Ruptured Achilles Tendon Swelling

Posted , 7 users are following.

So i found out i had a ruptures achilles tendon about 3 weeks ago had a solid cast for a week and am now in a boot. 

Im a bit concerned as i stil have a lot of swelling around my ankle and around my toes and have been feeling a tingling sensation in my foot. Is this normal. Its non weight bearing at the moment and im still working. 

Any one have any ideas whether this is normal? Should i be working or just resting it and should i just go to the hospital?

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Posted

    Katie,

    So sorry to hear about your injury. I ruptured Achilles on 29 July 2016, had minimally invasive surgery on 2 August, went through the cast and boot, and I am in the long, slow recovery process. I still have swelling and that tingling feeling around the ankle as well as some numbness. As you scroll through the various posts you will find that different people have had somewhat different experiences, but the swelling and tingling seems to be a common theme. 

    It takes quite a while to get back to full range of motion and strength (i am not there yet). Physical therapy is a big help, I think, and a good therapist who has seen many of these injuries can provide some information about what "normal recovery" might look like.

    Also, if you are really concerned, or things seem to be moving backwards, it is probably a good idea to see a good orthopedist to get a read on whether the issue is something to be concerned about.

    I have found this particular forum to be pretty useful and friendly--with lots of  personal experiences about recovery and setbacks.  

    I certainly wish you all the best for a speedy and complete recovery. Even pro athletes who get this injury (it is not uncommon in basketball and tennis) recover and often return to their sport. The best thing is to do the PT and be patient. 

    Regards,

    Rob

    • Posted

      Thanks Rob 

      Thats a real help smile its quite a new injury so im in the early stages of recovery. Its very limiting and annoying. I know i have a long road ahead of me. 

      Also do you think it is worth pushing for an operation. They havent offered me one but i know its quite a bad rupture 

      Katie 

    • Posted

      That's a hard one to answer. I opted for the surgery because I am quite active; it seems that most people who get this injury are quite active (from reading the blogs). I guess that makes sense, because I don't think you can trash your achilles sitting on the couch. You get different opinions regarding the surgery; some of the research (we can't put links in these blogs, but you can google it) suggests that the chances of re-injuring the achilles are a little higher without the surgery.  Of course, surgery carries its own risks. It is best to consult with an orthopedic surgeon. If you do decide on surgery, see if you can find a surgeon that uses a minimally invasive technique (which you can also google). I have about a 1 inch incision on the back of my ankle a few millimeters below where the tendon ruptured. There are no external stitches.  The surgeon will discuss risks, but you are under full anesthesia.  I am glad (so far) that I did the surgery. Have had no surgical problems, but my understanding is the recovery time is about the same regardless.  

      The non-surgical approach is the conservative treatment; surgery is more aggressive.  It is worth asking about. There are likely good reasons why  the docs may not have discussed a more aggressive treatment with you.  It is worth asking about so you have all the information you need to make a decision about how to proceed that is best for you.  There are some ruptures that do not lend themselves particularly well to surgical repair and are better left to heal themselves.  

      Limiting and annoying is putting it mildly! Good luck, Katie.

    • Posted

      Once again. Thanks so much for the advice. Massivley appreciated. Good Luck with your recovery aswell
  • Posted

    Forgot to mention: good compression socks help with the swelling as well as that miracle drug: ice.  Won't fix it, but really help. You can find compression socks at a lot of sites online including searching amazon.  

    As for your last question, I went back to work (office setting) a week after surgery. My PT started right away and she gave me some specific exercises to do that were intended to minimize loss of strength and ankle mobility.  Those were the same protocols for either the surgical or non-surgical route. 

    My opinion is, if your are concerned about something best to check with doc and not have needed to than not check and find out later that something is going wrong that could have been addressed sooner. 

  • Posted

    Hi Katie,

    It's normal. i also had swelling for 3 weeks then i went to go see a physio and the swelling has gone down since. I only get a bit of swelling after work. I am  5 weeks post op. You can call your doctor to get the best medical advice on that but i say it is normal.

    • Posted

      Thanks very much. I think it may be due to the fact that i am still working in a cafe but i do get to sit on a stool, Any advice on anything that could reduce the swelling a bit. I have been advised that an ice pack might help or a compression sock 

      Thanks for your comment 

  • Posted

    Hi Katie

    The tingling is because your foot is excessively swollen.

    Greatly elevate your foot with the boot open and pack in ice as much as possible.

    This will reduce inflammation, reduce pain, and increase healing.

    kind regards

    judith

  • Posted

    Yes.  Katie this is normal. It can go on for a while. It will get better but loads of  exercise   When you are told to do it ..I am still in the boot but can walk on it but it's 12 weeks long old job ..but good luck u will get there in the end ,😃

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.