Comments for Achilles Healing - Tom's Road to Recovery http://achillesblog.com/tomtom A blog chronicling my Achilles tendon rupture and recovery Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:16:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Exercise by normofthenorth http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/comment-page-1/#comment-481 normofthenorth Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:11:01 +0000 http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/#comment-481 Destorey, 6 wkS NWB is nuts. Check out bit.ly/UWOProtocol and hit your Doc with a printout. UWO got excellent results your Doc doesn't dream of getting... The good news is that a dumb slow old-fashioned rehab doesn't do much clinical harm post-op (they're TOXIC post-NON-op!), but you're still being driven mad for no benefit -- and maybe even some harm. If you decide to rebel, be smart and incremental. Don't jump ahead to UWO's schedule, but taper or phase a gradual transition to catch up. Each rehab step builds on the previous ones, so the calendar's only part of the story. Good luck! Destorey, 6 wkS NWB is nuts. Check out bit.ly/UWOProtocol and hit your Doc with a printout. UWO got excellent results your Doc doesn’t dream of getting…
The good news is that a dumb slow old-fashioned rehab doesn’t do much clinical harm post-op (they’re TOXIC post-NON-op!), but you’re still being driven mad for no benefit — and maybe even some harm.

If you decide to rebel, be smart and incremental. Don’t jump ahead to UWO’s schedule, but taper or phase a gradual transition to catch up. Each rehab step builds on the previous ones, so the calendar’s only part of the story.

Good luck!

]]> Comment on Exercise by ryanb http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/comment-page-1/#comment-480 ryanb Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:41:40 +0000 http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/#comment-480 destorey, here are some thoughts (from right about the 4 week mark) related to your question: achillesblog.com/ryanb/2011/09/27/73/ Later in my blog, I talk quite a bit about the progressions of exercises/activites I was able to do as I continued to heal and rehab. destorey, here are some thoughts (from right about the 4 week mark) related to your question:

achillesblog.com/ryanb/2011/09/27/73/

Later in my blog, I talk quite a bit about the progressions of exercises/activites I was able to do as I continued to heal and rehab.

]]> Comment on Exercise by destorey http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/comment-page-1/#comment-479 destorey Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:30:33 +0000 http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/#comment-479 I am very interested in finding out what other people have done to begin to exercise again. I am 4 weeks post op and in a boot and beginning basic leg strenthening exercises and due to go to my doctor for a 6 week check up in two week. I was told to stay NWB for 6 weeks. I can see that many others start with heal weight in the boot before that. I am typically very active and going stir crazy. I ruptured it playing basketball, which I have done twice a week for many years. I also golf a lot and bike, run races, paddle a kayak, play tennis and hike a lot. I am glad to hear stationary bike is okay. That gives me hope for biking. What about an elyptical machine? Is that okay? I am putting and chipping on one leg in the back yard, lifting weights and returning tennis balls on one leg right now but nothing too active and still not weight bearing. Actually my biggest issue is that I haven't driven yet because it is my right leg. I hope to be able to do that soon. How soon have others with a right leg started to drive? Thanks in advance for any input. What a great website for all of us! I am very interested in finding out what other people have done to begin to exercise again. I am 4 weeks post op and in a boot and beginning basic leg strenthening exercises and due to go to my doctor for a 6 week check up in two week. I was told to stay NWB for 6 weeks. I can see that many others start with heal weight in the boot before that. I am typically very active and going stir crazy. I ruptured it playing basketball, which I have done twice a week for many years. I also golf a lot and bike, run races, paddle a kayak, play tennis and hike a lot. I am glad to hear stationary bike is okay. That gives me hope for biking. What about an elyptical machine? Is that okay? I am putting and chipping on one leg in the back yard, lifting weights and returning tennis balls on one leg right now but nothing too active and still not weight bearing. Actually my biggest issue is that I haven’t driven yet because it is my right leg. I hope to be able to do that soon. How soon have others with a right leg started to drive? Thanks in advance for any input. What a great website for all of us!

