision area of my first rupture did become infected and was treated with cephlex rx. if you are unfortunate enough to have this happen twice, the second time will require much more recovery time – 12 wks hard cast (6 wk pointed/6 wk neutral), walking boot for 8 wks, followed by 4 wks rehab. quick healing to all.
[/quote]
Injured climber
I’m interested in other’s experiences. I am about 10 weeks post op from a complete achilles rupture repair and the repaired tendon is at least 3 times the size of my non-injured tendon.
Curious if this is expected for most and if the size will reduce with time? Also, is bigger better in this case?
Thanks
Injuryupdate
Ouch!
Some good info on tendon injuries at:
http://www.injuryupdate.com.au/issues/aprotinin_injections.php
Outlines a ‘new’ drug Aprotinin coming into favour over cortisone, also some good tendon rehab links.
Cheers
TrackWarrior
Stumbled across this site purely by accident, cannot find anything except prevention – nothing for post total rupture rehabilitation,etc.
I had tendinitis pretty bad in early ’89 (age 24) and received a steroid injection into the tendon (if only I knew then what I know now!) which crystallised and ended in total rupture in th middle of a pole vault comp.
Immediate surgey (<12 hours) and rehab but never got back into sport (mainly due to kids arriving and work and depression – over injury).
Been plagued with perpetual pain and a tendon that is 4 times as wide as the normal one, every attempt at sport ends up with incredibly sore achilles (also at the insertion of the heel) – not sharp pain just dull ache and the depression that comes with it (boys are now 14/17 and into sport and they don’t believe I could ever sprint, hurdle, high jump, long jump and pole vault).
What a relief just to be able to pour out as no one takes you seriously at all even if I can find no valuable info).
Steve (UK)
atlphl04
all recovery experiences shared in this post are in line with what i’ve experienced for my achilles tendon rupture…the first time. if any of you are still active in any way (‘weekend warrior’, sporadic sprinting/bursts of speed), i would encourage you to (a) give yourself ample time to stretch prior — even if you’re playing a round of golf (b) add 3 more months to your initial recovery period before contemplating going full tilt. my second rupture (on the same ankle) occurred 3 years after my first (happened this past sept). doctors claimed that poor healing/circulation was the cause of re-rupture. the incision area of my first rupture did become infected and was treated with cephlex rx. if you are unfortunate enough to have this happen twice, the second time will require much more recovery time – 12 wks hard cast (6 wk pointed/6 wk neutral), walking boot for 8 wks, followed by 4 wks rehab. quick healing to all.
joanslam
Hi, i am surprised you can start moving your foot in circular movement so soon. is it ok?! i finally completed 6 weeks of casting and 5~6 weeks of physiotherapy. now i am allowed to go on “full-weight bearing” on the injured leg. and i have this lump on the incision area. did you have one? the mended tendon is so much thicker than that on the uninjured leg. it’s not very good looking. what kind of exercises are you instructed to do?! just measured to have gotten back full range of motion of the foot and so now, i need to focus on strengthening & proprioceptive exercises, but i have yet to find out what those mean…hope to hear from you soon.
sdishman
I joined the total torn achilles club on Oct 10, was diagonosed correctly immediately, had surgery on Oct 11th. I had a cast for two weeks, came off on tuesday, and now have a “Pheumatic Walker” boot that has spacers in the heel that places my foot at a less of an angle than with the cast. I am allowed to take the boot off and move my foot in circular motion. I was told that the major concern during the first four weeks is the skin and risk of infection or not healing.
joanslam
thank you for sharing your experience. i have now started physio by now and have done it a couple of times already. the first two sessions were very painful, but the pain actually helped me to get away the numbness on the feet. and so by this fourth session, i can walk without the crutches indoor if i really want to. but then, the therapist also advised me not to do so too much too soon. i am also being apprehensive about exerting pressure on the foot too soon, so i am trying to be careful- get the foot moving somewhat but at the same time being watchful for not overdoing it. the progress seems satisfactory, but as i also note it from you, i should suppose a longer recovery period than i was told. and thanks for the tips about treating of the lump. i’ll try to see if the doc and therapist can do anything about it. apparently, they did not seem to be able to offer any medicine that can help reduce the size of it…
Best wishes to your recovery, too.
rgd,
JL
jburkhart
i tore my achilles aug 1, was originally misdianosed, then had surgury aug 6. was in a pointed toe cast for 2 weeks, neutral position cast for 2 weeks, now have had removable cast for 4 weeks. all non-weight bearing. started gentle physio exercises at 4 weeks. these are: gentle ankle rotations, and towel-assisted stretches – side to side, and gently pulling the toes back. both the doctor and my physiotherapist repeatedly stressed GENTLE, and NO PAIN. my calf muscle has severely atrophied, which is depressing, but i’d rather have the tendon heal properly first, and focus on strengthening later. i see the doctor this week, and anticipate he will say continue to walk with crutches, but gradually introduce SOME weight. my physiotherapist estimates complete recover by the end of december (5 months). i’ve been doing quite a bit of research, and this approach seems both documented and conservative, but then, i have had a history of achilles tendonitis, delayed surgury, and am heavier, so perhaps those are reasons for the added caution. as for the lump on your achilles, i had something similar for 4 years prior to this injury. i was told that it was scar tissue that had formed when i partially tore my achilles 5 years prior. it often became swollen and sore after exercise. ask your doctor if you can do gentle stretching exercises (before full weight bearing)to align the tendon fibres as they heal and reduce scar tissue ‘bunching.’
hope this info helps, and good luck with your recovery.
jburkhart