Achilles tendon tear - any experiences?
 

After getting back from the orthopedic specialist yesterday, seems I've managed to tear my achilles tendon (not completely, though).

So the doc is recommending it goes in a walking cast for awhile.

Anyone else had similiar experiences?

Suggestions?

A guy I train martial arts with popped BOTH of his, clean off. ON two separate occasions. Seems he must have had a genetic tweak that made it weak or something, because what are the odds?!

I was there for one of them - he was sparring, he stepped backward one step, not a big deal, not a big step, not even a deep stretch position, and there was a sound like a balloon popping, and he went down.

He's had surgery to reconnect, took about 5 months before he was back and training again, which I think is really fast.

He was able to go from complete severed achilles tendon to a fully healed fully functional state, progressing from surgery to cast to walking cast to nothing by following the orthopedist orders, but being really aggressive with his stretches and exercises.

I think they see this stuff all the time, so either get a second opinion or follow this guys instructions to the letter.

6 months

I completely ruptured my left one back in '96 playing softball, surgery, then hard cast for a couple of months (the hard cast was the biggest pain in the ass part), then walking cast for 6 months, even with aggressive PT, it was almost a full year from rupture to complete recovery. Good Luck, I told my friends, if this happens again, just shoot me.

wife ripped hers totally a few months ago - 2 months with pins, first month of that was in a foot brace, now 3 months of physio. Bit by bit you get the stretch back in the tendon, but it's always weak after, so no more squash for her!

Thanks and appreciation to everyone's feedback.

They're puttin' a walking cast on Monday and following up with physiotherapy, ultrasound and some sort of laser treatment (to speed up tissue regeneration).

I guess I won't be overly mobile this summer. :(

You'll be mobile. You'll just hobble around like a young Baddog.

sorry to hear, injuries suck, broke my toe about 4 months ago and it still makes me limp and interfering with my workouts, starting to think it will never go back to the way it was before

and I've hurt my achilles before, strained though not torn, and it healed perfectly fairly fast, within a month

I broke a toe years ago workin' at a lumber yard...and I remember it took a damn long time to get back to normal - close to a year.

I got turf toe last year (which basically means I had a bad sprain of the big toe) and for about two months I was in a form of a walking cast. I'm sure what I had was not as elaborate as you may need, but after a week or so I could get around pretty well with it. I would do it for sure. A tear is not good, but you don't want to completely tear it in half. Aside from the pain the recovery could take forever.

Good luck man. It must not feel good at all.

prolotherapy.org

From what I understood from the ortho doc and the physiotherapist, its the various smaller tendons surrounding the main achilles tendon that are torn, and now the main tendon is taking all the weight/work load. They were both surprised the main tendon hadn't torn completely by this time - given the excessive amount of walking I do during the day.

The burning/tearing pain at this point is tolerable...mostly occurs when I'm walking on stairs or uphill slope.

I have, back in 1979 though, so I am sure treatments aren't "in the stone ages" any more! LOL! I didn't have surgery, and still to this day get some pains in it when the leg is stressed...
Back then it was a high school sports injury, and I did a lot of physical therapy and whirl pool tub shit for it...

Best of luck, cuz that's not fun!

Fitz

Get well soon man,sounds painful

It is good news that you did not tear it completely. One of the top New York City one-wall Handball/paddleball/raquetball players tore his in one of the tournaments in Florida...and after surgery and rehab was back in great form...but unfortunatley he tore his other one in another tournament. An injury like this can be career ending in any sport. I would just make sure that you take it easy for a while, it seems some poeple favor the side the injury is on...and end up hurting something else.

Quite true...and good advice.

I'm sure I'll be rather stir crazy by the time its back to some semblance of normal - but at least I'm in a position to take all the time it needs to mend properly.

We've put saddle bags on the four cats and training them to make beer runs to the fridge downstairs. :winkwink:

Wow, I feel bad for ya, that is a terrible injury to have to deal with. I have known a few people that have had to deal with it.

a friend of mine had the same thing. Hope it gets better soon

Big Ouch!! Good Luck and be careful.