Ruptured achilles tendon - recovery and driving
Discussion
Unfortunately I joined the completely ruptured achilles club last week. I was playing squash, around 20 mins in to the game I played a drop shot and felt a whack in the back of my right calf, initially I thought id been hit by my opponent until I realised he was at the back of the court.
I have been seen by the specialist at Addenbrookes hospital who has recommended 8 weeks in an Ossur Rebound Plastic Inflatable Walking boot with wedges in the heel that are gradually removed, the first wedge was taken out yesterday after 1 week which had made my calf start to ache, the second wedge will be removed in 3 weeks leaving the final wedge in for a 4 week period taking me up to the 5th of Jan.
So far the achilles area and calf haven't been to painful until today, more of a calf ache than pain as such but I think this must be a good thing indicating that the calf is attached to some degree.
The biggest issue has been the hard wedge at the bottom of the boot and the sole of my heel which is getting pretty sore from being pressed against the wedge all day. I now get a feeling that I have something stabbing in to the underside of my heel if I stand on it, I have had to check inside the boot and my sock several times but nothing there.
I have been having a bath with the boot removed every day to try and keep it clean but seem to be getting some dead skin between my toes as they aren't getting any much air as the boot is on all day and night. Any ideas on how to stop this would be appreciated!
Apparently I'll be able to play squash again.... not sure how much of a good idea that would be but I would be gutted to think I couldn't play again.
I have been seen by the specialist at Addenbrookes hospital who has recommended 8 weeks in an Ossur Rebound Plastic Inflatable Walking boot with wedges in the heel that are gradually removed, the first wedge was taken out yesterday after 1 week which had made my calf start to ache, the second wedge will be removed in 3 weeks leaving the final wedge in for a 4 week period taking me up to the 5th of Jan.
So far the achilles area and calf haven't been to painful until today, more of a calf ache than pain as such but I think this must be a good thing indicating that the calf is attached to some degree.
The biggest issue has been the hard wedge at the bottom of the boot and the sole of my heel which is getting pretty sore from being pressed against the wedge all day. I now get a feeling that I have something stabbing in to the underside of my heel if I stand on it, I have had to check inside the boot and my sock several times but nothing there.
I have been having a bath with the boot removed every day to try and keep it clean but seem to be getting some dead skin between my toes as they aren't getting any much air as the boot is on all day and night. Any ideas on how to stop this would be appreciated!
Apparently I'll be able to play squash again.... not sure how much of a good idea that would be but I would be gutted to think I couldn't play again.
j80jpw said:
Unfortunately I joined the completely ruptured achilles club last week. I was playing squash, around 20 mins in to the game I played a drop shot and felt a whack in the back of my right calf, initially I thought id been hit by my opponent until I realised he was at the back of the court.
I have been seen by the specialist at Addenbrookes hospital who has recommended 8 weeks in an Ossur Rebound Plastic Inflatable Walking boot with wedges in the heel that are gradually removed, the first wedge was taken out yesterday after 1 week which had made my calf start to ache, the second wedge will be removed in 3 weeks leaving the final wedge in for a 4 week period taking me up to the 5th of Jan.
So far the achilles area and calf haven't been to painful until today, more of a calf ache than pain as such but I think this must be a good thing indicating that the calf is attached to some degree.
The biggest issue has been the hard wedge at the bottom of the boot and the sole of my heel which is getting pretty sore from being pressed against the wedge all day. I now get a feeling that I have something stabbing in to the underside of my heel if I stand on it, I have had to check inside the boot and my sock several times but nothing there.
I have been having a bath with the boot removed every day to try and keep it clean but seem to be getting some dead skin between my toes as they aren't getting any much air as the boot is on all day and night. Any ideas on how to stop this would be appreciated!
Apparently I'll be able to play squash again.... not sure how much of a good idea that would be but I would be gutted to think I couldn't play again.
j80jpw How are you getting on now it’s been a couple of months since your Achilles rupture?I have been seen by the specialist at Addenbrookes hospital who has recommended 8 weeks in an Ossur Rebound Plastic Inflatable Walking boot with wedges in the heel that are gradually removed, the first wedge was taken out yesterday after 1 week which had made my calf start to ache, the second wedge will be removed in 3 weeks leaving the final wedge in for a 4 week period taking me up to the 5th of Jan.
So far the achilles area and calf haven't been to painful until today, more of a calf ache than pain as such but I think this must be a good thing indicating that the calf is attached to some degree.
