Rest- Try to walk as little as possible, even if you’ve been fitted with a walking boot. If possible walk with crutches to reduce or eliminate weight bearing.
Ice- Use an ice pack for 20 minutes every two to three hours during the first 72 hours.
Compression- Use an ace wrap on the ankle. Start at the bottom of the toes and wrap up to the knee.
Elevation- Keep the injured ankle above the level of your heart when sitting or lying down.
32 comments:
I am 2 days after surgery and have two questions, maybe you can tell me about it?
1- when being very long with the elevated foot and walk (w/crutches), i feel this blood ruch to the leg, and then it is numb again as with the knee block, ants running all around....
2- when walking on crutches, or washing hands I don´t know how to leave the foot/leg hang, if bend it from the knee forward or to the back. i have the feeling I do some strength I shouldn´t be doing which could affect the tendon. Does this happen to you??
3- is moving the toes bad? I avoid it, but don´t know if could help the circulation or affect the tendon somehow?
thank you,
chris
Hi Chris,
yes it does hurt to walk right after elevating--that will dissipate as the wound heals. I don't think there is anything you can do about that, except to not have it "unelevated" for too long...
I personally crutched with my foot behind me, because in case the crutch slips (on water or ice) you will go down on your knee and fall forward rather that accidently put sudden weight on your injured side (which you don't want to do at this stage of healing). Also, you will have to have your weight forward and foot out of the way to climb stairs (you definitely want to fall forward rather than back on stairs).
Moving the toes is fine--that's what I did a lot to keep the circ. going in my foot. I don't think it affects the tendon as that is isolated and protected.
Hope this helps. I am two months post-op and excited to walk on it again tomorrow (doc appt.)
Good luck!
Maya
Hi Maya....
thank you very much for your hints. you are right, better to bend the knee behind in case of falling, I just feel I am doing too much strenght and will re-tear, maybe just paranoid that i am !
Tell me how was your doc´s appointment, after 2 months that means you are free of crutches?
when is it "save" to go out for the first time? I have been almos 1 week at home and am soooo bored...
At least I am only missing some cold winter days in Michigan :)
By,
Chris
hi chris,
if it's icy out and blizzarding you probably don't want to crutch around outside, but I was going out 2 days after my surgery ...wherever you are though, try to put the foot up.
if you have an automatic i say get out now!! i have a stick-shift so try TWO months of being bored, except for when i could get a ride somewhere (i'm finally just going to rent a car for these last 4 weeks until i'm in real shoes again)
The crutches are GONE :] except this bledsoe boot (with 4 heel wedges in it) is like wearing a 5 inch high heel shoe (yuck). just glad to have the cast off though!
take care,
Maya
It is four weeks and one day since surgery. Surgery was performed about 36 hours after the rupture took place.
The first few post op days and nights were extremely uncomfortable. I had a cast with an open front to allow for expansion from swelling. I cut the fabric in the front and removed the cast after the first few days. This allowed me to replace it whenever I was intending to be mobile by re- applying the long tensor bandage when I put it on. Two days post op I returned to work which included flying one hour flights twice per week and working in satellite office two days per week. After 10 days (first follow up post op) the doc replaced the cast with a boot which was fixed with a significant down angle on my foot. I use this boot whenever I have to travel or drive my car but never in the house and never when I elevate my foot (which is whenever possible.)I am extremely careful at all times about accidentally putting my foot down or in a weight bearing situation however I have been gently flexing whatever muscles will respond in my foot and calf since about the end of the first ten days. I started this because I was apalled at the speed at which my calf muscles were atrophying. This has stopped completely now and my calf is not nearly as floppy and saggy as it was becoming.
Tomorrow I am having my second post-op visit and am hoping that the doc allows for an adjustment to 90 degrees so that I can try some real (but light) weight bearing.
At this point, I have swelling only when I really over do it and neglect to elevate for 6 hours or more. The surgery scar is near disappearing other than a well healed (and well heeled) red line about six to seven inches long.
