Weight bearing after Ankle Surgery
Posted , 5 users are following.
So I have previously posted a few questions regarding recovery from a peroneal tendon repairment.
My current question is just that I might have to wait out for physio but was adviced by a nurse that I should start asap (not to mention I do sports and I am planning to start training on the next season if possible). So I removed my stitches on monday, gave it 2 days more rest and then started weight bearing.
First day with crutches and no problem (using a CAM boot)
Second day I ditched the crutches since I don't have any major pain when weight bearing, sure some slight soreness and I feel a sharper pain if I move too harshly or try to move my ankle a bit inside the boot. ( I am only walking a few minutes at a time, since my ankle swells slightly with how hot the boot gets).
I have also started doing exercises I have done previously in PT such as toe curls with a towel, range of movement with my foot going up and down, sideways too as much as I can without major pain. Of course the ankle and tendon feel pretty sore and some exercises hurt little, but I can already some improvement in the range of movement.
So other than what I have been doing do you have any other tips or exercises? (Oh I am 22 and did track actively).
0 likes, 13 replies
kristina73093 suzy213
Posted
Usually for the first 6 weeks after cast removal, you're only allowed to do passive range of motion. Passive is up and down, not side to side.
I got my cast off a week ago, but because of a clerical error with my physio referral, I won't start for another 2 weeks.
I'm weight bearing as tolerated after my surgery which was more complex than yours, but it's not easy.
Do not ditch the crutches, you'd be surprised how off balance you can be when starting to walk again.
suzy213 kristina73093
Posted
Side to side I mean like the AB's movements, more with the tips of the toes and doing circles.
Not super off balance without crutches since I can obviously walk with the boot on at this point and for little amounts of time.
As for cast, I did not have one. I was with just some bandages during the first 14 days until I removed my stitches and that was the time I was told absolutely be NWB. My surgeon insisted on being proactive with recovery and start movement. I was wiggling my toes a few hours post surgery and bending my ankle slightly forward and back (very little) around the third day. (Although I was encouraged at my hospital to start doing this as soon as I could as long as there was no pain)
kristina73093 suzy213
Posted
Doing too much too soon can hinder recovery, just be careful. The tendon needs time to heal.
I've had 3 surgeries on my ankle due to listening to a dr who didn't know what he was talking about. Told me to walk on a fracture like nothing had happened.
That was over 3 years ago.
suzy213 kristina73093
Posted
Alright I'll definitely try to slow down and not push it. I'll limit any strains to a minimum and try to increase more gently.
Thank you
yohana7522 kristina73093
Posted
It seems that I'm having the same experience with you. I dropped my crutches two weeks after removal of the cast in February. I was advised to be walking distance. Now, my ankle joint is swollen and very hard. What do I do pls?
suzy213 yohana7522
Posted
Hey, I am not sure what kind of surgery you had but mine was simply a tendon repairment which is a simple procedure.
It seems that you might be overdoing a bit thw walking. My main question is if youbhave pain when weight bearing (I assume with a walking boot) or if swelling ins your only issue?
If swelling is the only issue, I'd like to remind you swelling will happen very easily and frequently even up to 6 months post op. After having my own foot just down from sitting down with no pressure on it, it swells up very visibly. Naturally it will swell even more with walking (downward position and pressure on a recovering joint).
My advice would be to ice it and elevate it still a couple times a day, with elevation maybe 2h a day. Although swelling is to be expected for a while. If you have any pain or problems other than swelling do contact a doctor that can assess the situation.
Best of luck!
