Has anyone returned to being relatively close to form after serious Achilles injury? I did a number on my left Achilles back in June, second time in 10 years same foot. Frustrating thing is I had hip replacement surgery in Dec '16 and had just been released to begin training when the Achilles blew out. I spent June through October in a boot, then had serious surgery. Doctor grafted the tendon from my big toe and part of my calf to help support the Achilles. Cast for 6 weeks right up to Christmas, then back into a boot. Follow up showed the Achilles not healing, so back into a cast for another 6-8 weeks. So, I am about 2 years in the negative on my training. Hoping to be back to training by Mar-Apr. Any suggestions on how rehab the Achilles? Thanks.
In case you haven’t found it yet a great resource is here. I only struggle along with a damaged one, nothing as dramatic as your surgery. So I can’t help you much specifically. What I would say is that little and often is working much better for me than trying to get back to longer distances that I used to do. I’ve lost years by trying to build up to marathon type mileage where as my current thinking is if I just do whatever I can do every other day then good things will happen in the long term. I’d also dismissed maximal cushioned shoes but I tried them in desperation and they do seem to make running more pain free and I can get more runs done in a given time. Of course shoe choice will always be individual I just mean keep an open mind and reconsider things you may of dismissed before. Eccentric heel drops, foam rolling and yoga all seem to help.
Thank you for the input. I also had not thought about maximum cushion shoes before. I may take a look at them when I can actually wear a pair again. I’ve worn out several right shoes over the last 8 months. Us old guys need to stick together.
My achilles ruptured completly in May 2017. Had surgery which went well and then leg in a cast for two weeks. Then I had an airboot for another six weeks. Started swimming and biking after that, running at a very easy pace started on a treadmill in september. Now Im back to normal, have been running 45km per week 4 weeks in a row, longest run 21kms in terrain. No problems running uphill or doing intervalls at 3:45min/km. My physio is a good trainingbuddy which has been very helpful. Im 42 year old. My recovery has been much better than I anticipated, althou my physio says its what he expected. So its possible to bounce back quite quick, don’t give up!
Roller wise, I use a foam roller and I have a trigger point roller that is a lot fancier and the next level of firmness. I’ve read some people use a section of PVC pipe so it seems like getting firmer is the progression. But it’s an odd feeling to begin with so start with a soft roller. I was kind of laughing at myself because it was a weird mix of very sore and quite satisfying. I’m not describing it well but you do get used to it. If you want to entertain someone let them watch the first time you do it.
Body wise mainly the calf muscles. But then further up the leg as well, rarely the lower back. The great thing about rolling is it is part diagnostic and part therapeutic, IMHO. So watch a few videos about rolling specific parts of the body. When you do it you should find the feeling for any muscle is anywhere between very sore and fine. But you don’t necessarily know before you start. So then you concentrate on the sore bits. As I say for me the benefit is loosening up the calf muscles but start there and move further away and if it is sore that is where you want to be working.
I too snapped my Achilles back in 2011 - it was a slow recovery but I am happy to say that the more diligent you are with PT, the better your outcome will be. Make sure you take it easy at first and limit your running, for me I did a ton of cycling to get myself and my leg back into shape. When I started back to running, I was limited to the track so there was no chance of a trip and fall that would re-rupture.
When I say be diligent with the PT - you will come back with one strong leg and one weak - the harder you push it initially the greater your chances of injury because you will be heavily compensating for the weak leg. The more you can even your legs out slowly, the better.
Since my surgery, I have been able to beat my PR’s in half marathons, triathlons, and cycling TT’s so just be patient (yes I know its a tough thing for a triathlete) and you will get there. If you have any questions just let me know, I am happy to help!
Thank you. It is encouraging to hear from folks that understand what this is like and have returned to the active lifestyle of a multi-sport athlete. Hopefully I will be back on the course this year.
I am not a medical professional. I am just someone whose had horrible luck and have had multiple achilles surgeries. The achilles will take 12-18 months to fully heal. As I went through the process, one of the best lessons my DPT imparted on me was to gradually work on balance, stability, and gait. Balance boards, stretch bands, and sleds all played a significant role in my rehab. 1’m 15 months post my last surgery and I’m back up to 90%+ of were I was. I can ride as much as I want. My strength is back to pre surgery levels, but most importantly, I am able to jump “and Land”. The hardest part of the recovery was the ability of the tendon to take the rapid deceleration and force that is placed on the tendon when “landing”. Building up to weighted step-ups to work on my toe off strength were instrumental to me being able to toe off while running.
So my two cents after suffering from years of achilles issues would be to make sure both the top and bottom of the kinetic chain is strong and mobile. Work on hip and glute stability and mobility. Make sure your ankle and foot is mobile as well. I am sure you are getting all the strength training you can for your calf.
Being immobile in a cast I would make sure that foot and ankle are ready for the shock absorption by being flexible.
If you have had a hip replacement I am sure you won’t be running much?
I have had both Achilles injected with PRP, but that had been after months of other conservative treatment.
Best of luck.