I have been massaging my calf and gently massaging around the wound quite a lot in the last ten days or so and it really seems to help get rid of that pins and needles stuff and all of the other weird lumpy numb feelings in my foot. I will report back in 10 to 15 days. I am a 56 year old male in reasonable health.
hi
i am a 47 year old physician, ruptured AT while playing tennis, surgery 2 days post injury, now 30 days post op, have on a boot NWB, using crutches , have no discomfort if leg is down, althoung keep elavted when ever possible, seeing my Ortho next week, to progress to WB, although minimally, just printed a good post op protocol from acanadian workers comp recomendations, it is a slow procees, from prev posting I am glad that it is not winter. foot has some swelling, lightly massaging/ elevation. at what point did anyone out there walk w/out crutches, is using a cane helpful?
rajiv
Hi all , i am 4 weeks post op after rupturing a/t playing footy, was in cast for 2 weeks 2 days, then chose not to have cast on as i wanted to be able to have some sort of movement, doc said this was fine as long as i dont put any weight on it or over stretch it,have just today put some sort of weight on foot wearing a trainner and heel raises, feels really weird to be able to do that but will slowly at more weight over the next few days, will keep updating over next few days.
Elv
Hi, I'm a true 39yr old with a story and then questions. I ruptured my AT while pushing out a stuck truck.I heard the pop and felt the tremendous pain,so I went to the family Dr the next day. He hardly looked at it and said go ahead and walk on it and if it doesnt get any better we'll schedule an MRI. After the weekend I felt that it improved so i went back to work(bricklayer). I didnt want to seem like a wimp. A month later I was worried that there could be permanent damage being done so i got an MRI.The next day at work, my Dr called and said "this is borderline catastrophe being a month out-surgery tomorrow morning" It all went good and I sit here 5 days later wondering when I can actually go back to work to support my family.Any feedback?
Hi Jeff your Dr sounds like i dick head for sending you away to walk on it, anyway i am 5 weeks post op now and am able to walk small distances with the one cruch and no shoe, tendon is still very stiff in the ( toes pointing up position) this is what i will be working on with physio as from next week,
Jeff if you had a full rupture you prob wont be able to work until around 3 months even then you'll need to be carefull, ive not been working now for over 6 weeks, i feel for ya..
Elv
Hello eveyone. I am 3 days post op and I too am bored. I am a very active person who just finished the LA marathon in March so not being able to get out and run or just getting out is very frustrating. But I am being very careful because I want a full recovery. I hope to be back to work in a week and a half.
Jesse
I am two weeks post op after rupturing my achilles tendon. Can anyone give me information on what to expect when I start putting pressure on it and going to physical therapy? I heard it is very strange when you first put some pressure on it. Next week I get to put 25% to 50% pressure. I am excited but also scared. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Hi Chris I know how boring your life seems right now,but it will get better. All of your feelings are normal. Keep your foot behind you when standing just in case you would fall forward.I feel,being 8 weeks post surgery that you can start moving your toes and foot after the first week or so.I was constantly flexing my foot.I called it "aggressive healing" My dr. kinda shook his head but now he is amazed how well it has healed,and that I have some muscle tone in my calf.You are gonna crap when you see the flab on your calf when you are able to start walking on it.It is very weak.Good luck
Jeff
HI I'm Joe,35 y/o, and completely ruputured my Achilles playing softball 7 weeks ago. I initially did some light calf stretches, but my old high top cleats I was wearing prevented me from getting a good stretch. I got Achilles tendonitis in both heels that begain in the first inning and progressively worsened throughout the game. I was having difficult running but decided to push through. In the seventh inning, I was on 3rd base and took off to run home when I fell. I didn't hear a lound noise and felt only a moderate amount of pain. I knew immediately that it was my Achilles. The doctor said it was common among males from 30 to 40 years of age due to a lack of blood supply to a specific region of the tendon. However, I am not quite the "weekend warrior" type. Two weeks prior, I played softball with my regular tennis shoes and didn't feel any tendonitis. Just a week prior, I was doing calf presses in the gym with 400 lbs. In my case, I would swear that my tight footwear pushed inward on both tendons creating the tendonitis and ultimately the rupture in my left. I feel like the right one can go anyday now and my doctor prescribed me a gel for it. I'm 4 weeks post op and still in the orignial splint my doctor gave me. At 2 weeks post op, my doctor had given me my option between the splint and the boot. I took both home so I could decide myself. The boot was certainly more fashionable and more supportive, but I couldn't slide my pants over it without taking it off. I also found it very heavy and bulky and had difficulty sleeping because of it. A day later, I was back in my light-weight splint. Does anyone see a problem with this or have any words of wisdom?