Beckster65 suzy213
Posted
I had tendon repair in the peroneus brevis on April 10th 2018, I'm now 10 weeks post op and can only handle 25% weight bearing with a boot.I also had some sural nerve damage as a result of the surgery..I'm still in pain when putting weight on it and the nerve shocks in the lateral part of my foot are at times unbearable. It is so discouraging to say the least. My PT says it can take 6 months to a full year to be able to walk right and some people have permanent issues with the ankle. I'm just trying to stay positive,,but this is one rough surgery.
suzy213 Beckster65
Posted
So you had the same procedure as me. I am sad to hear that you are struggling so much because I'm not even 3 weeks post op and can already walk a decent amount of time with my cam boot without pain. The only thing that is annoying is that it puts pressure on the healing incision and it's sore, but putting weight on the joint causes no actual pain. I do have pain if I move to the sides or make a sudden movement.
My mobility is still reduced but gained a bit back even though I stopped the ROM exercises these days just in case and decided to just stick to weight bearing and walking.
Anyhow everyone heals differently and different ages, backgrounds etc also come into play at time of recovery. From what I read here, plenty of people seem to have fairly long recovery periods, so I would try to remain positive for sure.
But your pain is from you putting weight on it, correct? For that, you'll just have to go slowly. I am just now seeing my bruises fade and if I apply any pressure on the surrounding area of my tendon also causes pain. PT is certainly essential and will help you recover the best your body can. For weight bearing I would just suggest walking a few minutes at a time and see if you can slowly increase it, otherwise, it might be better to talk to your PT and ask him how long it should take you to gradually increase the weight.
Beckster65 suzy213
Posted
Thank-you so much for replying. It's so wonderful to have a great blog about foot issues..thank you for calming me down lol. Best of healing to you!!
kpower suzy213
Posted
Suzy,
I suffered bimalleolar fracture/severe ankle sprain, so I can't comment directly on your situation.
But I would recommend going with your surgeon's directives on recovery steps (and also refer to your common sense when you detect a potential problem with medical directives-- too many patients accept their doctor's instructions blindly). While you are in boot you are limited in regular walking and exercises.
If your doctor permits it, you should being doing all manner of weightless ankle exercises to strengthen and restore function to the tendon and other ankle tissues that have been offline during your recovery. That includes and surpasses mere ROM and toe curls types of rehab exercises.
When you get out of boot you can start more challenging weight-involved rehab regimens that should include calf routines and balancing exercises.
When you start working out, perform this it only as pain is tolerated and please don't overdo it and compromise your recovery by being too ambitious too soon.
A clean, non-inflammatory (ditch the sugar and junk) diet with attention to nutrients to support tissue repair will help speed things along
suzy213 kpower
Posted
Hey and thank you for the advice.
Walking is pretty pain free, just range of motion exercises can hurt a little sometimes. But, I will definitely try to take things a bit slower and not overdo it. I'm just a bit stressed because my PT might now take a while to start and I don't want to risk compromising ROM and let it heal with a significant loss of motion.
I tried using a towel to do the exercise that I have to push it down, but the added strain is painful and rather not attempt it so soon. But I am definitely trying to do leg raises and such to diminish the atrophy of muscle in my leg.
For diet, thankfully, I am at my parents home and is pretty healthy and controlled. If anything I should try to up my calories since I dropped 2kg since surgery and I am bit bummed about it.
Once again, thank you!
kpower suzy213
Posted
Suzy,
You are going about your recovery in the right way by being both prudent and proactive on your ankle rehab.
Going about it at a slow pace is correct. Later, as your tendon and associated tissues strengthen and stabilize you will want to quicken the pace and add more challenging exercise routines to complete your ankle recovery.
A recent article in the Daily Mail (online) had some very interesting information on keeping our feet (and by extension our ankles) healthy throughout life.
It mentioned something called the foot core, the set of foot muscles, etc. that form a foundation for our everyday mobility activities like walking. Further, it listed exercises you can do to strengthen this core and help prevent injuries and movement instability. Definitely worth a read for anyone interested in maintaining their foot health throughout life, whether they have injured ankles or not.
suzy213 kpower
Posted
I'll definitely take a look at that article then, thank you!
I may not be competing anymore, but I intend to continue practising sports throughout my life so I'll take anything that improves my stability.