What next achilles tendonosis not improving

Hi Swampiesue

Thanks for getting back to me , my gp has mentioned either the surgical route or conservative method which both require immobilisation of the foot , to be honest i would prefer the surgery option because i am afraid of symptoms coming back , as they have done over the past years ,

She has told me to carry on with the physio till february as i will be over 6 months of therapy by then and if there is no improvement i just need to ring her and she will refer me to an orthopedic surgeon and they will take things from there

How is your recovery going

I still have not got full movement in my ankle, but that is why I am doing physio.. I can walk ok though, no problem there, the operation has helped the pain immensely. Although I have not walked for a very long way yet. I still get the odd twinge and I find physio painfull. Daily heel lifts and calf stretches.. I can't go on tiptoe on the foot that had surgery on just the one leg so I am holding a weight in that hand instead.. I am really glad I had it done. It is so much better, but at the moment I know my limits. I long for the day I can go for long walks with the dog again.. Xxxx

Sounds like your doing great hunni ,

The back of my ankle kind of looks like the ridges of a piece of a rope i have 3 lumps in a row separated by a crease each , if you can imagine what that looks like , constant pain in that area then pain where tendon attaches to my ankle bone , been told its both insertional and non insertional tendonosis

I miss walking my husky as she takes some walking , a good 2hrs at a time

Hi how is your second toe since you got it fused ? Please let me know exactly how u r

Still waiting to have it done.. The consultant is supposed to be discussing exactly what to do to my big toe at the same time as the second toe fusion and getting back to me... Xx

I have a small lumpy bump on the outside of my heel dont no if its a haglunds deformity or not though ,

Am sick of hearing we will try this or we will try that when all its doing is making it worse , its been going on for over 3 yrs now (think i put 7 in original post must of hit wrong button) could be longer than 3 years now not sure its been that long , just want it sorted now am fed up ,

Really pleased you were able to get your dancing shoes on , bet that felt great , will make all the difference when surgery helps sort a problem out

I had to go through all the physio, ultra sound ect first, it took aroun 3-4 years too, on top of that I transferred hospitals and got lost in the system..got there in the end though. I'm not saying it's perfect now, and I'm terrible at remembering to do my physio, but I do at least try to do it a couple of times a day.. My ankles are very weak especially the one I had an operation on. My biggest problem is I'm due to have surgery on my other foot, to re do a bungion operation I had done in February. I fell and broke my toe a couple of weeks after I had it done, I will be unable to do my physio for around six weeks after that... My feet are the pain in my life....xx

I saw my gp around 3yrs ago and was given a night splint by physio or podiatry can't remember which now , and since then it has eased off , come back and eased off in waves , but this last time its been abour 9mths of constant pain including 6mths of physio at end of jan

Tell the physio you want to see someone about surgery.. As you don't feel anything else is working.. It's worth a try. Xx

I think i wil , i can't go online this much longer

With i ment with this much longer

Can you wait till your other foot is totally healed before having this other surgery done , if it will be beneficial i would go for it but not till your completely healed

My pain is constantly throbbing n pulling where my achilles joins the bone , and is now spreading under my heel bone to my planter area

I have decided to go ahead, but I think it will be later rather than sooner as I have heard nothing as yet, if it's not done by March it will have to be delayed until after my holidays in June as I want to make sure it's fully healed by then..it does need to be done as I'm getting a sore Spot under my toe where it's constantly hitting the floor where it turns over..

I know that pain, it's the same as I had, I really do think it's time you were referred to the Orthopaedic Consultant to have a look at, it's gone on long enough and the have exhausted all the other options..go and see your GP as soon as you can.. It is really painful, and the pain you have is awful... I am really pleased I had mine done.. Even making six weeks without a shower worth it lol Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect and it still hurts sometimes, especially if I have been on my feet for a long time, but nothing like it used to be and the awful pain you have now has gone, for now at least.. Xx

Hi swampiesue

An update for you, saw my physio today and he seems to think my thickening of the tendon isnt as bad as it was , but to me it feels the same , and he said am not flinching as much today when he presses on the tendon , but its not like am in excruciating pain 24 hours of the day it does ease off to, he has given me some calf stretches to do , and one leg balancing to try n strengthen my ankle ,

If no better in 2wks which will be february he will refer me to orthopedic surgeon or get my GP to do it

