I decided yesterday to try and go out wearing 2 shoes. I went to a local shopping centre which I am very familiar with and knew was not very busy, I went there and had lunch and then went and did a little grocery shopping with my wife.
It went well and I felt no pain but I was guarding my achilles by the way I was walking and it did make my shins and the front of my foot/ankle ache somewhat. The physio told me that shin splints and bad news are often a bi-product of incorrect walking after an achilles injury and that I should walk a little less until I am able to do multiple one legged heel lifts with my bad leg.
In the afternoon I did my hydrotherapy and was actually able to do my first one legged heel lift if the water was about shoulder height, and waist height I was still unable to do one.
I was also started with a resistance band and need to do 3 reps of 10 x 5 seconds to strengthen the ankle area. I cannot see much changing in the next few weeks as I will be overseas and will not see my OS or Physio but I have plenty of exercises to keep me going while I am away and will hopefully be all good when I get back.
2 responses so far ↓
1 donna // Aug 13, 2015 at 2:19 am
OK Matt you are making me nervous because I think it’s just too early for standing single leg heel raises, even in water. I’m curious as to who told you that would be helpful at only 6 weeks?
I freely admit to not knowing anything about doing a heel lift/drop program in water, but what I do know from my own experience and research is that a heel lift/drop program is a incremental progression of concentric and eccentric movements.
Example: you start with seated double heel lifts (focus is on the concentric movement), move to standing double heel lifts with assistance then without, move to going up on two but coming down on repaired leg (this is an eccentric movement)…etc. There is really good sci. evidence for this type of program. Double leg standing heel lifts with or without assistance usually start around 10 - 12 weeks.
Umass boston has a great program called Toe raising progression for this injury which starts at 12 weeks and finishes at 5 - 6 months with single heel lift on effected leg.
Also, as for the shin splints, I only got them when I used heel wedges in my shoes as I was directed by my OS…when we realized the heel wedges were creating shin issues I took them out & the shin issues went away never to return.
Hope this helps!
2 Mattycee // Aug 13, 2015 at 5:18 am
Thanks for the concern Donna, it was my Physio that prescribed attempting it. I wouldn’t be too concerned though as I would never attempt it out of water as I can feel it straining at my tendon before I’ve moved a mm off the ground. In the water it’s not pulling on the tendon at all, so it may be other muscles in combination with the extra buoyancy that allows me to do it.
Even at waist height I’m unable to do it as it feels the same as out of the pool and it’s also after I’ve done my other hydro exercises so I’ve loosened up my ankle enough for it not to strain the tendon.
I’m pretty careful and listen to my body so as to not do any damage, especially before I go overseas on Saturday. I want to ensure a good outcome while still being somewhat conservative so I guess you can say I’m on the aggressive side of conservative! ☺
What I do, I do without pain, if it hurts (Really hurts not aches) I stop and ice/rest it for the rest of the day. Honestly I’m still very tentative and even in the boot I walk in such a way as to not strain the achilles, so I’m not going to do anything that may risk re-rupture.
The exercises I’ve been given are based on my mobility, and the two physios I’ve seen cannot believe how well I’ve healed without surgery. That may be why I’ve been prescribed, and been able to do certain activities sooner than normal?? (If there’s such a thing with an ATR!)
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