Latest posts for the topic "Achilles tendon injury"

Achilles tendon injury

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 13:47:24 GMT

I'm writing this is something of a morose mood - my right leg is in plaster from knee to toes, having torn my achilles tendon.

Has anyone else suffered this injury? If so, what precautions - if any - do you take for skiing to protect the achilles and prevent a repeat tear?

Many thanks.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 14:56:14 GMT

bad luck ..stretched mine once ...that was bad enough ...i reckon a good pair of boots is decent protection but I hope it is better by the seasons start

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 20:22:01 GMT

Oh dear! How did you manage to do it? :shock: Still, I suppose that if you are going to end up in plaster, this is probably a good month :mrgreen:
I've not damaged mine, but I had an appointment with a Surgeon (skier) some years ago who'd snapped his playing Squash. This was September and he'd not got it stitched together by one of his colleagues at the time, was still working in Theatre (lower leg/foot in plastic frame) and reckoned he'd be skiing at Christmas.
I also reckon your boot will protect the tendon (amateur opinion). You'll have some Physio ahead of you to get the leg back in shape once the pot comes off.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 22:37:16 GMT

What an awful thing to happen! I hope you recover soon and get the plaster cast off in time for the ski season. It must be very uncomfortable and difficult to get about at the moment.

Ally

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:36:50 GMT

Not quite the same but I suffer from tendonitis in my Achilles, which flared up about 2 months before my trip last season. I didn't have an problems other than it being a bit sore on the evening of the 3rd day.

As I'm sure the doc has said, plenty of stretches when you are out of plaster and you should be fine.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:23:43 GMT

Thanks. Sorry, Mr Barr, there's not much in common between a torn achilles and tendonitiis (other than the general location!). The only cure is immobilisation, which is well underway.

I'm told the biggest problem is likely to come when putting ski boots and taking them off. That's when an awful lot of pressure goes on the achilles, apparently.

Only another five weeks in plaster to go!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:00:10 GMT

LOTA wrote:Thanks.

I'm told the biggest problem is likely to come when putting ski boots and taking them off. That's when an awful lot of pressure goes on the achilles, apparently.

Only another five weeks in plaster to go!

Oooh, I didn't know that about the Achilles :shock:

Hang in there, I'm guessing it's hugely frustrating right now, but it's the quickest fix )

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:49:06 GMT

Treating an Achilles tendon rupture in this way will leave you with a very stiff ankle and weak calf muscles. The preferred method here is to use the Vacoped orthotic treatment system: http://www.vacoped.com/de-en/home.html http://www.oped.it/download/Studi%20internationali%20Vacoped%20versus%20Cast.pdf.

Specialist treatment at a foot and ankle clinic might reduce your recovery time considerably: http://www.cfas-uk.com/about-us.html http://www.cfas-uk.com/pdf/vacoped-rehab.pdf

Warming your ski boots in a Hot Gear heated boot bag will make them much easier to put on. Alternatively you could get a ski boot shoe horn: http://www.thebootster.com/ .To take the boots off, press down on the back of the boot shell, step the other foot forward, bend your knee down towards the ground until the liner pops a little way out of the boot, then push down on the back of the liner.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:55:48 GMT

Most illuminating! I think I'll stick with the sports physio, who lives two doors down!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:56:23 GMT

Those plastic leg frames on the link look familiar. I reckon it was one of those that my Consultant was wearing.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:08:19 GMT

Mrs SB had one when she broke her fibula just above the ankle (displaced fracture, titanium plate and 5 screws) it worked a treat she could take it off to wash, no itching and when the six weeks were up she had lost only a small amount of plantarflexion and hardly any dorsiflexion and didn't require any physiotherapy. The overall cost is reckoned to be less than treatment using a traditional pot.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:44:56 GMT

Lota, I have recently been asking my physio about achilles, ~ my skibuddy has an issue. From what she said, she was able to do quite a lot for the problem. Two doors down isn't too far away.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:13:38 GMT

Thanks. SB - I think that fancy treatment is beyond the scope of hard-pressed NHS budgets just now! Thanks, Dave, I've already received a detailed physio programme in advance of coming out of plaster in four-plus weeks time. My first question to the phsyio will be about skiing and ski boots!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:08:01 GMT

Sadly LOTA I think you're probably right, I hope there won't be a next time.

