Month 8: Achilles Tendon Rupture Non-Surgical - Don't be Afraid of Changing Practitioners!

Month 8: Achilles Tendon Rupture Non-Surgical - Don't be Afraid of Changing Practitioners!
Discussion points:
- Get a second opinion from doctors and physios
- Now at 10.5kg single calf raise
- 9cm knee to walk
- Heel lifts will be your best friend

[@adamwatson3558]

Hi SJ, and all rupturees out there.. Firstly SJ, I'd like to thank you for taking the time and effort in making fantastic and informative videos. I ruptured my right Achilles 6 weeks ago. I was put in a boot immediately (~2h after injury) and then saw my surgeon again 10-days later. Him and his team were convinced that I had only partially ruptured mine as it felt intact on a physical examination and I could feel it stretching as he flexed my foot. Had an ultrasound last week (5weeks after injury) and the doctor confirmed I had actually fully ruptured it. I had a negative thompson test at 2/3 weeks post-injury - my foot moved on calf squeeze nearly as much as the other,. I am seeing the surgeon on Thursday which should be interesting as they were all convinced I had partially ruptured it, or actually, not ruptured it at all. I guess I've learnt from my first 6 weeks to always treat your injury with caution even if doctors believe the tendon is not ruptured. Wait for a scan before fully committing to a recovery protocol. By the way, I took a similar approach to you and made sure I was armed with as much up-to-date literature as possible and chose the conservative route. I hope this benefits a comment reader. Thanks again, Adam.

[@topstuff9145]

Fantastic video. Pleased you are doing well. I'm at week 15 and also suffered from tendonitis at week 9-11. I wouldn't have known it was tendonitis if it wasn't for your videos. Same pain. I immediately put a gel lift in my boot and did 1 weeks of 1200mg ibuprofen. Tendonitis disappeared. Went on holiday from UK to India at week 11 and still here at week 15 enjoying my holiday. Eased off the stretching for now.

[@armaya33]

Got the same experience as yours. Glad i seek for 2nd opinion and my orthoped sugest me to do physiotherapy instead of surgery. I'm having magnetic n laser therapy intensively 3 times a week for 3 month and banning me for driving in about 1 month. And the result was awsome. Now i'm in month 10 doing sports like swimming, static bike, walking normally n driving. And waiting for my 1 year anniversary to do my favorite excersice...zumba. wish me luck guys 🙏

[@JasonGBASKETBALL22]

Great to see your progress ! I am now at the beginning of week 17 and have seen the improvement coming each week. I agree that massages by the physio don't really help, instead the excercises and stretches i do and the more walking I do seems to have loosened up everything and got all those leg muscles firing again. I do get pains as well every now and then either in the tendon, or in different parts of the calf but nothing too major. I am now 3.5 - 4cm with my knee to wall stretch and that has definitely improved my walking /limp! Good luck for the upcoming month in your recovery!

[@tonidouthwaite6703]

This is fabulous information thankyou so much x

[@mairigordon6324]

Hey Sj! Ive been loving your videos really informative thankyou. I am 7 months non op, I have a big painful lump on my achilles area which is limiting my improvements. I saw a new practitioner today and he seems like a revolation!!! Told me he thought that scar tissue is blocking my schilles from healing, also said I was doing far too many reps of heal raises, I have put in hundreds of hours in the gym and pool the last few months, and he basically has told me its all been in vain. I have pushed and pushed with my GP and my consultant at the Hospital who assured me at week 12 was making a “rockstar” recovery, i want an ultrasound scan!!!! I have never had one, until now I am going to get one in two weeks time. I already feel that my recovery rehab has nit been the most informative. I am all up for being treated the conservative way like you, however what I have learned over the last 7 months, and oh yeah we learn dont we? We strudy, we research, we are pains in arses to docs and physios, but my goodness we need to be! I am semi pro snowboarder and semi pro surfer here in Scotland. I need to get my fitness back asap if I wanna be competing next year. I have also been off work for almost 7 months now, so I have been putting in the best I can, over and beyond. I love your videos!!! Thankyou for keeping this diary, you are a total legend!! Peace be with you and everyone else who is in recovery, and I hope that I can get some relief from the constant pain I am in and the absolute shocker of an injury we have. Best wishes, Mairi x

[@MsDimplesg]

Hope you are doing much better now! 7 months off work!!! I take it your job involves you being on your feet for most of the day.

[@johngoulding6687]

Thanks for video. Very easyto understand and hope that you have made full recovery. I am a 75 year old active man and completely ruptured my Achillies tendon 3 weeks ago and today is day 16 in a moonboot. I have had to cancel my 2 skiing trips for this year and am hopeful that I will be abkle to ski again next year. I started physio excercises yesterday and go back to my orthopaedic specialist in about 5 weeks. I have no pain and swelling is gradually reducing John Goulding

[@nickvisser673]

How are you now John?

