Comments for vmack's AchillesBlog http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack Just another AchillesBlog.com weblog Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:33:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Training at the GYM with DAS BOOT by rugbyjo http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/2011/05/22/training-at-the-gym-with-das-boot/comment-page-1/#comment-8 rugbyjo Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:18:40 +0000 http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/?p=7#comment-8 Thanks Vince - this was an older post but helpful for me. I just had surgery a week ago and still in my cast and out of work. I, like you, am worried about gaining weight. You've given me hope that I can get back to the gym soon and I had to laugh about the crutch thing cause that's my fear - people will be looking at me and wondering "why is she in here". Even though I have to stay elevated for awhile - I've been able to figure out ho to do push ups from the stairs! I'm excited to get on the bike and appreciated your tips. Cheers! JoJo Thanks Vince - this was an older post but helpful for me. I just had surgery a week ago and still in my cast and out of work. I, like you, am worried about gaining weight. You’ve given me hope that I can get back to the gym soon and I had to laugh about the crutch thing cause that’s my fear - people will be looking at me and wondering “why is she in here”. Even though I have to stay elevated for awhile - I’ve been able to figure out ho to do push ups from the stairs! I’m excited to get on the bike and appreciated your tips.

Cheers!
JoJo

]]> Comment on New User - Freak Accident by hjacobs http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/2011/04/16/new-user-freak-accident/comment-page-1/#comment-6 hjacobs Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:46:17 +0000 http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/?p=3#comment-6 I just got out of the cast, from a touch rugby incident, and i was training for a full marathon as well. So that is out for me this year. My Physio recommended Deep water jogging, you can google it and find the belt, she says start in the pool and then give it two weeks and give a call to the clinic to start physio. But the resistance of the water is beneficial for healing. and water jogging is not weight bearing. Cheers Harry I just got out of the cast, from a touch rugby incident, and i was training for a full marathon as well. So that is out for me this year. My Physio recommended Deep water jogging, you can google it and find the belt, she says start in the pool and then give it two weeks and give a call to the clinic to start physio. But the resistance of the water is beneficial for healing. and water jogging is not weight bearing.

Cheers
Harry

]]> Comment on New User - Freak Accident by jenn http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/2011/04/16/new-user-freak-accident/comment-page-1/#comment-5 jenn Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:45:48 +0000 http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/?p=3#comment-5 Vmack: Wow! I completely know how you are feeling. I'm also a young athlete (16 at the time of my AT rupture) and it was quite a fluke as well. No doctor, surgeon, or physiotherapist that I went to was able to come up with a reason that this happened to me... it was just a fluke. I've found that a common trend with most people on this site. Having a similar situation... I want to give you fair warning. Whatever your protocol is, follow it. While rehabbing you have to find the balance between pushing for a faster recovery and pushing it too far. The worst thing you could do is overdo your exercises and have setbacks. However, it's definitely beneficial to work hard and consistently with your PT. It's just a balance, that's all. As for the exercises you're asking about, I had a few that I found pretty helpful. I was in a walking cast but NWB for 6 weeks post-op... I began just by trying to wiggle my toes. Later: As many times a day as I could I was to -move my toes towards my shin and hold for 10 seconds, release, reps of 10 (for range of motion) -windshield wipers... moving toes side to side slowly (hold for a couple seconds at each side) to reduce stiffness in ankle -activate quad/glute/hamstring muscles to prevent atrophy -activate knee when I was allowed to start PT (about 6 weeks post-op) then the real exercises started. But while immobile I just had these simple ones mostly to get things moving and prevent atrophy in the other muscles. Good luck getting into your walking boot, it will become your friend in no time :) Jenn Vmack:
Wow! I completely know how you are feeling. I’m also a young athlete (16 at the time of my AT rupture) and it was quite a fluke as well. No doctor, surgeon, or physiotherapist that I went to was able to come up with a reason that this happened to me… it was just a fluke. I’ve found that a common trend with most people on this site.
Having a similar situation… I want to give you fair warning. Whatever your protocol is, follow it. While rehabbing you have to find the balance between pushing for a faster recovery and pushing it too far. The worst thing you could do is overdo your exercises and have setbacks. However, it’s definitely beneficial to work hard and consistently with your PT. It’s just a balance, that’s all.

As for the exercises you’re asking about, I had a few that I found pretty helpful.
I was in a walking cast but NWB for 6 weeks post-op… I began just by trying to wiggle my toes. Later:
As many times a day as I could I was to
-move my toes towards my shin and hold for 10 seconds, release, reps of 10 (for range of motion)
-windshield wipers… moving toes side to side slowly (hold for a couple seconds at each side) to reduce stiffness in ankle
-activate quad/glute/hamstring muscles to prevent atrophy
-activate knee

when I was allowed to start PT (about 6 weeks post-op) then the real exercises started. But while immobile I just had these simple ones mostly to get things moving and prevent atrophy in the other muscles.

