achilles rupture/ no surgery healing

[Omes]

Dom - Anything published yet on the study you took part in?

[TraceyJ]

Hey

How's everybody doing? It's been pretty quiet on the update front recently.

Thought I'd add a quick update at end week 16.

Healed tendon is very slowly stretching back out but still walking pretty slowly and with a limp. I'm also having a lot of problems with inflammation in my lower leg & ankle. It blows up like a balloon some days & not necessarily when I've been on my feet for a prolonged period. I'm doing absolutely everything the Physio has told me to with regard to elevating it regularly (work permitting although I have a desk bound job so it's not like I'm on my feet all day at work) and icing it but doesn't seem to be making much difference. When it's badly inflamed like that my skin is pretty hot to the touch, as though the site is infected, but since I haven't had surgery I don't see how that can be!

Am going to tackle the Physio about it again though as I'm going on holiday to Mexico in 5 weeks time and have an 11 hour flight....plus I'd really like not to be limping by then and to be able to wear flipflops/sandals.

Having said that, I'm definately getting stronger with each week that passes so guess I'm still heading in the right direction.

Hope you're all doing OK with your rehabs

Tracey.

[Omes]

Hi All I hope you're all doing well.

Just a little update from me. A couple of weeks ago went to hospital and did a cybex machine test. This machine tests the strength in the bad leg and compares it to the good leg. I am proud to say I was given the green light to start jogging yippee!! so happy!! Went with my son to his football training last weekend and I was able to run around a bit and kick the ball. People who didn't know me wouldn't know I suffered this horrible injury. I am supposed to jog and not get involved in any contact sports yet. But for me it's a huge step forward in my recovery.

I will be tested again 1st week of October.

Believe, be positive, nurture your body, and smile. The human body can do miracles !

Bye for now !

[Omes]

Hello?

Where is everyone gone??

[TraceyJ]

Hi all,

How is everyone?

A very quick update from me - Had been doing pretty well with the rehab & physio up until last week when I had a bit of a setback :-(

Wasn't doing anything more than pottering around the house one evening, making a hot drink, turned away from the fridge and heard a 'tearing' sound & felt a twinge in the tendon area, not what I'd call pain but definately something.

I had a physio appt early the next morning anyway so just went to bed and went to see the physio the following day. He examined me & said that he thought I may have suffered a partial re-rupture....at which point I burst in to tears as I'm off on holiday to Mexico this coming Sunday and all I could picture was having to go back to square one only this time after surgery!

Went back to see my Orthapedic consultant the following day and he examined the tendon very thoroughly. He concluded that in his opinion the tendon was still good and intact but that what I'd heard/felt was scar tissue that was attached to the tendon.

Obviously this was a huge relief to me but it has set me back a number of weeks as the OC has told me to stop doing any of the physios exercises for a couple of weeks & to go back on to 1 crutch so that I wasn't putting all my weight through my left leg for a couple of weeks. Should be able to start back with the Physio after I get back from my hols.

On a plus note, he said that he was happy for me to get lots of swimming in so that's what I'm intending to do!

Hope you're all doing OK folks?

Tracey

[Rob in Herts]

Hi Everyone,
Just reporting in, I see it's been quiet lately.

It's now 11 months since rupture (playing squash). I saw the Consultant for a check-up this week and he was pleased with progress. He did the Thompson test(squeezed calf) and my left (injured leg) continues to look stronger in the test. He said the leg is still several weeks away from regaining full strength and so no squash or badminton other than a gentle knock-up!

I'm now able to do a gentle jog but haven't tried to run yet. I still have a very slight limp when walking around town but seem to be able to walk perfectly normally with walking boots in fields etc.. I think the limp in town may be partly because I'm still not relaxing my left leg muscles and perhaps I'm more confident with walking boots - I tend to clench my toes on my left foot in town/around house.

Anway bottom line is that I can do most things I was doing pre-injury except for racket sports.

Rob

[fasteddie]

Anyone here have any techniques on how to get the thickness of the tendon down?

[Omes]

Massage across rather than length of tendon and give it time. It should improve with time but remember the thickness is the healing part of the tendon.