[@Fuzer831]

Hi SJ I've been following your journey and all of your input has been really helpful. However I had a complete rupture 2" above my heel. Right in the middle of the achilles, I went the surgical route. I am 14 weeks post opt at the moment and I'm walking fine. I believe the surgical route was a great option for me as my doctor said I particularly had thin achilles tendons and she was able to reinforce my achilles with the solius muscle. She preferred the conservative route but I read the tendon would heal more properly and cleanly with surgery.

[@helloiamcharlie5801]

I've had 5 opinions from 5 different doctors and only 1 entrttained the non surgical approach but cautioned against it as my achilles not being the same again

[@vvsparis]

the guy ur watching is evidence enough of non-surgical, he recovered 100%

[@takom8994]

Hi SJ, just wondering where in Australia you got treated and which Drs and physio you saw. I have the same injury and was just after some recommendations as I'd like the best care and recovery process.

[@stackinriches]

Hi SJ!! I love your videos. I just ruptured my Achilles Tendon. Would you mind if I reached out to you with some questions?

[@DA-ft8eb]

People, get surgery. 3 months post op after complete rupture : ran 2.5 kilometers yesterday.

[@klajdikaca1991]

Do you have any info for bicep long head,partial tear(40-50% rupture)

[@mariatotie5034]

i have a tendon achille my right ankle 7weeks before enjury

[@thejohnsimienproject7329]

How soon before walking up stairs?

[@marcmerchant135]

Did you deal with any front ankle pain while rehabbing? I went non surgical and it's been a year and 3 months since the rupture and I still cant do a full calf raise. Calf feels weak due to very conservative rehab. I play hockey and I can skate fine. Still kinda feel weak but if I run and plant, I get severe pain in my front ankle. Achilles feels fine though, it's weird.

[@malcolm9380]

Hi Sj, first of, thanks for making these videos, they are so helpful. Im just wondering if you have had to stop with strenght training because of the pain from the scar tissue breaking down and then continue when the pain ease up? At the moment, the pain is too much to handle and i cant do strength training like calf raises, i used to be able to do these prior to the scar tissue breaking, any thoughts?

[@SJachilles]

I never actually felt scar tissue breaking down. Are you sure its not achilles tendonitis?

[@malcolm9380]

SJ it could be tendonitis, i didnt think about tendonitis because i didnt think i was doing enough excerices to actually trigger tendonitis

[@SJachilles]

Try doing isometrics and using a heel lift for your shoes. I spoke about isometrics in some of the previous videos

[@MichaelKanja-if1nh]

Hi I got an Achilles rupture and this is my 10th day. Am from Kenya and my doctor say I need surgery please help me

[@uniqau]

How did you manage to rupture it with 16 cm range, knee to wall. You scared me 😅

[@worldzoom2384]

Hi sj i am from india and literally no one here suggests you non-op method its strange i had a big accident in 2015 and a long time i was bedridden till 2017 and suddenly the achilles condition seviered as i was getting treatement for my other problems, my doc said its a minor thing and we will se it later and he even said me in the end that its a footdrop without having a test or it can be achilles tendon shortening as my heel only heel.is now 1.5inch shorter to ground and it doesnt touch the ground and only my toes have to walk its 2019 now its been 2 years of me walking on and off with depression in that condition and idk even bigger doc here are not able to tell what it is or either they say they will.have a surgery to fix my ankle at 90degree for whole life idk what to do i think i m stuck here in india not knowing am i really gonna get healed or die like this coz i dont wanna fix my ankle at 90 degree not having plantar flexion whole.life can u suggest me something i have researched its cause of achilles tendon rupture that tendon gets shortened and heal gets short and u have no plantar flexion means the movement of leg upwards to walk or even my heel is stuck to the calf and its small now can u plz tell if i can wear the boots and is there any guideline i can follow to do it on my own here doctors and physio all point towards not knowing what happened to my ankle only one physio pointed out in a conversation that it can be achilles temdon shortening due to rupture u may have to do what doctor says to operate and fix it at 90degree for whole life so that u can atleaset touch foot to ground and barely walk by slapfooting without plantar flexion its been 2years since im walking in that severe comdition not more than 50-100m at a time plz help a fellow out

[@SJachilles]

Hi, I don't 100% understand your situation but it sounds very serious and since this is now a long term issue, i would probably get surgery if it was an achilles rupture. Surely that can get you back to 100%. I don't understand when you say fixed at 90 degrees though. Post surgery it should be a 100% working tendon unless there are other issues. Good luck

[@malagoako4839]

Im a pilipino my 4weeks today from achilles tendon surgery but i dont have any equipment to recover.. How do i need ???

[@leoedgemon6856]

Kmusta ka malago?

[@FrankVerdugo91]

Do you think I can have a wedding at 8 weeks

[@lastnightsmusic6067]

wish i had have bought my knee scooter instead of renting, spent much more on it in the end.