If you don't want to splash out on a heated boot bag you could warm the front of your boot using a hot water bottle. If there is a substantial difference in the diameter of your calves, putting some padding between the back of the inner and outer boots will equalise your fore/aft balance and stop you from having to over tighten the boot which will make it stiffer than the other one. If you have not regained full ankle flexibility by the time you want to go skiing ask your phsyio about putting a wedge under your heel, boot fitters often fit them for skiers who have limited dorsiflexion, although I'm not sure what effect of just using one will have on your skiing.

Hope you make a good recovery.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:02:50 GMT

LOTA, if you Physio suggests a wedge under your heel, ask a Bootfitter to asses your boots. I had heel wedges, which put my heel into a narrower part of the boot shell, and upset the nerves around the heel. Now removed!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:27:12 GMT

SwingBeep wrote:Sadly LOTA I think you're probably right, I hope there won't be a next time.

If you don't want to splash out on a heated boot bag you could warm the front of your boot using a hot water bottle.

And (if there's a place to plug it in) a hair dryer can be used to soften the front of the boot to get it off again. I've seen that done by several people.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:32:46 GMT

Thanks for the best wishes. Specialist very happy with progress this morning. Four weeks more in plaster, then a boot-thing for two weeks!
As for my boots, they are already specially-customised top-of-the-range Salomons from a couple of seasons ago. It helps to have a very close relative in the trade - and access to some of the very best bootfitters in Europe!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:01:24 GMT

Out of plaster today! And into an orthopaedic boot (a bit like one of those Nordica knee-high boots from the very early 1980s!). Specialist very pleased - ski holiday about to be booked in celebration!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:47:25 GMT

LOTA wrote:Out of plaster today! And into an orthopaedic boot (a bit like one of those Nordica knee-high boots from the very early 1980s!). Specialist very pleased - ski holiday about to be booked in celebration!

:thumbup: Good news - where are you going?

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:36:42 GMT

LOTA wrote:Out of plaster today! And into an orthopaedic boot (a bit like one of those Nordica knee-high boots from the very early 1980s!). Specialist very pleased - ski holiday about to be booked in celebration!

Most excellent news :thumbup: 8)

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:55:12 GMT

LOTA, whilst that is excellent news, please just be very careful how you go over the next few weeks.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:53:10 GMT

Great news LOTA, but don't overdo it!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:35:45 GMT

Thank you for the good wishes and sage advice. I've become very good at sitting down over the last six weeks - and don't intend to give up that hard-earned skill in the next few weeks.

Admin, the plan is Solden - Wednesday to Wednesday in January.

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:56:49 GMT

LOTA wrote:Out of plaster today! And into an orthopaedic boot (a bit like one of those Nordica knee-high boots from the very early 1980s!). Specialist very pleased - ski holiday about to be booked in celebration!

Steady, Lota, you are describing my previous pair of boots!

Glad you are coming good!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:53:44 GMT

Dave

You had a pair of Nordica Polaris? I only saw one pair of those, in Cervinia in 1980/81. They disappeared from the shops as quickly as they arrived. Not a great success, if I recall correctly!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:38:39 GMT

Injury update: began physio on Monday - all going to plan.

And, as great fortune would have it, my physio is an ex-British junior team racer. Naturally, she's very understanding of my need to get fit for January!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:14:01 GMT

Best of luck for January LOTA :D

Ally

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:42:58 GMT

I had surgery for a ruptured achilles and was in plastercast and boot as you were. I have not had any problems skiing, locked in a ski boot is quite a safe place for an achilles and I felt able to trust it 100%. Careful of pulling a weak calf muscle when you take your boot off. Also took a while buying ski boots as my ankles are not same thickness as each other now..... Good luck all should be fine!

Re:Achilles tendon injury

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:47:13 GMT

Thanks, Laura and AllyG.

As well as exercise for the tendon, ankle etc, I'm also exercising my right thigh and calf to rebuild strength.

It's interesting to observe how the shape of ankle has changed with a great lump of scar tissue changing the whole configuration! Will ease myself gently into my boots for a trial in a week or two's time!