That's good news, it could be you were having a good day. I usually found mine used to hurt more as the day went on especially if I'd been using it a lot.. If it hurts go see that Orthopaedic Consultant...xxx 

Same with me hunni

Walk like a robot when 1st getting up then it eases off but steadily gets more painfull throughout the day , and it has been a month since i last saw him and he said to me , what were we doing again , a was like eh in me head ' he should no before he calks me in '

I would love it to heal up now before anything else needs to be done ,i have looked online and it mentions some platelet transfer thing where they re-inject your own blood into the tendon to try and make it heal quicker , the tbought of that turns me stomach ,

Al do these stretches n one leg standing for next 2werks but am not to optimistic for good results

How are you doing recovery wise 😊

It's slow, my heel is still fat, not sure it's ever going to go down... Walking seems ok but not gone on any long walks yet..waiting for the warmer weather for that. It hurts when I do my heel lifts and calf stretches and it still feels tender when I press it.. However it does not hurt like it used to. 

I have heard of the treatment you speak of, however to be honest with you seems a bit far fetched to me lol. If I were you I would go see that consultant and see what he has to say..xx

How many weeks are you post op now ,

My heel pad often feels sore and aches , most of my pain is in the insertional area but keeps spreading up to a few inches up at the non insertional area

Pity i cant upload photos on here

Yes it does seem far fetched and weird doesnt it , the thought just freaks me out

Hi swampie sue

How are you doing recovery wise,

My 6mths worth of physio is up on friday , same day i see my physio , achilles is still the same , my ankle keeps looking a bit puffy lately which is new , , and i have like a dead feeling ache in my achilles area now , i also am experiencing pain to the side of the achillies kind ov inbetween my achilles and sticky put part of ankle bone and it travels round on the inside of the foot towards the arch

Did you ever experience this

Hi Nicola, yes I did have that pain.. It's where my consultant always presses gently and asks if I have any pain..it still hurts when I press it..I'm still doing the physio although not as often as I should..I'm due to see the consultant in a week so I will know more then, as to how the operation has gone and what my consultants expectations are.. Sounds like you have a bit of swelling, does the physio hurt you much, mine does.. Xx

Hi pet

Thanks for replying

Yes my physio really hurts , i no they say it has to hurt to get better but this is ridiculous, and how many times it keeps coming back is beyond a joke

he has me doing only one leg stands (affected leg) and calf stretches against a wall , and even them can reduce me to tears , i have hardly any strength in ankle now ,

I tried taking my dog for a walk and have been in agony since , i am getting a lot of numb type feeling kind ov behind the achillies if that makes sense

At the heel insertion it constantly aches and the crunching sound i keep getting when my ankle cracks , and the cracking is getting worse , it makes the colour drain from my face , im convinced its going to snap away

How big is your scar , ive heard doing an debridement of the achillies often works

The exercises from physio are mainly to try and strengthen my ankle up as he can't work on achillies with how weak it al is , its taken 6mths to realise how weak my ankle , at this rate al be still having physio in 3years

I am seeing my nurse and gp over the next two days i will get a referral to orthopedics then

That's similar to the physio I am doing, that and a heel to walk and tipto up for one and coming down for three, so I bring my heels down slowly. My ankles are very weak and so is my calf. 

My my scar is about two inches down and then it curves for about an inch.. Like a J. 

Certainly sounds like like you need the operation, especially as the physio news is not helping. My physio didn't help either...xxxx

What did they do to your tendon was it ruptured or did they just clean it up

Also if you dont mind me asking how old are you, i am 42

Update

Been to docters (not for achilles COPD check) and they are going to do the referral to orthopedics

Just they say its more common in ppl over 40

Funny you should ask my age, I was debating wether or not to ask you the same lol... I'm a very young minded 58 lol

NO I didn't rupture mine it was tendonitis the same as you, and a big lump on the back made of a bone like substance.. The lump was removed and tendon cleaned...I'm glad you are finally going to get your referral, like mine it was a long time coming xxxx

I hope you didn't mind me asking your age

I have a small bony prominence at the side of heel bone but not sure if thats normal

I hope orthopedics dont want to do loads of different things like gp has , al go off the rails

Do you or did you ever get a weird pulling type twinge on the inside of your heel bone

I feel like a very old 42 lol

I have just found out i am going through menopause aswell , so i dont no if i am coming or going lol

Referral has gone in finally yayy 😊

Of course I did not mind you asking my age, mentally I feel a lot younger but physically it's another story...I had a large bony prominence, look up Haglands deformity and see if that is what the bony prominence looks like.. I did get a pulling, a very painful pulling on my heel and still do now and again.  I am so pleased you have got the referral at last, xxxxx

I have been to see my gp this morning for menopause/ thyroid problem and when i mentioned my achilles to him he said they will no doubt go in and strip it down , what ever that means

Menopause, I hated it but got HRT after five years of trying to battle through, best thing I ever did.. 