Hi Joe,
you should have no problem in your splint, i wore nothing after i took of my cast after 2 1/2 weeks from op,just keep stretching toes up and down,and try do some calf raises slowly to try build up your calf muscle, i am now 14 weeks post op walking with slight limp, started walking without crutches at 6 weeks,start physio this week.
wish you well and dont force it.
Elv
I ruptured my achilles during a flag football game, and I am about 10 days after surgery. I was going down my stairs with crutches, but I sliped on the 2nd to last step and fell, I landed temporary on my bad side, on my toes and quickly rolled over. I am worried I could have injured the area repaired. I don't feel any pain like I did when I first hurt it...I talked to my doctor on the phone and she said just take advil to help the swelling...Does anyone think I have something to worry about? Like re injury?
I am 6 weeks out of surgery and wondering realistically when I can start running/exercising again. Has anyone resumed muay thai kickboxing after a rupture?
HI I'm Danny, 36 y/o. I also completely ruptured my Achilles. I was playing Volley Ball, after quickly changing directions from backing up to moving forwards, I felt a shock just above my ankle, I thought someone had stepped on my heel but no one was near me. As in Joe's case I feel that my old footwear had a part to play in my injury. Although painful at first I was able to walk fairly well with my foot sticking out sideways. I consulted a family doctor the next day. After doing the Thomson test he saw movement in the toes and assumed it wasn’t the Achilles, he thought it was a minor tendon that was injured and it would heal by itself. After 2 weeks of things not getting better and not having a full range of motion in my foot I decided to go to the emergency room (only way to have access to specialized doctors in Canada) The emergency Dr. after doing some manual tests still wasn’t convinced it was the Achilles, he scheduled an ultra sound for the next day, then it was confirmed, a complete tear. By the time I got operated it had been 3 weeks. Within a few days of the operation I was driving short distances and visiting friends, I always elevated my foot when I arrived somewhere. After 2 weeks post-op got my half-cast/stitches taken off and an adjustable walker boot put on at 20 degrees plantar flexion, I still needed to use crutches. Now I'm 4 weeks post-op, I'm seeing my Dr. in a few days, from what I understand he will set my boot to 90 degrees, afterwards, while still on crutches, I should start to put some weight on my foot.
Here’s some info about the walker boot: it’s heavy, uncomfortable, has a Velcro strap that puts pressure directly on your wound and it's hard to get pants over it, although it’s removable they strongly recommend you don’t. I did take it off after 2 weeks (4 weeks post-op) to take a shower, but I was extremely careful. From what I read here some people were taking their casts off after two weeks and walking around with crutches, which sounds a little risky. If you're given a choice keep a cast until you can walk with the boot, then it’s going to be worth it and at that point taking it off once in a while shouldn’t be a problem.
