michaelz’s AchillesBlog

I have read a lot about PT and talked with my DR and with some of my Dr.’s staff and much of what I read talks about how you go to PT get the exercises and do them at home. Some even say you just need to go a couple of times and then there is no need.

While I understand there is a financial piece to the PT appointment, a co-pay here in the U.S., other than still not being able to drive to PT, I would love to go there every day if I could. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t. I started with my first visit on Monday which wasn’t much more than meeting the PTherapist, meeting his staff, getting a personalized home exercise routine, going over the home exercises/stretches and then getting a 10 minute ice down.

I thought, hmm that’s kind of lame but then again I just started, let’s see how visit #2 goes. That was yesterday and it was hard core and a lot of fun!

1. Met with my PTherapist, SERGE (No not the Serge from the wedding planner haha) he did some ROM tests and stretches.

2. Then I had the massage therapist come in and he massages my lower leg, WOW that was tight.

3. Then the Massage Therapist did some ultrasound to help break up scar tissue

4. Then met with my trainer who had me do:

A. 7 minutes on an exercise bike
B. all of the home stretches but with weights (found out later it was basically 1 pound of weight, enough to get a burn in my calf)
C. a contraption to work on strength in my toes - personally the most frustrating for me because I had good strength in my toes and now I have none
D. another home-made contraption to work on toe strength. Looked like something from old England out of the Tower of London - “Off with your toes!”

5. Then I got E-Stim and an ice bath at the same time. So refreshing.

By the time I was done there I had a LOT more ROM than I did before and it gave me hope that when the PT said he could have me playing golf by mid July and walking the course by Mid August that he really meant it.

Supposedly the heel lift comes off tomorrow and then I have 2 weeks left in the boot and onto 2 shoes and DRIVING.