[quote]RU2001 wrote:
My injury sounds a lot like yours. I broke my left leg in November and wasn’t full weight bearing until January. I had 2 pins, a plate & 8 screws put in. 3mos post op and the pins came out but the rest is permanent. Cardio is more difficult now but the good news is I’ve managed to get my calves back pretty quick. Good luck.[/quote]
Our injuries sound very similar.
When you say cardio, what did the ortho authorize first? A recumbanant bike?
Good news on the calf.
Are you squatting now?
Are you 100% now? Are you capable of load bearing weight?
Rehab was a bitch at first. When your ankle’s immobile for so long it takes a lot to retrain the muscles, but also the ligaments, tendons etc. I was on a recumbent and treadmill after my 2nd session. After the 4th session I was doing leg presses again–not 100% yet but the ortho said it takes the average person a year give or take to get back to where they were pre-break.
Getting back to squats, but it’s been real gradual progress with range of motion/dorsiflexion. That’s probably the hardest part.
After the cast came off they put me in one of those darth vadar boots for about 6 weeks. The ortho perscribed a swede lok support for load bearing. Still not back to capacity but expect to be within about 3 mos.
I broke my left leg. Tib-fib fracture. It was in a lot of pieces. I wish she’d done surgery instead of just casting it. I was in a full length cast for all but 3 of the 13 1/2 weeks I was casted.
My leg recovered pretty quickly and I was lucky to have both legs the same length afterward. One thing the physical therapist, or anyone else failed to consider was my lower back. From bearing all of my weight on the one leg for so long I developed one side of my lower back more than the other.
I didn’t notice it for years but when I do squats I and watch myself in the mirror my hips make a slight arc toward the “dominant” side. When I do dead lifts it’s hard to hold my hips centered too. I’ve been working on trying to build up left side to be equal but probably not as seriously as I could.
So when it’s time to rehab be careful about symmetry not just in your legs but in your whole lower body too.
Four weeks post surgery, I am still restricted to RICE therapy and very limited activity.
If this ever happens to you, I can strongly suggest that you keep yourself busy. Lifting, even just upper body, helps keep you sane to some degree-just understand that intensity and the weight totals will go down. Fact of life. Reading helps, but there are only so many books you can read. Movies are about the same.
Hopefully, you will have a good social support system- friends- depend on them.
Writing has helped a lot, which is kind of funny, because I haven’t done any kind of real creative writing since high school.
I will get a new cast at the end of next week, the ortho said earlier he may release the zero weight restriction at that time.
I went to see my ortho today. I was a bit suprised when he put me in the Darth Vader Boot. I thought I would be getting another cast. The timing is right though, with the new Star Wars movie out.
Doc says the leg is healing nicely. I start physical therapy June 1st, 3x per week.
I started physical therapy today. Just some range of motion stuff to start out. Ankle Plantarflexion, Ankle Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion - Active, Foot Inversion and Eversion - Active, Towel scrunches (with toes), circles, and finally the Alphabet (letter by letter with toes)
Range of motion is pretty limited. I tried to add foot/ankle circles with the toes pointed in various directions - as taught in Z health. I had limited success. Honestly, it didn’t hurt much - it actually felt pretty good to move things around a bit.
I haven’t been authorized to put weight on the ankle yet, so stuff like Toe Pulls aren’t an option yet.
I was considering using Jump Stretch bands to improve/aid or coax range of motion along, but my therapist seemed reluctant. I think I will talk to my ortho doc about this, but would welcome any thoughts.
Just stay with it, baby steps in other words. A couple of years ago I had complete reconstructive knee surgery, my ACL did not exist anymore, my MCL was completely gone and I cracked the top of my Tibia because I would not go to the Doctor after I first hurt my knee.
It took about a month and a half to 2 months before I hit the weights. I did this slowly with alot of bike and treadmill work with it. Because I lifted before the injury, I bounced back quickly. I started with Leg Presses, Extensions and alot of Hamstring work. My strength inproved rapidly. It really suprised me how quickly it responded. However, I stayed completely away from squats, mainly because the Doctor said I would never do them again. He was the Doctor for the Spurs so this really worried me.
I started back to squats about 7 months ago, I hit a new PR on them recently. I have no joint pain whatsoever.
So what I am saying is, just take it slow and it will all come back and then some. I know I pushed a little hard in the beginning, but I slowed down and it paid off.
It’s amazing what one month of therapy will do for you. I have been off the crutches for 10 days now. I am now able to walk about a 1/4 mile(in the boot) without irritation. Pain has been very manageable with advil and ice.
I have 7 days left in the orthopedic boot, then I am back to a shoe, full time.
The doctor is very pleased with my progress. He has authorized limited weight training. Light goodmornings (bar only) and reverse hypers. No squats.
I have some freaky balence on my right foot now. The left foot will come in time.