[raronz]

Hi all,

Been a while, I see it's been a bit quiet here anyhow. I'd guess I'm about 5.5 months out from my rupture now something like that.

I've been away from physio for about a month been on my own. We've had a concept 2 rower here at home for ages never used it, I've taken to it over the last week and a bit and rowed pretty much every day. I do about 20 mins at the moment, ATR leg feels pretty good it's my good leg that's a bit tight and sore though. Must be getting worked pretty hard, I've been focusing on stretching both legs and warming up thoroughly for the last few days. I can jog and run at a reasonable pace but that tends to swell the tendon pretty good, so for now I'm indoor rowing and I find it great. Lost 1kg or 2 in just over a week to so that's a bonus.

Tendon still swells on the odd occasion and it is much bigger then my other side, although range of motion is good and if I put my foot flat on the floor and try to touch the wall with my knee I get basically the same distance with both legs. If anything it's a bit more flexible, I can touch my toes easier on the ATR side. I presume this has to do with it tearing and rejoining to the calf muscle, it probably literally is a little bit longer. Calf muscle on ATR side is still far from normal, I'm estimating probably another 12 months to get it anything like my good leg, although it's not really effecting anything anymore. I try when I walk etc to put as much weight on my ATR foot as possible on purpose to give it a workout and save my god leg from becoming overworked and tired.

Going away for a long weekend tomorrow so will see if it swells up, it hasn't swelled up to any great extent in about a month so be a good test. Saw Doc this week and he said it's fine healing well, scar tissue and swelling can continue for 2-3 years so nothing unusual. Also met a guy who had ruptured both achilles, he works on a vineyard and does pretty physical labor plays rugby etc, says they still swell up years after so seems pretty common that it'll be like that for a while.

Overall reasonably happy, I kind of got sick of the whole process and stopped working on it for a while. Then I just got annoyed and said bugger it I'm going to get this back into shape so ever since I made that conscious decision things have been going well.

Will post back more regularly now on.

Hope everyone is well on their way.

[Safa76]

Hi guys...

Hope you don't mind a newbie jumping in...

I partially ruptured my right Achilles tendon playing football. I think it was mainly due to the two footed challenge from behind which caused the main injury although I was feeling pain in the region before playing and had the Achilles strapped up.

When the injury happened I didn't think i had ruptured the Achilles as I could still walk and only had the pain from the tackle impact. I immediately iced the area on and off for next two weeks as there was considerate swelling in my calf and ankles, making me think I had twisted my ankle as well. I was able to walk pretty well a few days after with the ankle strapped up and continued to think it was still an impact/twisted injury. Once the swelling subsided and I was still walking with a limp I thought it may be a little more serious. I could only walk short distances before tiring and had no strength in my calf. It about 3 weeks after the initial injury, sitting on the couch with my leg across the other, I tried to tense my calf and saw a small hole/gap in my Achilles tendon. I searched on the internet and everything pointed to a rupture of some sort. I was still pretty much painless but did tire too quickly. I had a doctor friend of mine do the Thompson test and he confirmed the rupture.

I went straight to the hospital and after diagnosis and scans confirming again a tear across half of the tendon I was put in a cast with my foot pointing down at an angle for 5 weeks. The doctor said to take the more conservative route as it was only a tear and not a full rupture. This was non weight bearing. After the 4 weeks I went back and the doctor was pretty impressed with the healing and put me in a CamWalker boot, going straight to 90 degrees. I couldn't quite make the full 90 degree's but it was close enough. I was in this for another 4 weeks. When the 4 weeks were up I went back again for a check up. Again the doctor seemed very happy with the healing and allowed me home again in the boot for another 4 weeks, this time at the full 90 degrees and also to begin slight weight bearing building up to walking. The first week with my crutches and by the end of the 4 weeks, still in my boot but walking with a cane.

I am now out of the boot and the doctor has said i can begin walking in trainers and only on flat surfaces. Get in!!

How did it feel taking those first steps again after so long off ??

I feel like i'll never walk properly again as it feels very weak and limp still...


Any advice out there ??


Cheers Safa