The biggest issue has been the hard wedge at the bottom of the boot and the sole of my heel which is getting pretty sore from being pressed against the wedge all day. I now get a feeling that I have something stabbing in to the underside of my heel if I stand on it, I have had to check inside the boot and my sock several times but nothing there.
I have been having a bath with the boot removed every day to try and keep it clean but seem to be getting some dead skin between my toes as they aren't getting any much air as the boot is on all day and night. Any ideas on how to stop this would be appreciated!
Apparently I'll be able to play squash again.... not sure how much of a good idea that would be but I would be gutted to think I couldn't play again.
I did mine on 3rd jan - pushing the wife’s broken down car off the road.... had surgery on the 9th Jan, cast on until 2nd Feb and I’ve been in a boot since then. Back in on 26th Feb and hopeful they might allow me to take the boot off. I can stand flat footed and walk (with a limp) without the boot (around my house) so I’m quite happy with progress 7 weeks since the injury.
New lease van is due to arrive any time soon so need my clutch foot back!
Hi rmg,
Progress has been fairly good so far, I was (officially) fully out of the boot since the beginning of Jan, felt very weak to begin with and aches quite a lot as the muscles are starting to work again. I have been having physio every 2 weeks which has involved gentle stretching and now starting to use resistance bands to get the calf working.
The physio said he is very pleased with how quickly I seem to be building the calf back up and how much movement I have but what he doesn’t know is that I run a furniture manufacturing business and have had no choice but to assist with manufacturing, loading vans along with delivering heavy oak tables and various other items we’ve made.
He had said to be very careful as at this point it could very easily snap again which I am very conscious of.
I asked what exercise I could start doing such as running. He has said running is quite a way off as when running the Achilles take a force of 7x your body weight. He advises swimming will be a good start in a few weeks, then gentle cycling in time then jogging. He estimates 9 months until I can play squash again.
Interesting that you had an opp as the doctor I saw said they don’t operate anymore unless it’s snapped very low to the heel leaving very little tissue to re-attach or unless you are Usein Bolt! So which is it..... lol
Progress has been fairly good so far, I was (officially) fully out of the boot since the beginning of Jan, felt very weak to begin with and aches quite a lot as the muscles are starting to work again. I have been having physio every 2 weeks which has involved gentle stretching and now starting to use resistance bands to get the calf working.
The physio said he is very pleased with how quickly I seem to be building the calf back up and how much movement I have but what he doesn’t know is that I run a furniture manufacturing business and have had no choice but to assist with manufacturing, loading vans along with delivering heavy oak tables and various other items we’ve made.
He had said to be very careful as at this point it could very easily snap again which I am very conscious of.
I asked what exercise I could start doing such as running. He has said running is quite a way off as when running the Achilles take a force of 7x your body weight. He advises swimming will be a good start in a few weeks, then gentle cycling in time then jogging. He estimates 9 months until I can play squash again.
Interesting that you had an opp as the doctor I saw said they don’t operate anymore unless it’s snapped very low to the heel leaving very little tissue to re-attach or unless you are Usein Bolt! So which is it..... lol
Hi j80jpw,
Hope your injury is progressing well.
I also unfortunately joined the completely ruptured achilles club just over 4 weeks ago. I was playing badminton, I also felt a whack in the back of my right calf, and initially thought I'd been hit by another player, or something had dropped from the ceiling on to my leg ! obviously my opponent said " I know you're winning, so no need to fake an injury now !!! " until I got carted off to hospital in a wheel chair!
I spent just short of 2 weeks in a cast, pointing the foot down, than had a ' Jura Walker ' boot fitted which I believe I'll be in for a while yet!? I also have the wedges of which I have two left to remove over the next 3 weeks. I think a ruptured tendon is one of those injuries which needs to be experienced to be believed!! ... from a friendly game of badminton to finding different ways of getting around the house, using the loo!... etc. etc.. and lack of driving..Not sure about others , but I also have to self inject every day to stop possible blood clots! Only just over 4 weeks in and my Employer is asking when I'll be back in ! I'm fortunate to be able to do some of my work from home, so I can elevate the leg if I need to, I think being stuck behind a desk in the workplace might not help much? As for playing badminton again, I might hang up my racquets ...
Hope your injury is progressing well.
I also unfortunately joined the completely ruptured achilles club just over 4 weeks ago. I was playing badminton, I also felt a whack in the back of my right calf, and initially thought I'd been hit by another player, or something had dropped from the ceiling on to my leg ! obviously my opponent said " I know you're winning, so no need to fake an injury now !!! " until I got carted off to hospital in a wheel chair!
