Achilles Tendon tear

[Praha4]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I've had heel pain off-and-on for years. A year ago I had to cut short a weeklong hike and finally went to a doctor. X-Rays showed what was described as Haglund's deformity, which sounds similar to your bone spur (was Haglund's mentioned to you?)

The doc said it won't get better without surgery. He was right, I'm still limping a year later. Unfortunately my job is such that it'd be impossible to be off the foot/limited use for months. Sigh.

Best set of luck with your continued recovery.

Thanks, sorry to hear your issue. Haglunds was not my situation. I've read about it, seen xray pics of that, no fun. My bone spur was smaller, just built up over years of distance running, long distance hiking, and off n' on achilles tendonitis issues. I was limping bad on the injured foot for 4 months before the surgery, just decided "go for it", endure the 6+ months of recovery and physical therapy post-op, hand on and come out the other side..... hopefully.... close to 100% walking normally again. I can tell anyone contemplating this surgery, if it involves the surgeon fully detaching the achilles tendon from the heel bone, expect 6 weeks of Non-weight bearing life after surgery. If the achilles is torn higher up, and the surgeon can do the Kobe Bryant type surgery, recovery is much faster, where they just cut it open and sew the torn tendon back together.

I go back to the surgeon in 13 days (but who's counting LOL), when I hope to hear it's looking good so far, and he gives me the okay to start more active physical therapy. I'm actually walking about with the fracture boot on the affected foot now, with the 2 heel pads. And I drove the car for the first time in 7 weeks yesterday...but it's my right foot, so can't drive much, even with the boot, it's not easy to use the gas pedal and brake with that big bulky boot.

good luck, will post updates periodically

[Praha4]

Achilles Tendon tear repair surgery; update #4: 10 weeks post-op.

4 week follow-up appt today with the Ortho surgeon. (have worn a fracture/walking boot w/ two- 1/2" heel pads on the operative foot the last 4 weeks)

Great news. Progress continues.
Still a little swelling in the operative foot, buy wearing compression socks at night has helped a lot.

Recovery on schedule, incision sites completely healed. Dr said everything looked great, and it's time to wear regular lace-up shoes again, and begin formal physical therapy. He suggested continuing to wear one 1/2" heel pad in the shoes for another 2-3 weeks, and they can be removed after some PT, with input from the Phys Therapist. Go back to Ortho Dr in 6 weeks for follow up.

So I'm now wearing either Lowa Renegade boots w/heel pad, or New Balance trail runners w/heel pad, maybe go back and forth between them. The regular walking is not easy, the operative leg still much weaker than the other leg. Also continuing ROM and basic green thera-band ankle strength exercises at home.

Will be seeing the PT this Thursday for eval and schedule PT sessions for achilles tendon repair surgery rehab.

Missing hiking this fall is rough, I'm already starting to look ahead to next fall getting back up to the trail, yee hah!

[Praha4]

Achilles Tendon tear & heel bone spur removal surgery update #5: 14 weeks post-op

Foot swelling almost all gone. Just started 4th week of physical therapy today. 3x a week PT. Doing some stuff on my own at home like riding a recumbent bike and stretching. I do range of motion, stretching, strength with thera-band and toe raises and squats. Also do TENS and ultrasound with ice on the operative foot. Biggest thing with this surgery is you really do get way out of shape, cuz you have to be 6 weeks Non-weight bearing on the operative foot, which limits you on what you can do. I have a lot of catchup to do.

Making steady progress, can walk with just a little intermittent pain in heel area. Able to do some toe raises now with full body weight, using both feet. Walked 2 miles last night, had some soreness/pain by end of the walk, but with ice and rest it felt good this morning. Walking mainly in New Balance trail runners w/Ortho Heel insoles. Also trying some Vasque Pendulum II shoes.

