PT exercises (pics and vid) @11 weeks (two shoes phase)
August 22nd, 2015
22AUG15, R+11 weeks, Non-op, early weight bearing protocol
The past two weeks have produced a lot of progress. I took it easy for a few days after walking too much early in week 10, but this past week (week 11) my AT felt solid and I was able to really focus on exercises and trying to make progress toward a normal walking stride length and rolling motion for my injured foot. I still do not have enough strength in the calf to push the heel up from the ground normally while walking, but I am giving it max effort and the calf is getting stronger each day.
Many things, such as the way I use my foot while driving, are starting to feel “normal” again, which feels great. I still get a fair amount of swelling by the end of the work day, so I elevate at the office when I can and still ice every evening. My “Elasto Gel” flexible foot ice wrap arrived this week, and that turned out to be $31 well spent. Using the old school ice pack, I would ice for 15 minutes, then reposition the pack to another part of my ankle for another 15, then another. With this new wrap, the whole foot and ankle get the cryo benefit at once.
My Physical Therapist has been giving me a lot of new exercises to help improve my balance, stability, strength and walking motion. I tried to post photos the blog, but seem to lack the Wordpress mojo to make that happen. Instead, I posted them to the ART Facebook page in an album. Hopefully anyone interested in them can view them at this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.10153583687629485&type=1 .
A buddy asked for a video to explain the exercises, as the photos were not quite enough to explain the walking motions. Here ya go: https://youtu.be/rUaLCe1xIfc .
My Therapist often tells me to relax and trust my AT, saying that it has healed (yes, past tense). Has anyone else heard the same at this stage of recovery?
Happy healing, everyone!
-Evan
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See also:
- R+33 Weeks - nearly normal again (January 24th, 2016)
- R+20 weeks: video progress update (October 30th, 2015)
- R+20 weeks, starting to run again (October 25th, 2015)
- Flirting with normalcy @ 19 weeks (October 17th, 2015)
- Wear and tear (October 5th, 2015)
August 24th, 2015 at 2:43 am
Just got my Elasto-Gel, too, Evan. It’s great, and I only wish I had gotten it sooner!
August 24th, 2015 at 3:00 am
Amen, brother! I initially thought that I would not be contending with swelling at this stage, and let my “frugality” sway me from making the purchase. Lesson learned: always listen to Donna! That thing rocks!
August 24th, 2015 at 7:31 am
Hey Man,
So good to hear positive stories..! 6 weeks in Non Op and feeling positive. Will start aggressive exercises from this week. Only moving to neutral during the next 2 days or so in the boot. I have been full weight bearing for 2 weeks now and it is going really well.
Let me know if you have any tipes moving forward now. It is guys like you that give hope to guys like me…!
Have an awesome day!
AJ
August 25th, 2015 at 12:59 am
Congrats on your progress, AJ. From the day I put the crutches aside, quality of life improved exponentially and the progress has been slow but very steady. I credit my Physical Therapist for keeping me on track (defined as not being too aggressive and getting me hurt again, and not letting me wuss out and stagnate). A buddy on this blog asked for some suggestions, and though I’ve never been one for getting in front of a camera, I made a few videos and put them in a playlist with some other ATR rehab videos. For your consideration…
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu1nHtWBBf8YfYz6JCH4z_vrVBF592gHI
I hope they contain some info that is useful to you. Happy healing! -Evan
August 25th, 2015 at 8:37 pm
Congratulations on your progress. It is great that you have a good physical therapist. They can make a big difference to recovery.
Thanks for uploading the videos. They are useful especially for those of us who don’t have a PT.
August 26th, 2015 at 5:09 pm
Thanks, kiwibug! I owe a lot to my PT, I am glad to hear that the videos have been helpful to someone.
The insight gained from this community has been invaluable to me, so thanks for posting your own progress! Congrats on your own recent victory on the stairs. I still plant my heel, hang 2/3 of my foot over the edge and roll on my way down. If I put more of my foot on the step, I ask my AT for more dorsi flexion than it is ready to give. It will happen in due time.
Good luck!