I spent just short of 2 weeks in a cast, pointing the foot down, than had a ' Jura Walker ' boot fitted which I believe I'll be in for a while yet!? I also have the wedges of which I have two left to remove over the next 3 weeks. I think a ruptured tendon is one of those injuries which needs to be experienced to be believed!! ... from a friendly game of badminton to finding different ways of getting around the house, using the loo!... etc. etc.. and lack of driving..Not sure about others , but I also have to self inject every day to stop possible blood clots! Only just over 4 weeks in and my Employer is asking when I'll be back in ! I'm fortunate to be able to do some of my work from home, so I can elevate the leg if I need to, I think being stuck behind a desk in the workplace might not help much? As for playing badminton again, I might hang up my racquets ...
Too anyone in this situation DONT RUSH IT!
Did mine 20 years ago, hadn't played football since leaving school 14 years earlier, employer had a promo football day and we all had to play.
I thought someone had fouled me, jumped up to smack someone and fell flat on the floor again, didnt realise what had happened, strapped it all up and drove home 40 miles after the event. Woke up the following morning flat on my face and couldn't stand, taken to hospital, doctor ran thumb down back of leg and I screamed in pain as it dropped through the 'gap', he then turned to the student dr and told him to do the same so he could feel what the broken achilles felt like....told him not to politely to do one!
Fast forward 10 weeks, 6 in full cast, 4 in adjustable thing. Two days after being given the all clear walking across a car park, went to tip toe through a puddle...TWANG!!!...fecker snapped again, only problem now was as I still had scar tissue healing they wouldn't go back in with the knife and it had to heal itself in plaster....18 weeks!!! so basically over 6 months in a cast
Did mine 20 years ago, hadn't played football since leaving school 14 years earlier, employer had a promo football day and we all had to play.
I thought someone had fouled me, jumped up to smack someone and fell flat on the floor again, didnt realise what had happened, strapped it all up and drove home 40 miles after the event. Woke up the following morning flat on my face and couldn't stand, taken to hospital, doctor ran thumb down back of leg and I screamed in pain as it dropped through the 'gap', he then turned to the student dr and told him to do the same so he could feel what the broken achilles felt like....told him not to politely to do one!
Fast forward 10 weeks, 6 in full cast, 4 in adjustable thing. Two days after being given the all clear walking across a car park, went to tip toe through a puddle...TWANG!!!...fecker snapped again, only problem now was as I still had scar tissue healing they wouldn't go back in with the knife and it had to heal itself in plaster....18 weeks!!! so basically over 6 months in a cast
Datwoo said:
.. thanks, good advice there, I have heard a lot of people saying the same thing i.e.. ' don't do to much too soon '
Precisely.I fully ruptured and pulled the lower part off the heel, over 10 years ago.
Surgery the following day, 10 weeks in a cast and then wearing shoes with stack heels, to simulate the "equine" position of the foot, when it was in the cast.
I was advised to take my shoes to the heel bar and get 4 or 5 stick on heels, stapled on. Then, remove 1 of the heels, every week, to gradually return the foot to its natural position, whilst slowly extending the tendon.
When starting to walk again, the most discomfort for me, was the underside of my foot; it felt like I was walking on pins, for weeks.
Take it slowly.
It is very slow progress.
So 7 months after and I am walking around now without a limp but am still very restricted as to how much I can do. I dont feel confident enough to run or jog on it yet.
If I have had a day in the workshop on my feet it feels really stiff and awkward the next day. It doesn’t hurt on the day I seem to be doing too much but does the day after so it’s hard to judge how much to do.
I recently got a new bike, an Aprilia RSVR which I didn’t really think would be too much of an issue but it would seem the angle that my right foot is at isn’t a good one and really stretches the Achilles, particularly when cornering and going over bumps. Luckily it’s the brake side l as I think I’d struggle to do any gear changes if it was the left leg.
Reading the above story of it re-snapping makes me feel a little bit sick.....
So 7 months after and I am walking around now without a limp but am still very restricted as to how much I can do. I dont feel confident enough to run or jog on it yet.
If I have had a day in the workshop on my feet it feels really stiff and awkward the next day. It doesn’t hurt on the day I seem to be doing too much but does the day after so it’s hard to judge how much to do.
I recently got a new bike, an Aprilia RSVR which I didn’t really think would be too much of an issue but it would seem the angle that my right foot is at isn’t a good one and really stretches the Achilles, particularly when cornering and going over bumps. Luckily it’s the brake side l as I think I’d struggle to do any gear changes if it was the left leg.
Reading the above story of it re-snapping makes me feel a little bit sick.....
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