Achilles rupture - some pain during healing

On July 28th I had surgery for a tear in my Achilles that happened several months before after coming down some stairs and landing on my foot...hard.  I went 4 months in cast with no weight bearing and then 4 weeks in boot along with 3 months of physical therapy.  I am 9 months post op and still have a little pain in the area where I had surgery.  So, what I'm saying is, the pain never really goes away 100% but I can also say that most days it doesn't bother me unless its rainy and damp or very cold.  However, everyone is different and your pace of healing may be different. 

Hope this helps!  Get better soon.

Not uncommon to have someone pain. I had mine at heel never at incision site. Time and patience it's a long recovery.

Your surgeon needs to make sure Achilles still intact. If you feels knot it's okay and it'll feel thicker than the other. It's BS they are brushing you off like nothing hopefully you've started therapy. Goodluck

Jonathan,

Everyone has a somewhat different experience. I was in splint for a week, then boot for about 8, with last three weeks removing one of three wedges each week. There was some pain throughout the process, including "shooters" that were associated with irritation to the sural nerve that enervates sensation at heel and toward the outside of the foot to two smallest toes.

One of the early risks of this surgery, according to my surgeon,is the possibility of infection. If you have symptoms that "don't feel right," such as pain that seems concerning around the surgical area, I would contact surgeon to discuss--especially if there is any indication of redness or wariness near the incision. Better to call and not have needed to, than not call when you should have. 

It has been 7 months since I ruptured my achilles, and I had surgery a couple days later. I have just this week been able to wear the shoes I wore before the injury. I still have some discomfort in the heel as well as minor numbness.  Not too much pain, but not zero either. My biggest challenge seems to be regaining full strength in the calf muscle, as judged by single-leg heel lifts. A few weeks ago I could do zero, now I can do a half dozen or so,but after a while I do feel some pain around the heel.  

This is all very frustrating, I know. But as you wade through the posts here you will find that it takes quite a while to recover fully. I am back to all my previous activities, including alpine skiing, and I am running short distances very gingerly. REALLY do not want to start over.

Probably unlikely you have infection this far into it, but I would err on the side of caution here and let the doc rule it out. Maybe if you said you were worried about it, that would move you up in the queue.

Best wishes for a complete and speedy (for achilles) recovery!

Hi Jonathan.

I would say pain would be normal as your tendon will be stretched more than it had been the last 4 weeks.

Can you speak to the plaster techs at your hospital for advice as they see this injury a lot and generally know their stuff.

I also fully ruptured mine playing football only a week a go. Cast for 10 weeks for me as they don't offer boots in my area. They also don't offer surgery. NHS for you!

The plaster techs told me any issues to contact them so maybe worth a shot. I seen a specalist yesterday who told me exactly what the plaster guy told me the day I done it.

All the best for your recovery. Looks like a long road for us all.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I didn't have surgery. It was offered, but the doctor who saw me seemed to say very little difference in recovery either way and as I had surgery on ACL a few years ago, I decided I didn't want yet more surgery on my leg.

So it was the cast and boot and self repair root. Which had been fine, but as I say just had a bit of a dull ache the last few days.

Just spoken to the hospital again and they have changed the specialist I am under again and can't see me until a week after I was supposed to have the boot removed. So frustrating!!! I told them how unhappy o am with the service, but they didn't seem to get it at all and just said it's only one more week. I explained that this is one more week on crutches and until physio can start etc and they weren't at all bothered. I know the NHS is under pressure but the service I've had has been terrible.

Thanks for updates about pain. It has helped me relax a little about it.

Those who have started physio; what type of things did they have you doing to begin with as I may start myself during that week extra.

I would like to share my experience. Towards end August 2016 while playing tennis I leaned forward to take a shot and fell as if someone hit hard at the back of my ankle.

That day I was totally immobile on the foot but next day I was able to walk to work, though limping. Took me about 10 days to visit an Ortho, who immediately sensed something with the Achilles tendon. After another 1 week I did an MRI and results confirmed a complete Achilles rupture. I am 58 years and my Ortho physician immediately referred to the Surgeon in same facility. The Surgeon briefed me both ways - conventional way and surgical way and explained to me if I had to return to an active sporting life, best would be to have Surgery. The conventional way could only return me to my regular walk after considerable period of time. So, I opted for Surgery and next day I was operated at Oklahoma city. I am a Yoga and Meditation therapist as well.

Post Surgery I was on a Cast for about 3 weeks (non weight bearing) and end of 3rd week I was into a boot and immediately started on PT. Within a week gradually removed all wedges in the Boot and end of week I discarded the boot and was able to drive.

Factors that helped me besides having a good Surgeon and a good Physio - have a positive frame of mind through Meditation that very much helped the Healing process. After the first 3 weeks when I started the Physio I was very regular and commited to the PT sessions and even today I do all the stretches I learnt in PT sessions. I can now do a heel raise standing on the operated leg. So first focus on Healing and then build the Strength, both are important. I consider myself very lucky to spring back to sports before end of 7th month (was operated on 16th Sept 2016). I jog, play table tennis (though not lawn tennis yet), ride bike.

The journey to recovery is arduous but be patient, for better healing be aligned to nature and then work on the strength. So both meditate and work out.

Hope you recover well soon.