Achilles Tendonitis Surgery two years ago, still healing.

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Achilles Tendonitis Surgery two years ago, still healing.

by Bill W.
(Oregon)

Looks like I'm the first story on here. Cool!

4 years ago I started having pain in my right Achilles Tendon, halfway between the calf and the heel.

I'm a runner, so I didn't want to slow down or stop. I probably should have.

3 years ago the tendon pain got so bad I couldn't run more than half a mile, even when I took a long time to warm up.

I made myself rest for 6 months. I didn't run at all. I elevated my foot as much as I could, did upper body and upper leg strengthening at the gym, stretched my calves.
Ibuprofen and ice packs not as much as I should have.

At the end of the 6 months, I went for two short runs. The day after the end of the second run, my Achilles hurt just as bad as before!

No running was driving me crazy. I rested and tried to work back into running, thinking that it had to be healed and that I just needed to work back into it slowly. 6 months of that and it became clear it wasn't going to heal.

My doctor advised me to have surgery, so I did.

I don't know if I should have. It was another 6 months just to heal from the surgery. Now my Achilles is really tight.

It's so stiff when I wake up in the morning. It's stiff most of the day.

I can walk on it fine, but when I start to jog, it just feels so stiff that I know I should stop. I've been stretching taking it easy for the last 2 years after the surgery.

I will say though, it does hurt less than it did. And I've started hiking instead of running. It's good to do that with my kids. Happened for a reason I guess.

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Achilles Tendonitis Surgery two years ago, still healing.

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Mar 27, 2011
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e: Joshua's comment NEW
by: Gena

Hi Josh. And, thanks for responding to my post. "What have I done for my achilles, for the past year?" I did re-hab for 9 weeks. They said I could not leave till I could stand on toes...that never happened.

I have continued with the bands/weights, daily. I try to walk as much as possible. I tend to us my toes and side of foot to do all the work, it seems.

I have complete atrophy in calf muscle. I was VERY athletic before injury. Anything you could add would be greatly appreciated.

I have recently been diagnosed with spondyloarthritis. (I'm not convinced with diagnoses)...You think I should see Rhuemy, or surgeon, regarding issues?

Thanks :)

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Gena.

Here's the reason to be suspicious about that arthritis diagnosis. Technically, you likely do have an irritated joint (I'm assuming you're talking about your ankle). Here's why: TIGHT Achilles is compressing the foot bones into the leg bones. So all movement is 'grinding', and just laying there is compressing.

Not so great. I would focus on reducing that compression.

The reason you don't fire off your big toe side is because your neurology is jacked up due to physical tissue issues, and your brain won't let the right muscles fire for a variety of very good reasons.

Personally, I'd drop $20 on my Reversing Achilles Tendonitis ebook.

You have a serious physical issue, and you need an -effective- strategy to get yourself going again. Clearly rehab and bands/weights, etc, didn't do the trick. Nor will they.

Bands and weights isn't the answer to your multifaceted problem.

Getting rid of inflammation with something like learning How To Reduce Inflammation is an important start.

Opening up the constrictive tissue is another.

The reattachment surgery technically shortened the structure(s) in the back of your lower leg. It was short to begin with, which is likely why it ruptured. You have to lengthen it.

It will take time and effort, but it's doable.

Mar 27, 2011
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Still not close to 100%, 1 year after rupture NEW
by: Gena

It will be one year next week since my achilles acute rupture. I am far from 100%, still cannot do heel lifts, and VERY tight. Most days it feels like it's going to just snap, it is so tight.

Cannot do steps or steep slopes. Try to walk about a mile or so a day, use "tens unit", and ice/heat on regular basis. I do believe my running and hiking days are over. It is a very "mental" injury as well as physical.

Best of luck to all who are suffering.

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Gena.

Thanks for sharing.

I assume that you had it surgically reattached, yes? It makes sense it would be super tight now....

So...what are you doing to counter that tightness?

In other words, what have you done for it over the last year?

Feb 05, 2011
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A year and 7 months after Achilles Rupture and still feel pain NEW
by: Anonymous

I did not have surgery. I rupture the achilles tendon. A year and 7 months later, I have pain mostly in the back of my heal. When I wake up, it's real tight. I have to take a warm shower and stretch it to loosen it up. I can walk on it and if I walk to fast, it starts to feel a little painful. But when I try to jog lightly, it just feels like it doesn't want to relax. It tightens up.

Isn't the pain supposed to be gone by now?

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Anonymous.

Wouldn't it be great if the pain was gone by now?

But, the fact is, it's not.

The question becomes, why not?

Because the entire structure of the back of your lower leg is TOO TIGHT.

And the pain isn't going to change until that does.

Kind of a brief answer. Let me know if you have follow up questions.

Apr 29, 2010
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You're not alone - Achilles Tendonitis Surgery two years ago, still healing. NEW
by: terri

hey you're not alone my Achilles gets stiff and hard too.. sometimes it feels like a robot it dont flex right lol... i cant run either.. n if they offered a billion dollars to tip toe on that one foot i would loose... lol.... in the morning i can not walk...

i started walking a mile a day that got in trouble... i heard walking on the beach is great.. i guess like hiking... but i tore mine from hiking... yikes for me... i guess we dont really recover to 100%.... but me and you are in the same club....

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Achilles Tendonitis Surgery two years ago, still healing.

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Achilles Tendonitis Surgery two years ago, still healing.