The doctor told me when this all started it would be at least 6 months til normal walking, and a year til I could try hiking in mountains. I'm just a little past 3 months post-op, and really thought I would not be at this point til at least 4-5 months along, so I'm encouraged with the recovery. Will try walking more mileage a few times a week on flat terrain first. Not ready to do any running yet, think I'm going to try to get back on the Elliptical machine soon.

will post updates from time to time
anyone with questions on achilles tendon tears or surgery, feel free to PM

[Pedaling Fool]

Sounds like you're doing good in your recovery. I just started having foot pains in that area about a month ago, so I stopped running for a while and concentrated on my weight training. One of the things I'm doing is more calf raises, normally I just do very heavy weights with both legs at the same time, but this time I'm also doing light weights and much more reps and doing single leg raises and it's much tougher. This has some very interesting recommendations http://www.intelligent-triathlon-tra...endinitis.html including doing up to 400 reps.

Connective tissue tears, especially ones that are crucial in our mobility, such as the Achilles takes a long time to recover and I do believe there are some things you just don't want to do, such as running/hiking in the early stages of recovery, just like this link states. http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-t...chilles-injury

But with weight training you can definitely work it up to a point where you can get back out there; also I believe NOT getting into a routine, regardless if it's running/hiking/weightlifting... is extremely important. It's so easy to get into a routine, because the body hates change, because that's too much of a challenge, but little sores and pains are a pretty good indication that you've fallen into a routine and it's time to change it up (at least that's been my experience).

P.S. Personally, I'm against special shoes/inserts, but I do know new types of shoes can cause problems, but I see that as a weakness to be fixed, so I'll continue to never really consider footwear design and bio-mechanics when purchasing shoes. YMMV. And running barefoot on the beach is also important to me for healthy feet. BTW, I just started back to running last Friday, so all seems good.

[Pedaling Fool]

Not an Achilles tendon tear, but pretty bad!

Last night I pulled a muscle in my calf, simply by playing with a stupid cat that keeps coming in my yard. I was squirting it with water, because it keeps messing with the birds/squirrels in my yard, so as I chased it with the hose off towards the back yard it stopped and looked back at me, so I decided I would take off running towards it and as I leaped forward into a run (not even close to a full sprint) I felt something pop and then within a few steps the pain hit me like a ton of bricks.

I couldn't even limp back to my front door, more of a hop with all weight off my now injured leg. I couldn't put any weight on it and could only slightly angle my foot before the pain hit. Today the pain is better, but I don't think I can even go to a store, it would be too painful and I don't even believe I could drive too well; I know I couldn't drive last night, the pain was just tremendous.

First thought is that I did a sprint without warming up, but I've done this before, so I'm thinking it's a combination between not warming up, but mostly from the very tough calf workout I did the other day.

This SUCKS!!

[Praha4]

that's a great article from Runners World on Achilles injuries posted by Pedaling Fool

I hope this thread gives helpful info to hikers on this type of injury, which affects to many runners and hikers

[Traillium]

Great sequence of posts, leading us through the agony of your positive recovery, Praha4! I appreciate the info added by others too.


Bruce Traillium

[Pedaling Fool]

Not an Achilles tendon tear, but pretty bad!

Last night I pulled a muscle in my calf, simply by playing with a stupid cat that keeps coming in my yard. I was squirting it with water, because it keeps messing with the birds/squirrels in my yard, so as I chased it with the hose off towards the back yard it stopped and looked back at me, so I decided I would take off running towards it and as I leaped forward into a run (not even close to a full sprint) I felt something pop and then within a few steps the pain hit me like a ton of bricks.

I couldn't even limp back to my front door, more of a hop with all weight off my now injured leg. I couldn't put any weight on it and could only slightly angle my foot before the pain hit. Today the pain is better, but I don't think I can even go to a store, it would be too painful and I don't even believe I could drive too well; I know I couldn't drive last night, the pain was just tremendous.

First thought is that I did a sprint without warming up, but I've done this before, so I'm thinking it's a combination between not warming up, but mostly from the very tough calf workout I did the other day.

