4 weeks 2 days to FWB (9 days after cast is off….)
Posted on August 20th, 2011 by peterc
Seems crazy, but I had my cast taken off on August 11th and yesterday to my surprise I suddenly found myself walking without crutches!
The cast came off Thursday 8/11 and I was NWB for 6 days. I went back to the Dr. on Wed 17th to have him look at the incision ( thought it was opening up which it wasn’t) and was told i was clear to PWB and that over the next 2 week I would get to FWB. Well here I am 3 days later and pretty easily able to FWB in ROBO Boot and an “Evenup” on the other foot.
I am going to take it super easy (may still use a crutch periodically) as I don’t want to rush things. It just seems quick to me….
Filed under: Uncategorized and
Hey Peter,
Plenty of recent studies suggest early weight bearing is best. And nope, doesn’t seem too fast to me. Check out the atr tracker on the site (look for it in the left sidebar on the main page), it will give you a good idea if you’re moving much too fast or way behind. Not that it matters — everyone heals at a different pace, but I still found it helpful to judge if I was pushing too hard.
Peter - your time frame is similar to mine so I would not be too worried about it being too quick to FWB. You should not take this as an indication that you can skip a few steps and walk without the boot. The first 6-8 weeks of your recovery are very important. Although modern studies do indicate early weight bearing and movement is beneficial to healing they are still require a level of protection until the tendon is properly joined. You will most likely experience a bit more swelling in the foot as you become more mobile. Take some time to put your leg up and use ice packs. You should also be able to start some massage of the tendon, up and down, across and even on the scar. Use a good vitamin E cream and don’t forget to give the calf a good rub as well. You would also be able to do some light exercises with your foot while sitting with the leg supported. Most of us write the ABC’s with the foot and flex the foot up and down under its own strength ie. not using something or someone to move your foot. This is called active movement. Passive movement is when you use another force (theraband, another person or your own hand) to move the foot and I would not advise doing that for some time. Using a crutch on uneven ground or busy areas is also helpful but you will find yourself not needing it at all very soon. I did use a single crutch on my first few walks in 2 shoes out in the big world until I gained confidence. It also helped to make people around you aware that you were not as able to get out of their way.
Stuart & Deanna
Thanks for the comments. I am definitely in the boot and have no aspirations of getting “out of jail” for another 6 weeks. I had a heel bone spur shaved off in addition to the repair so I also have 3 screws healing in the bone. Very nice to be “mobile” compared to the knee scooter.
icing is a 3x daily routine and the chez lounge and wireless is my new way of life. thank goodness I can work from home like this!
I saw some video where someone spent a lot of time massaging his calf. Is this a way of rebuilding the strength?
I ride the stationary bike daily (boot on) so this has helped with the calf atrophy. Thanks again…..
Massaging the calf won’t do anything for strength but it will help to keep things loose and helps with blood flow. The stationary bike is probably your best friend at the moment. I’m not sure how much it helps with the calf atrophy while it is locked up in the boot but it certainly helps other muscles that will come into play as you walk more. Some people get strength back comparitively fast and others take longer so it will be a wait and see with you.