I can’t believe this!
Hi all. My name is Lisa and I consider myself a fairly active and fit 40 year old. Anyway, less than a week ago, I was in the middle of a Jazzercise class (yes, Jazzercise) when my mind and body were in conflict as whether to go forward or backward. I landed funny (trying to go two different directions at the same time) and immediately felt a pop in the middle of my right calf. I hopped over the the corner as I couldn’t put any pressure on my right foot, and sat down. I didn’t know what was happening but figured that it couldn’t be good. I tried icing it and stretching it but since the pain was unbearable, I decided I better get out of there and go to a doctor as soon as possible. Someone helped me to my car where I called my husband and asked him to meet me at home because I did something bad and needed to go to the doctor ASAP. I then drove myself home, which in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have done. I had to brake with my left foot and had to push my right leg down at my knee just to get going 20 to 25 mph. Luckily, it was mid morning and there wasn’t too much traffic.
Anyway, by the time I got home, my husband arrived and took me to our orthopedic surgeon, who just happens to be on our speed dial. (Unfortunately, our family has a history with injuries and my oldest daughter will be completing her second surgery in less than 6 months this December.) After examining me, he determined that I had a partial tear where the Achilles meets the calf muscle. He said that I didn’t need surgery and then proceeded to cast me, toes pointed down, and said he’d see me in two weeks. I had more questions than I asked him, as I was in shock and denial about what had just happened to me. I found this site and started reading and researching my injury. I still have questions about whether or not I need surgery. I’m under the impression that if I do, it should be done within a month of the initial injury, is that correct? Also, is non-surgical treatment as effective as surgical if I want to return to my previous level of activity? Further, does anyone know if a partial tear, as high up as I tore mine, a good candidate for surgery anyway?
It has been reassuring to read that others going through similar situations and having similar issues as I am having. At first I was worried that my heel was developing a pressure point inside of my cast (and thought I would rip it off myself during that first night) but after reading testimonies, discovered that heel pain is a very common complaint. I only wish I wasn’t allergic to most medications and could take something a little stronger than a flexeril and a regular tylenol. Sorry to carry on like this but this is the first time I’ve really just vented about all of this to a bunch of people going through a similar experience. I’d appreciate any advice anyone wishes to share.
Lisa
November 10th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Lisa - sorry to hear that you’ve partially tore your achilles, but I am glad that you found us. Please read http://achillesblog.com/atr-rehab-protocols/ There is a section on surgery vs. non operative treatment. Since your injury is a partial tear, how the doctors treat it may be little different from a complete rupture. I definitely recommend a second opinion from another orthopedic surgeon and reading as much as you can on this site. There’s a lot of useful information related to ATR (and partial rupture) here.
Btw, it seems like there is a more of a tendency to treat ATR non operatively in the UK.
November 10th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Hello Lisa,
Bad luck with your injury it’s a bugger it really is. Its difficult to know where to start because as I’m sure you are finding by reading the blog histories there’s loads and loads of differing types of treatments, opinions,agreement and dis-agreement and that’s just from the doctors!!
What is clear however is that the recovery has to be handled carefully and it takes time - whether you have surgery or not. There are examples on the blog from people who are recovering well after having surgical and non surgical treatment - The USA seem to favour surgery generally.
There’s loads of info on the internet about what’s happened to you, I’d suggest you spend time researching so you ask the surgeon all the things you are worried about - that really helps. He will undoubtably have his favourite way of tackling your injury, they all do, but don’t be afraid to ask.
The last thing is use this blog, there’s so many case-loads on here you can bet your boots someone will have the answer to virtually any question you may have.
Good luck with it all, keep in touch!
Richard
November 11th, 2008 at 1:28 am
Welcome to the sanity boards Lisa,
I was in the same boat as you, my ATR was high up where the achilles begins to migrate into the calf. I’m also non-surgical and almost at 16 weeks post ATR.
You’ll probably find the pain’ll disappear after a few days, then your biggest issue is cabin fever. This injury will test your patience to the limit so try and get out of the house as much as possible. If you are stuck at home then this website and the people on it will provide as much support as they can.
Where are you in the UK? there’s quite a few of us from this little island wandering the board.
Happy Healing,
Jon
February 5th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Hi Lisa,
I think that there is sometimes confusion regarding the diagnosis of these conditions.
I was playing badminton in the Autumn and thought I had been kicked hard in the calf, then collapsed with the pain. I went to A&E where two general medics diagnosed an achilles rupture. Even although I am over 50, I was advised, after discussing the pro’s and con’s, to get surgery as I play a lot of sport.
However, when I saw the ortho specialist the next day, he carried out an ultrasound and was quite definitive that the tendon (at the classical point of rupture) was intact. His diagnosis was a muscle-tendon (MT) junction rupture where the gastroc and soleus muscle had partially ripped away from the tendon. This is the area where the tendon turns into the muscle. (its a gradual rather than abrupt change).
He was equally adamant that an operation would not be of any use (or even feasible) for this condition and that this would only be performed if the tendon had parted company with itself, not the muscle.
In terms of the recovery, I was 4 weeks in a cast nwb and 4 weeks in a boot pwb with flexibility exercises when the boot was off. The recovery time and problems are very similar to those reported on this site, but likely not quite as long, or intense. It has taken 14 weeks for me to get back to a reasonable level of non-high impact movement and the physio aspects are really identical to what others describe here. In terms of atrophy, the gastoc wasn’t too much effected, but the soleus has been more of a problem and is slow to build up again. For several months, the tendon and muscle from the calf to the ankle was like a hard swollen rod and is only now improving with deep massage and ultrasound from the physio. The ortho guy, however, is re-assuring that this will completely heal, but that full strength at the junction can take a year to achieve. No impact sport for another 6 months!
Some people on this site describe injuries that appear more like MT junction ruptures and I wonder if the medics are not being particularly good at explaining the differences (and the implication for treatment options).
February 5th, 2009 at 11:00 am
boy, that sounds AWFULLY similar to what happened to me and was why I didn’t think it was my achilles. I felt like my calf cramped hard, then I felt a “pop” just below the calf. the radiologist who read the MRI said he didn’t think I’d need surgery but two sports med surgeons said they thought I did (I had surgery 1/8/09 and have been internally questioning the decision ever since). They’ve been calling it a “partial proximal tear,” but I wonder…