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Achilles tendon rupture, long term recovery

Posted , 5 users are following.

tim50stroud
tim50stroud

Partial rupture September  14 (9 months ago), age 65. Conservative treatment with air boot and immobilisation. Physio in December / January and reasonably mobile now, but calf and leg are still weak, and unable to toe stand on the bad foot. Tendon works fine, but just loss of strength. Gym 3 times a week, walking 4-5 miles ok, but theres a distinct limp which throws stress on hip etc. Saw the dr yesterday and theres nothing more they can do. Told it may take another 6 months and even then may not return to full strength; any exercise tips?

1 like, 17 replies

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  • erika28705
    erika28705 tim50stroud

    Posted

    Sorry to hear that your still in some pain and not were you wpuld like to be in your recovery. I took the surgical route so im not the best person to ask. Hopefully someone on here can give you some tips. Hang in there

    Erika

  • Jordidude01
    Jordidude01 tim50stroud

    Posted

    Tim the technic that helped me when in the early stages of recovery was to stand on tip toes on both feet, using my hands to hold myself up and good leg to get in the position of tip toes, I then slowly shifted put more weight onto my "bad" leg from good leg and tried to hold it for 15 seconds. took a 5 second break and did it again. This really got my strengh up on my calf.

    Which i still do today even though im walking aand running without a problem now.

    Good Luck, hopefully this will be able to get you going 

    Jordan

    • tim50stroud
      tim50stroud Jordidude01

      Posted

      Thats one I've been doing, though I think I need to be MUCH MORE FOCUSSED on doing the exercises. Its holiday season now, and I've not been going to the gym as regular as I ought to. And standing in the kitchen bouncing up and down is easily forgotten :-)

      Thanks!

    • Mason44
      Mason44 Jordidude01

      Posted

      Hi jordidude

      Can I ask how many sets of these u do ? Have started running again and really want to build my calf muscle too if poss. As feel I'm running lop sided and I was never given any thing like this glad to hear ur doing well though

    • tim50stroud
      tim50stroud Mason44

      Posted

      I go to the gym 3 times a week, and apart from treadmill, x trainer and cycle, i use three machines for the leg. leg curl, leg press, and leg extension. 10 reps on each leg in turn, gradually increasing weight over the weeks. The toe stands I only do 5 or 6 as thats really had work. No pain though in any of this, just a little kitten!
    • Mason44
      Mason44 tim50stroud

      Posted

      Hi tim

      Thanks for reply don't go to a gym so have just been doing my exercises physio gave me at home since Feb! But do lots of walking but I haven't been so good with the exercises lately and feel my leg stiffening up more and my scar still hurts most of the time (I had a tendon transplant so scar is 6-7 inches long!) Started NHS c25k couple of weeks ago to try and ease into running again but will def try lifts to help my calf as its half the size of other one !

    • tim50stroud
      tim50stroud Mason44

      Posted

      I'm trying to get back into walking condition again, but the time scale for recovery is terrifying. I did some good walking on the Dorset coast the other week, but stamina only allows 4 or 5 miles at most.. used to be double that not so long ago. I've never run; too much shock on the knees for me, A friend is lending me an electrical gizzmo that twitches the muscles for you and I'm going to give that a try next. But I think its just patience thats needed
    • Jordidude01
      Jordidude01 Mason44

      Posted

      Hi Mason, Sorry i only just noticed you replied to me... I would do set after set after set in till i couldnt physically do anymore. between 20-30 in the early days, near the end i was doing a good 30-40.
    • Mason44
      Mason44 Jordidude01

      Posted

      hi jordidude ,thanks for reply ive been away and done no exercise and leg pretty stiff had been doing 5-6 at a time but think i need to up my targets to yours !! glad your all well and to be honest the little stiffness i get in the mornings is nothing to not being able to walk thanks again to reply kate x
    • Jordidude01
      Jordidude01 Mason44

      Posted

      Ah shame on you! excerise needs to be consitent, even when your busy e.g doing the washing up just stop and try to do 10, then bit more washing up then do another set of 10. mix it in with your daily job thats how i managed to get to 40 nearer the end. I used to get stiff in the mornings, if it was really stiff i would put my leg in the air whilst on the bed and rotate my ankle and rub my calfs, it helped me
    • Mason44
      Mason44 Jordidude01

      Posted

      Arr thanks I'll take the telling off ☺ know I need to do it it's just summer hols etc but washing up great idea many thanks this website has more info than the doctors ever give u off to wash up and at least get 10 for today X
    • Mason44
      Mason44 tim50stroud

      Posted

      Hi Tim how u doing with the walking has the exercise helped hope all is going well for u X
    • tim50stroud
      tim50stroud Mason44

      Posted

      Hi! Its very slow but steady I guess. Still got a very weak calf muscle and still restricted on the milage when walking, to 4 miles comfortably, 5 or 6 at a push. The tendon is still 100% ok, but everything else is about 75%. In spite of gym 2 or 3 times a week, and doing the walking at weekends, general leg weakness is still a nuisnance... not sure if its just age related or inactivity.. nearly 66 now and I WILL NOT slow down!!
    • Jordidude01
      Jordidude01 Mason44

      Posted

      smile Good! i agree had a lot of tips of other people that the doctors never gave me. Good luck x
  • Wholefruit
    Wholefruit tim50stroud

    Posted

    Hi Tim

    Haven't spoken to you for a while. Sorry to hear you're still troubled with the limp. How frustrating. Sounds like you're doing all you can. Are there any particularly good gym instructors where you go? I wonder if it might be worth paying for a 1-2-1 session to see how far you can push things?

    • tim50stroud
      tim50stroud Wholefruit

      Posted

      Another couple of weeks and it'll have been a year... hard to believe. I went to see the doc the other week, and he did warn me it might not get back to 100%. Theres a very good physio I have seen before, but unfortuanetly she just gives me exercises to do!
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