Been having heel pain, finally went to the dr after a bit of a hike elk hunting. Dr says I have some tearing of the tendon. Waiting on appt with foot and ankle guy, and mri. Anyone had surgery and can tell me anything about recovery time? I’ve been told to cease hiking till I talk with specialist. No skiing or snowboarding, stay off snowshoes. It’s gonna be a long couple of weeks.
Anybody had Achilles work?
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Khunter
Well-known member
when my heel hurt it ended up being gout.
BrentD
Well-known member
I've hurt my Achilles twice this year. Both times have taken 2 months of Physical Therapy to get back to relatively okay mobility, though I'm still not running. I haven't torn it, but I have inflamed it to the point it was noticeably swollen. In my experience, this is not something you get over easily. At least, I don't.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Thanks for the info Brent, it's been moderately sore for several months, hunting season has aggravated it, to the point while hiking ridges I've had to stop and rest it. I've had some problems with tearing tendons in the past (distal biceps tear, repaired surgically), and some damaged tendons in shoulder, that we're trying to get better. That makes me pretty concerned about real damage being done, or being escalated. Dr (general orthopedic surgeon,who referred me to a foot and ankle guy) says the damage is where, in his experience achilles tendons tear apart, and he didn't even want to try PT . That makes me worried more about a complete rupture, because then they get to work on calf muscles, too. I'm currently just limping around,wearing a brace, and trying not to stretch any more than I have to.
BrentD
Well-known member
If you have chronic tendons and ligaments problems, you might want to get your vitamin D checked. I could hardly walk out to my truck in the parking lot at 1 point both my Achilles hurt and were swollen, but it wasn't from injury it was from lack of vitamin D, even though I was outside in the sunshine all the time and I eat a very vitamin D rich diet. It just turns out I have to take 5000 units a day to be normal. I suspect that's what made me prone to the injuries that I deal with now.
I'm about to sound like a hypocondriac, but thanks for that advice. I do my best to wear sunscreen every day, and avoid extra sunshine, due to familial and personal history with melanoma. I don't think my gp has checked that, so I'll get it done.
the achilles is a tuff one I tore mine to the point where it was separated by about a half inch right above my ankle (I had a big ski accident)
the Dr. gave me 2 options one to go through therapy and one to get surgery the next day. I opted for the therapy. they put me in a plastic boot for 2-3 weeks then i started therapy for 6 weeks. after lots of therapy (3 times a week) they told me to put my shoes on and walk. 2 days later i triped on a stick all my weight when on bad foot and POP back to square one. Into surgery I go. 5-6 six weeks after surgery I started therapy again. it took 6-8 weeks to walk with one crutch/cane and 6=7 months to walk half way normal its been 2 years and I am all good but I literally had to learn to walk again. Long story but Take good care of it. It's not a injury to mess with I agree with the vitamin D it helps
Hope you heal up fast!!!
the Dr. gave me 2 options one to go through therapy and one to get surgery the next day. I opted for the therapy. they put me in a plastic boot for 2-3 weeks then i started therapy for 6 weeks. after lots of therapy (3 times a week) they told me to put my shoes on and walk. 2 days later i triped on a stick all my weight when on bad foot and POP back to square one. Into surgery I go. 5-6 six weeks after surgery I started therapy again. it took 6-8 weeks to walk with one crutch/cane and 6=7 months to walk half way normal its been 2 years and I am all good but I literally had to learn to walk again. Long story but Take good care of it. It's not a injury to mess with I agree with the vitamin D it helps
Hope you heal up fast!!!
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devon deer
Well-known member
I never knew about vitamin D, interesting.
Mine flares up occasionally, my fix this year was a 1 hour session of hell with a sports physio, but she fixed it, along with her recommended exercises it worked a treat, best $40 I have ever spent.
Cheers
Richard
Mine flares up occasionally, my fix this year was a 1 hour session of hell with a sports physio, but she fixed it, along with her recommended exercises it worked a treat, best $40 I have ever spent.
Cheers
Richard
There are known risk factors with certain classes of medications that have shown increased risk of tendon injury. Implicated are steroids, antibiotics like Cipro and statin (cholesterol) drugs.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27535265
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27535265
Nemont
Well-known member
I had a complete tear of my achilles five years ago so I am extra conscience of proper stretching every day. The doc also told my the deal with Vitamin D and I have been taking supplements ever since. I also lost 66 lbs and that has done wonders.
Nemont
Nemont
I have seen 4-5 full Achilles tears in my life. One was during football practice in college and the others were at noon basketball with old guys. My buddy who is a EMT on a life flight helo said that males over 40 tear their Achilles easily. He said you need to stretch.
With that from what I have seen I would take a Achilles tear over a ACL. They hurt more and take a little longer to come back from but once you come back you are back. ACL's linger for a long time.
With that from what I have seen I would take a Achilles tear over a ACL. They hurt more and take a little longer to come back from but once you come back you are back. ACL's linger for a long time.
FishN4Eyes
Well-known member
I suffered a complete rupture about 10 years ago.
It was a long recovery and I felt a 100% after about 18 months.
I still play b-ball and softball and do everything I did before but like Nemont does, I am quite mindful of stretching prior to doing any heavy exercise.
They say if you rupture one, chances are high you'll do the other. I don't like to think about that very much.
Hope you heal up!
It was a long recovery and I felt a 100% after about 18 months.
I still play b-ball and softball and do everything I did before but like Nemont does, I am quite mindful of stretching prior to doing any heavy exercise.
They say if you rupture one, chances are high you'll do the other. I don't like to think about that very much.
Hope you heal up!
BrentD
Well-known member
A grad student here had a complete rupture and about 1-1.5 yrs later, the other one let go.
Volley ball. It is a killer.
deer_shooter
Well-known member
Partially tore mine in 2016 with a cracked joint and detached ligament. During the with the ankle reconstruction, my Doc put a stitch in the Achilles to help it along. I was hiking (carefully) in about 4 months.
Nemont
Well-known member
The hurtful part to my achilles rupture is that I did dancing at a wedding dance. No football need just enough vitamin beer.
Nemont