This SUCKS!!

Today was the first day I could run...I mean jog, since my little mishap. I decided to take it very slow, easy and short, since it was more of a testing of my calf muscle. I only did 1.5 miles and it felt good, but not long after I am feeling a little stiff in that area, so I'm glad I took it so easy and short. It will probably be another week (at least) before I attempt a sprint -- depends on how much time it takes to get back to normal running.

I'm so glad this was only a muscle tear and not a tendon, much more recovery time for those things...How's it coming Praha4?

[Hikes in Rain]

Praha4, you have my greatest sympathy. It sounds like you're progressing well, although I know it doesn't feel like it some evenings. My wife is going through it, as well, except she has bilateral ruptures; both tendons. The left one went on July 4th, and the right one blew on the 8th. She sent the next two months "incarcerated" in either hospital or rehab facility, since both legs were non-weight bearing. That's when we discovered that ADA compliance inspectors would salivate at the mere sight of our house. Both bathrooms are at a right angle to a long narrow hallway, one of which we couldn't even get a chair down. The front door has had a couple of different thresholds cobbled together, so a simple ramp wouldn't work, even if the chair would have fit through the door (which, of course, it didn't). The rehab folks came out to check out the house for us, and concluded it was an unsafe environment. Two months before she could come home.

I was hobbling around with a fractured third metatarsal in my left foot. We did have some fun in the hospital explaining that no, we weren't in a wreck, and that each one was a separate incident. Some folks didn't believe us...

Her surgeries were July 24, and she's mostly recovered by now. Still has some balance issues, which annoy the thunder out of her, and her walking stamina still isn't very good, but she's actually ahead of some folks who've only ruptured one. Like you, she's still swelling up at the end of the day, but she's walking without aids or braces now. We expect her therapy to be finished by the end of the year or early next. After that, it's just a matter of rebuilding the stamina.

So, we feel your pain, commiserate thoroughly and wish you the very best. Your reports have been inspirational to her. Just wanted to let you know, and thank you for posting. It's been a big help for the worst summer ever!

[Praha4]

Achilles Tendon tear surgery update #6.... 5 months post-op:

Well the progress has really amazed me to this point, had my last physical therapy session today. Ready to begin doing some dayhikes around here, and now doing the elliptical machine at gym, and doing condo staircases again soon. Range of motion in the operative foot is same as the other foot...strength is the same now too.

Doctor and PT recommended doing these exercises daily at home:
a. calf stretches, both for soleus & gastrocnemius muscles
b. 1-foot standing on operative foot
c. wobble board exercises to build ankle strength
d. toe raises on edge of step...particularly the eccentric phase with the operative foot

foot swelling is about 99% gone now, wearing normal shoes again.

this is 5 months post op for a torn achilles tendon and heel bone spur removal...it's not been any fun, it's a long, slow recovery

hope to get back up to the AT this spring for another section hike

happy trails!

[Praha4]

Achilles Tendon surgery update #7 .... 7 months post-op.

Recovery has gone unbelievably good since my last update. Now walking and hiking with no pain. Did my first hike at Torreya State Park last weekend, no problems with the foot, just feeling out of shape on hills!

I've learned the importance of stretching the calf muscles and working on ankle strength. I bought a slant board and wobble board, and do the stretches and strength exercises daily at home, that the PT had me doing at the clinic. I had some lingering pain on the lateral side of the ankle up to about a month ago, when I had a recheck visit with the ortho surgeon. He said it was a lingering irritated nerve on the side of the ankle, and gave me a cortisone shot which took care of the problem. Now walking and hiking normally, just need to build back up leg strength and endurance.

hope to return to the AT or LT this fall for next hike..possibly get up to Virginia in May for a short section hike too

anyone who contemplates foot surgery can contact me, I'd be happy to answer any questions, this was a long ordeal but it's finally done!

[mortonjl]

Good luck on the recovery, had both mine rupture.