Danny T
HI I'm Danny, 36 y/o. I also completely ruptured my Achilles. I was playing Volley Ball, after quickly changing directions from backing up to moving forwards, I felt a shock just above my ankle, I thought someone had stepped on my heel but no one was near me. As in Joe's case I feel that my old footwear had a part to play in my injury. Although painful at first I was able to walk fairly well with my foot sticking out sideways. I consulted a family doctor the next day. After doing the Thomson test he saw movement in the toes and assumed it wasn’t the Achilles, he thought it was a minor tendon that was injured and it would heal by itself. After 2 weeks of things not getting better and not having a full range of motion in my foot I decided to go to the emergency room (only way to have access to specialized doctors in Canada) The emergency Dr. after doing some manual tests still wasn’t convinced it was the Achilles, he scheduled an ultra sound for the next day, then it was confirmed, a complete tear. By the time I got operated it had been 3 weeks. Within a few days of the operation I was driving short distances and visiting friends, I always elevated my foot when I arrived somewhere. After 2 weeks post-op got my half-cast/stitches taken off and an adjustable walker boot put on at 20 degrees plantar flexion, I still needed to use crutches. Now I'm 4 weeks post-op, I'm seeing my Dr. in a few days, from what I understand he will set my boot to 90 degrees, afterwards, while still on crutches, I should start to put some weight on my foot.
Here’s some info about the walker boot: it’s heavy, uncomfortable, has a Velcro strap that puts pressure directly on your wound and it's hard to get pants over it, although it’s removable they strongly recommend you don’t. I did take it off after 2 weeks (4 weeks post-op) to take a shower, but I was extremely careful. From what I read here some people were taking their casts off after two weeks and walking around with crutches, which sounds a little risky. If you're given a choice keep a cast until you can walk with the boot, then it’s going to be worth it and at that point taking it off once in a while shouldn’t be a problem.
Danny T
I'm a 34 y/o male and was very active in basketball, martial arts and weight training. I ruptured my achilles two days ago and scheduled for surgery in 4 more days. This was the only time it was available. I've noticed that I was using some of the techniques before I even read the comments but they were all very helpful. My doctor is has good references and told me the procedure he would use, which is splitting the top part of the tendon and overlapping the bottom in the top for more strength and stronger support.
I've never had surgery so a little nervous. My main concern is the injury heals as best as possible and then think about resuming activies. It's been 2 days on crutches and my upper body will definitely get a workout!
Marlon
I'm a 29 year-old male, active in basketball, tennis, cardio exercises in general. I ruptured my Achilles tendon playing basketball last week. I jumped up for a rebound, came down and felt a pop in the back of right foot. It felt like someone kicked me right in the spot and something snapped. It's been 4 days, I've been in a splint since going to Urgent Care on the night of, and my appointment with an Orthopedic surgeon is in 3 days only because that's the only available time.
I have a scheduled trip in two weeks to fly 10+ hrs to Asia, and I'm assuming my doctor will advise strongly against it? Not to mention, I don't know when I'll have my surgery.
I'm 31, tore my right AT the end of March. Waited 2 weeks to have surgery. Splinted after surgery which was removed after 2 weeks. They took the stitches out at that time and put a cast on it. The cast was on for 4 weeks, then just got a walking boot which is pretty nice b/c you can take it off when you want and start stretching my tendon a little. I'm still using crutches although I can gradually putting more weight on it and hopefully be off of crutches by 10 weeks post surgery and out of the boot completely by 12 weeks. As I'm starting to walk with the boot now, I notice a pins and needles feeling on the bottom of my heel...doesn't seem connected to the AT, but maybe from lack of use and supporting weight??? I'm guessing it'll go away as I use it. If anyone has had this symptom, please let me know if it's just temporary.
I asked my doctor about that stinging feeling in the heel and he said it was from the lack of use just as you thought. I only had a couple of days into wearing the walking boot. Good luck.
