6 week check up - Starting my own rehab at home
I had my 6 week post op check up today.. Doc was impressed that I can go FWB but still cautioned me on taking it slow. He actually recommended that I use the crutch on my right side still. ( injury on left side) I was given the "ok" to do double leg calf raises (slowly) and resistance therapy on my ankle. He recommended tying a 5lb weight to my foot and moving my ankle up and down. I have resistance bands from 5lbs - 50 lbs. Instead, I will use a resistance band so that its a more gradual pull and I can easily adjust the resistance by shortening the band as opposed to hanging more weights or a heavier weight from my foot. I started with the 5lb band today, and made it to the 15lb resistance band before I felt as if i was actually doing anything
I will continue to use the BFST. that has been a God send thru this, along with vitamin supplements and a strict diet / workout plan. I truly believe that is what helped me be ahead of schedule this whole time. Doctor wants me in the boot for 2 more weeks and I will not contest that with him. The boot is not a problem and will not interfere with me returning to work. I can return to work late next week - FINALLY!!!!!!
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Me, I see more hazards in using one crutch than just walking, if you’re perfectly “tolerating” carrying your own weight, and if you’ve got a good boot-walking technique going. But I think I hated “1 crutch” more than most people, after getting pretty good at using 2, even on stairs.
Are you doing “double leg calf raises (slowly)” OUT of the boot? If so, that seems much more aggressive than walking FWB in the boot. Even doing 2-leg raises in a hinged boot sounds more aggressive than walking, doesn’t it?
(I briefly tried walking BACKWARDS in my hinged boot — in order to keep talking with my pals, when I was boot-walking faster than their pace! — and it was WAY too aggressive for me at that point, so I switched back to forward walking in a hurry!)
I tried one crutch, very difficult. I will stick with fwb for now. Yes, he wants me to lean up on a counter top and do calf raises in bare feet, as much as I can tolerate. I tried them last night for the first time and it is challenging. This morning the Achilles tendon seems a bit swollen but I was told that is from the resistance exercises that I did last night Although it is a bit swollen, it doesn’t hurt. I am using the BFST ankle brace 3x a day still. I plan on doing more ankle therapy and resistance training today..
Good going!
If you have access to a pool with water at least to your hips, you can extend your range of exercises a lot. Very much recommended at your stage!
And starting two-legged heel raies at 6 weeks is awesome! Even too aggressive, perhaps? Be careful!
Happy healing!