I’m walking like Frankenstein + A question.
Much like many of you guys said it took me about two days to transition from two crutches, then one crutch, then free-style! Admittedly, I’m walking very slowly and stiffly…like Frankenstein. At least I’ll be ready for Halloween.
I forgot to ask my doctor: Now that I can go FWB can I squat? Not a 400 pound back squat but a simple squat to stretch out my low back. Or will squatting destroy the tendon?
As always, thanks and have a safe journey.
October 1st, 2013 at 9:49 am
I started doing squats at about 6 weeks post-op. By 10 weeks, I was doing full squats with 225. There are pictures, and at least one video sprinkled through my blog. The key, I found, was to drive through my heels, avoiding any motion that would try to roll me up onto my toes. That’s my usual squat style anyways, so it wasn’t much of an adjustment- I just needed to be careful. For maximum stability I used a really flat (wrestling) shoe. That might seem counter-intuitive, but with the right form, it didn’t put excessive stretch into the tendon.
October 1st, 2013 at 12:57 pm
My understanding is that a well fitting boot immobilizes the tendon so squatting in a boot shouldn’t do any damage. I had to squat to clean the litter box and had no issues. The rocker heel and lack of foot strength made balancing difficult though.
You probably already have this figured out but make sure you are walking the right way in the boot. Your Frankenstein comment reminded me of Ryanb’s video on how to walk in a boot. You might want to check it out.
October 1st, 2013 at 5:50 pm
I’ve been doing squats since going FWB, too; at PT, they have me doing then w/o weights, but at the gym, I’ve been trying to get back to where I was pre-surgery — though I have yet to use weights since going into two shoes. Like ryanb, I think the key is to keep your weight on your heels; I find that curling my toes up (the one direction all ten of them will actually go!) helps; then it’s just a matter making sure you don’t try to progress too quickly with the weight (or do too deep a squat).
October 1st, 2013 at 10:31 pm
Like KG, I’m concerned that you’re walking like Frankenstein in a walking boot. Once you’re FWB, you should be able to walk ~100% normally, by using the strength and structure of the boot to do the job that your calf and AT did 6 months ago. The boot should be snug enough and stiff enough to transfer all your weight from the ball/.toe of your boot to the front of your shin. Your job is to strike your heel then push your knee forward to roll your weight from heel to toe. The result should be a fast, strong, confident stride.
Your feet should be parallel, toes forward — or at least as close to that as you NORMALLY walk!
Also, if you can install the ATR Timeline Widget (instructions near the top of the Main Page and elsewhere), it will answer all our FAQs about your particulars.
October 3rd, 2013 at 9:52 pm
Wes, my PT told me I can squat now at 8 weeks in 2 shoes if I keep weight on heels. No weights yet. Made my CF coach a little nervous