Good luck getting into your walking boot, it will become your friend in no time :)

Jenn

]]> Comment on New User - Freak Accident by normofthenorth http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/2011/04/16/new-user-freak-accident/comment-page-1/#comment-4 normofthenorth Sun, 17 Apr 2011 06:08:32 +0000 http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/?p=3#comment-4 There are two very similar versions of the exercise and PT (etc.) schedule from my fave study, done at U. of Western Ontario, known here as "UWO". One version is at bit.ly/UWOProtocol, and the other is linked from the full text of the study itself, which is included in the "ATR Rehab Protocols, Publications, Studies" page that linked from the Main Page here. (The first version was faxed by the study authors to my surgeon in mid-2009, and the second version was published with the study in late 2010.) There are also a few other protocols linked from that page and others here. I believe that the UWO study got as good or better results (with and without surgery) than most or all of the others, though I haven't rigorously compared them. It is amazing how many of our ATRs -- especially those that happened during sports activities -- seemed like out-of-the-blue freak accidents, and yet strongly resembled each other. (Heck, even lightning tends to follow patterns!) It's quite possible that you (and we) had developed a weak spot on your AT, and that if that cleat hadn't stuck you'd have torn it a few months or years later. People who have AT problems before their ATRs are in the minority, so there's no diagnostic evidence to help us out. If you can, please install the "ATR Timeline" Widget, details on the Main Page, so we can all easily review your FAQ-type facts. The first-month exercises are usually variations on gentle wiggling, gradually morphing into gentle and highly controlled strength building, e.g., against a hand-held towel or Theraband. And you don't want to dorsiflex past neutral (90 degrees) for some time, especially with external force ("passively"). There are two very similar versions of the exercise and PT (etc.) schedule from my fave study, done at U. of Western Ontario, known here as “UWO”. One version is at bit.ly/UWOProtocol, and the other is linked from the full text of the study itself, which is included in the “ATR Rehab Protocols, Publications, Studies” page that linked from the Main Page here. (The first version was faxed by the study authors to my surgeon in mid-2009, and the second version was published with the study in late 2010.)

There are also a few other protocols linked from that page and others here. I believe that the UWO study got as good or better results (with and without surgery) than most or all of the others, though I haven’t rigorously compared them.

It is amazing how many of our ATRs — especially those that happened during sports activities — seemed like out-of-the-blue freak accidents, and yet strongly resembled each other. (Heck, even lightning tends to follow patterns!) It’s quite possible that you (and we) had developed a weak spot on your AT, and that if that cleat hadn’t stuck you’d have torn it a few months or years later. People who have AT problems before their ATRs are in the minority, so there’s no diagnostic evidence to help us out.

If you can, please install the “ATR Timeline” Widget, details on the Main Page, so we can all easily review your FAQ-type facts.

The first-month exercises are usually variations on gentle wiggling, gradually morphing into gentle and highly controlled strength building, e.g., against a hand-held towel or Theraband. And you don’t want to dorsiflex past neutral (90 degrees) for some time, especially with external force (”passively”).

]]> Comment on New User - Freak Accident by Jessie http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/2011/04/16/new-user-freak-accident/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Jessie Sat, 16 Apr 2011 21:42:51 +0000 http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/?p=3#comment-3 PS. I don't know why it says my name is Jessieche. PS. I don’t know why it says my name is Jessieche.

]]> Comment on New User - Freak Accident by Jessieche http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/2011/04/16/new-user-freak-accident/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Jessieche Sat, 16 Apr 2011 21:41:33 +0000 http://AchillesBlog.com/vmack/?p=3#comment-2 Hey, Chris told me that you were injured, sorry for not checking in on how you are doing. What a horrible April Fool's day prank. I giggled a little bit that the anti-spam word I had to type in in order to leave this comment was "agility". Funny, but your injury is not. I wish you a speedy recovery! I'm no help for post-surgery exercises because the only surgery I had was tonsil removal and the exercise was eating as much icecream as possible! Hopefully you haven't killed too many braincells with hours of COD, however, I think Chris enjoyed some multi-player. Although, he might be cutting back his hours of COD because he is moving to Regina in about 10 days. I believe we will be hosting a party in May. Possibly one appropriately titled "Fishmas". You are definitely invited, I at least know you won't be trying to kick in any of my walls. Take care Vince, hopefully we can catch up soon. -Jessie Hey,

Chris told me that you were injured, sorry for not checking in on how you are doing. What a horrible April Fool’s day prank.

I giggled a little bit that the anti-spam word I had to type in in order to leave this comment was “agility”. Funny, but your injury is not. I wish you a speedy recovery!

I’m no help for post-surgery exercises because the only surgery I had was tonsil removal and the exercise was eating as much icecream as possible! Hopefully you haven’t killed too many braincells with hours of COD, however, I think Chris enjoyed some multi-player. Although, he might be cutting back his hours of COD because he is moving to Regina in about 10 days. I believe we will be hosting a party in May. Possibly one appropriately titled “Fishmas”. You are definitely invited, I at least know you won’t be trying to kick in any of my walls.

Take care Vince, hopefully we can catch up soon.
-Jessie

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