]]> Comment on Exercise by Fady http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/comment-page-1/#comment-449 Fady Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:07:54 +0000 http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/#comment-449 How long did it take you to get your calf back to nomral size that had surgery on it. I'm struggling big time to gain the size back that i once had on it How long did it take you to get your calf back to nomral size that had surgery on it. I’m struggling big time to gain the size back that i once had on it

]]> Comment on Exercise by ryanb http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/comment-page-1/#comment-447 ryanb Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:52:09 +0000 http://achillesblog.com/tomtom/exercise/#comment-447 Rogerg: Cycling obviously puts a strain on the Achilles- but, relative to most activities, I beleive it to be quite safe, and beneficial. It's sort of like the difference between heat and temperature. A spark has a very high temperature, but does not contain a lot of energy (heat). On the other hand, warming up a swimming pool 2 degrees takes an enormous amount of energy (heat), but it's not a very high temperature. Cycling puts a lot work (akin to heat) through your Achilles. But, the peak loads ("temperature") are relatively small. I scanned through our database of ATR's, and could not find any that were the result of turning the pedals (crashing on a bike doesn't count). I actually believe cycling is so easy on the tendon, that - over the long run - it creates a risk factor. Muscles (your calf) respond to work volume (that heat thing again). Cyclists develop powerful calves. However, my days in the weight room have taught me that connective tissue requries maximum forces to stimulate development - they're very slow to build, but conversely very slow to atrophy too. Anyways- I don't think cycling puts the kind of stresses into the tendon (peak forces) required to stimulate its growth. So you end up wiht this big powerful calf, attached to a relatively weak Achilles. When the system is somehow taken to the breaking point, it's the tendon that goes (ATR). A lot of ATR folks here were/are pretty avid cyclists... but we all broke our tendon doing something else. I think careful cycling is a great post ATR rehab activity. It stimulates the domant calf, has low peak forces, gets the ankle moving, etc. - all good things. Start off in low gears (spin!). Be very careful pushing off to start: there has been at least one re-rupture from that. And, don't crash! Some liked to start out without clipless pedals - personally, I used them from the get go- I liked that they positioned my foot on the pedal securely and predictably. Rogerg: Cycling obviously puts a strain on the Achilles- but, relative to most activities, I beleive it to be quite safe, and beneficial.

It’s sort of like the difference between heat and temperature. A spark has a very high temperature, but does not contain a lot of energy (heat). On the other hand, warming up a swimming pool 2 degrees takes an enormous amount of energy (heat), but it’s not a very high temperature. Cycling puts a lot work (akin to heat) through your Achilles. But, the peak loads (”temperature”) are relatively small. I scanned through our database of ATR’s, and could not find any that were the result of turning the pedals (crashing on a bike doesn’t count).

I actually believe cycling is so easy on the tendon, that - over the long run - it creates a risk factor. Muscles (your calf) respond to work volume (that heat thing again). Cyclists develop powerful calves. However, my days in the weight room have taught me that connective tissue requries maximum forces to stimulate development - they’re very slow to build, but conversely very slow to atrophy too. Anyways- I don’t think cycling puts the kind of stresses into the tendon (peak forces) required to stimulate its growth. So you end up wiht this big powerful calf, attached to a relatively weak Achilles. When the system is somehow taken to the breaking point, it’s the tendon that goes (ATR). A lot of ATR folks here were/are pretty avid cyclists… but we all broke our tendon doing something else.

I think careful cycling is a great post ATR rehab activity. It stimulates the domant calf, has low peak forces, gets the ankle moving, etc. - all good things. Start off in low gears (spin!). Be very careful pushing off to start: there has been at least one re-rupture from that. And, don’t crash! Some liked to start out without clipless pedals - personally, I used them from the get go- I liked that they positioned my foot on the pedal securely and predictably.

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