Pain and swelling after walking at full weight bearing

Hi Girlinacast,

Yes I experienced this as has anyone that's had a fusion. I'm sorry you're in pain but don't try to rush your healing or you'll set yourself back. It can take up to 12 months for all swelling to settle (no the doctors don't tell you that beforehand)

Slowly slowly, eat well and try not to stress about it. Expect this to continue for a while.

elevating your ankle as much as possible and applying Ace bandages that have been soaked in eater and squeezed out and left in the freezer will give you a lot of relief. Good luck. Richard

I also had a lot of pain when first allowed to bear partial weight after a ligament and cartilage repair. So, I delayed for about two months. Now I'm trying to restore flexibility to my ankle, That also hurts, but not as much.

I am now 4 months post fusion and am only just getting back to walking properly. Although I have been FWB for around a month or so I was still using crutches as I found it painful and my ankle was stiff too. I had my friend visit who is a sports therapist. She massaged my foot and ankle, gave me acupuncture and some exercises and also told me under no circumstances was I to hobble. She told me to walk slowly and concentrate on proper heel to toe walking. I also put my foot and ankle in tolerably hot water twice a day and then with both hands move my ankle left and right and up and down which has eased the stiffness and swelling so much that I now walk much better. If it swells I just elevate until it goes down. I was told it could be up to 12 months before it stopped swelling, but now I am exercising it (swimming is also good) I am finding its swelling less and less. I hope this helps. You will get there!

Hi,

This will continue for the foreseeable future, it will improve in the sense that the swelling will reduce and the pain will reduce in severity, you should notice an improvement over the next 3 / 4 weeks.

The more you use it within reason of course, the better it will get in time, short bursts, a few times per day, please remember this, its not the distance or time you are walking that matters, its the quality of the walking that does, heel down first, and spring of the toes with as straight a foot as possible, only relief and recovery you will find is, back to bed with foot elevated as high as possible with ice pack.

Good luck with this phase.