Sounds like your GP means clean it... Same thing as I had done plus removal of the lump..x

Totally of subject here but does your HRT cause you to bleed again , i was ment to have a vaginal hysterectomy done last year but woke up from surgery to find it had not been done only my bladder was fixed as apparently they couldn't get my uterus to come down , so my GP is pushing for an abdominal hysterectomy to be performed as if i go onto HRT my monthlys will start again and i havent had one for 7mths now and i really dont want to them to start as i really flood of my feet , and he said hysterectomy then HRT is the only way for me if i cant go through more bleeding , i have prolapses down there that was why i was ment to have hysterectomy in 1st place

The clean up of achilles , what does that involve ?

No, I don't bleed, I take one of the HRTs that don't involve that.😀

The clean up involves quite major surgery, they cut your ankle and remove all the lumpy bits of the tendon..then they sew it all back up and recovery starts..totally non weight bearing for 6 weeks up to six weeks in a boot.. During the non weight wearing you will be in several plasters. I had a new one every two weeks.. The first, the one after surgery was just a half cast in case of swelling.. My consultant was lovely. I'm due to see him in a couple of weeks..the 8th for a check up.. My operation was on the 27th it's been a long treck and I am still not perfect, I don't even know if I will get it all back again. Would I do it all again....yes I would.😀

 

Are you in the UK ?

Im in Newcastle upon Tyne

I really hope they decide to do something with mine rather quick , i dont think i could cope with loads more testing , the pain that is mow spreading down the inside of my heel bone is getting much worse its kinda like a dull ache that shoots downwards

Have you had a hysterectomy as i was told i could only have hrt that wouldnt make me bleed if that was done or to use creams or pessaries

I live in Suffolk, after everything I had all ready gone through, like you, the Consultant took one look and booked me in the next month lol, I was really surprised. 

No I have not had an hysterectomy, I have been in menopause for a few years which I believe makes a difference. 

God i hope that happens to me , not that i want surgery to be honest but i cant cope with this everyday

If you dont mind me asking which HRT treatment are you on , i need something to help with hot flushes day and night, weight gain , foggy head, dry skin , aching joints ,

My periods have been absent now for 6mths back in 2014 i went 7mths without any but have been hitty missu since 2011 , i have a fsh reading of 44

I have physio tomorrow but will be telling him my GP has sent a referral off to orthopedics as i dont think physio is working ,

Are you full weight bearing yet , you said your operation was on the 27th but which month

Been to physio and he agrees with my GP, was going to send referral off to orthopedics he says he still will , but he said they may try injecting fluids into the tendon or shockwave therapy but i just keep thinking yeah al try that abd probablys still end up needing surgery done

Hi Nicolla, the tablets I'm on fo HRT are Kliovance they helped with the hot flushes and the panic attacks I was having all day, sadly can't say I have lost weight on them though. 

Im sorry, I had the op done in August and have been fully weight bearing since I went into the boot, six weeks after my operation. 

To to be honest with you I tried the ultra sound, it didn't work, however athough the steroid injection worked the pain came back after a few weeks. It might help tie you over though until you see the consultant. Athough it might be better you can tell the surgeon how much it hurts...x

I have had 12 steriod injections into my shoulder over the course of 18mths none worked , i dont have much faith in them , i cant see ultrasound working he said it works on tennis elbow , physio that is who said that , a thought kind ov a different area like but ok

Am sat on my sofa at the min and its throbbing n aching and ive hardly done anything today

Dont think i can carryon much longer with it

6weeks after your surgery you were full weight bearing thats fab

I dont have a very good range of movement in my ankle its getting really stiff

My appointment has changes now and I go to see my consultant, on Friday, I will let you know how it goes..do let me know how you get on when you go xx