I got the walking boot this Tuesday and have been gradually putting more and more weight on it. They put 2 heel lifts in the boot and when I got home, I took 1 out because I couldn't feel any stretch of the tendon with 2 in there. I felt a slight stretch with 1 so I left it like that for a day and a half. It really helped because now it doesn't stretch the tendon at all with 1 heel lift so I just took that 1 out too. It's Friday now (3 days after getting the boot and about 6 weeks after surgery) and I am walking w/o crutches pretty well and the pins & needles feeling has gone away. I feel a stretch while wearing the boot w/o any heel lifts but I think that's good because it'll help get my range of motion back faster. I plan on walking w/o crutches a little today and then elevating my foot quite a bit to help any swelling and then gradually do more and more over the next few days. Hope this helps anyone that is wondering about the recovery process!
hello i think i rupture my left achilles om5/19/09 playing basketball what am i lookong forward to. my next doc appt is on the 29 of the month of may and i have a trip monday is traveling on a plane is it safe 3-4 hr flight
tspeasr@aol.com
wrong email address tspeasr@aol.com
right email
tspears24@aol.com
hello i think i rupture my left achilles om5/19/09 playing basketball what am i lookong forward to. my next doc appt is on the 29 of the month of may and i have a trip monday is traveling on a plane is it safe 3-4 hr flight
tspears24@aol.com
hello i think i rupture my left achilles om5/19/09 playing basketball what am i lookong forward to.how is PT and how many hour a day is PT. my next doc appt is on the 29 of the month of may and i have a trip monday is traveling on a plane is it safe 3-4 hr flight
tspears24@aol.com
Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!
I am a 41 year old runner and mother of two young kids. During a fundraiser event, I was part of a Team doing a Sports Challenge - one event was jumping up and down a 2 foot block on both feet. Needless to say I didn't land my 24th jump. Not once did I think that this might not be a good move for me. I'm very fit and active - no problem. NOT! I was convinced that someone hit me from behind, with a baseball. Nevertheless, I had great first aid (the event consisted of community organizations such as the police, firefighters, etc). I got great immediate attention. Once I got to the ER,it was confirmed that I had a complete rupture of my left achilles tendon - surgery was required. No xrays, no MRIs - it was an open and shut case. This happened on Sunday afternoon and I was in surgery Tuesday at noon.
I have now been immobilized in this cast for 8 days and am about chew it off! I am helpless around my children and my husband has been able to tolerate my sleepless nights. It's the itch that never gets that satisfying scratch. Seriously, each day my ass is getting bigger and my muscles are melting into the sofa, bed, chair that I sit on.
I am hoping to get a boot at my next appoint where I attend a cast clinic and get this cast taken off. I have not been told what kind of cast it will be or whether it will be a boot. It's all up in air until my consultation 9 days from now where they will determine my next steps.
My daughter painted my toenails (or shall I say toes and nails) to help brighten my day. It helps just a little. So back to my magazines, books and crap television.Really there is so much garbage on TV but I seem to get sucked into anyway.
I am not sure when my tendon ruptured. I've been dealing with this pain for years and received a MRI last summer and it was only a tear in the tendon. I've been wearing a Ritchie Brace since October. I was hoping to wait until the summer for the surgery but after the 2nd MRI last week my doctor informed me that the tendon was ruptured and I need emergency surgery. I had this surgery on Jan. 31st and I have this hard white cast which I am dying to get off. I have my follow up on Monday, the day after Supper Bowl Sunday so I am praying that they remove this cast. Is that too soon to remove the hard cast?
I ruptured my Achilles 4 weeks ago, I chose the non-surgical repair. I am limited in activity by a torn disk in my back so I am not going to be running,playing sports and I am over 40. I have been in a hard cast for 4 weeks and the only pain I have had since the first week is where the cast rubs on the injury. I went in and complained about the cast rubbing and my dr.s solution was to put a new cast on. Go figure it rubs on my injury as well lol I am now chiseling a piece of the cast off the injury site to get a little relief, 2 more weeks and the hard cast comes off and the walking boot with a heel lift is supposed to go on. I can't wait for this to be over I have been stuck in a chair for 4 weeks, my foot swells and turns blue when I stand up so I am very immobile. The crutches puts my shoulder out, the wheelchair doesn't fit in my house and I can't bend my leg to use enough the knee wheeler. Ugghhhhh I am going absolutely crazy.
Is the experience the same for Tendon Debridement surgery? I see a lot for tendon separation, very little for those of us having elective surgery.
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