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Walking and returning to work?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Manda089
Manda089

How long after ankle ORIF surgery did you:

  1. Return to work?
  2. Walk?
  3. Start PT?

I am having a hard time deciding if I should try to return to work while I am healing and on crutches or if I should give myself time to fully heal and return once I can walk.

Thanks in advance for any input.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Teal
    Teal Manda089

    Posted

    hello, it depends what your job is. i am a office worker and can work at home. i started work after 2 weeks, & afyer 4 weeks i did 2 days in work & 2 days at home. im now 13 weeks still in boot and cant drive. i am pottering around the house and walking unaided but its been a really slow process. doing very basic PT. dont try & do too much to soon - that was my downfall!!!

  • amanda84923
    amanda84923 Manda089

    Posted

    I returned to work 3 weeks after surgery. I had a knee scooter though, not crutches at that point. i wouldn't have returned if it was still crutches, as I was horrible getting around on them. My job was mostly sedentary. So I was able to stay at my desk with my foot elevated. And if I did go to another part of the building, I used my knee scooter to elevate my foot while seated. It's doable, but really depends on your job.

  • Llamalah
    Llamalah Manda089

    Posted

    I broke my right ankle around four weeks before I was due to take extended long service leave from work, so went back for a few days around week 3 to do a handover to the person taking over. It was very difficult. If you are going to return to work - make it shorter days to start if you can.

    At two weeks when they swapped me from the cast to the boot, the physios at the hospital gave me a sheet with some basic movements to do - back and forth, ABC's etc to get the joints moving. This was all I did until I was cleared for weight bearing at 6 weeks.

    I was seeing the physio once a week from week two to week six as I also tore ligaments in my left ankle, and they wanted me to get that seen to straight away. The physio wouldn't touch the broken ankle until I was cleared by the surgeons, but did check I was doing my movement correctly from time to time.

    My appointment was just prior to the 6 week mark, because the orthopeadic outpatients at the hospital is only once a week and that's when my appointment was. I was cleared and they had me take some steps in the office. It hurt really badly from the lack of sensory input more than anything. I then started twice a week physio from the next day, to get back to walking, it took two to two & a half weeks to get to full weight bearing, no boot, no crutches. But it took another 8 to 10 weeks to actually walk properly, no limp, no stopping all the time to rest. I'm at 11 months now and I am running 3kms (I didn't even do that before I broke it!) and hopping, playing ice hockey. It just takes time.

  • sandra91776
    sandra91776 Manda089

    Posted

    Id say about 12 weeks before I could walk in sneakers

    And some days that was a limp

    I returned to work 6-7 months post op but I bartend and waitress

    If you have desk job totally different

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