I am four months post-ankle surgery and have plates and screws for a break at the bottom of right leg tibia and fibula. I am nearly weight bearing but am forced to take a crutch with me as my foot so easily gives way. At different times, the base of each bone can feel like I am walking on bare stumps as if there is no protective sheath around the bone. It is crippling. I go to my consultant, he takes xrays and says everything is progressing perfectly. I havent walked bear foot yet and walk with a slight limp. Doing all the usual physion exercises but continue to feel something is intrinsically wrong. Has anyone else experienced anything like this post-surgery.
I use a Walker for that reason. My bone is soft. I'm not taking any chances. Drs and physios encouraged me to walk and my break was a complete non union. Then surgery. I am into my 8th month, and now I do it my way. Listen to my intuition. My walker has a seat and large wheels. I can walk easier with it than crutches.
A friend of mine felt like you for 2 years. After 10 years it finally stopped hurting.
I can't walk with 1 crutch. It throws me at an odd angle.
Good luck.
Many thanks for your response.
Let me know of your progress. My injury is a snapped Fibula- now plated, and a dislocated ankle. Recovery is an individual thing as I am learning. :+) Not black and white!
I certainly agree with going with one's instinct. I couldnt do all the physio exercises as they caused too much pain. Managing on Anti-inflammatory
Hello, I'm sorry to hear of your injury. I'm 5 mos just fully weight bearing in past 3 weeks. I'm in walker from wheelchair. I'm working up to forearm crutches as can't do regular ones. My take on this is do whatever feels right for you. Take it slow, this is no race as many will tell you. It's one thing they tell us to walk, it's the getting there that takes time. Be easy on yourself!
Dislocation two breaks ORIF surgery with RSD. Take care of yourself 👣
I am also 4 months with plates and screws after a fracture. My physical therapist said the bones can bruise and cause pain which I find happens if my foot rolls outward. He said the muscles aren't strong enough to support it yet. Maybe that's what you are feeling.
Shana that is exactly what my Physio says. I've nearly 8 months of muscle wasting. Ligaments, tendons and muscles are very weak. Will take time. I was 8 weeks without a walker, crutches limiting, and knee scooter great for a rest, but finally got a new walker last week. Freedom. Can sit down when tired
Carry things around and do a few chores. I get around easier - mentally that is a bonus. I walk like my elderly mum! But that's going to change. Then more surgery next year to get the plates out. My husband is recovering from a bad scapphoid break as well.
Life is sent to test us.
Onwards and upwards.
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Sounds a lot like us!! My husband has surgery Monday for a torn rotator cuff! 😳 This entire thing has been trying for me. I am such a cry baby now. My doctor told me to wait for a year and then I can get my "toolbox" removed. How did you break your ankle?
I'm 3 months out, from a triple ankle break, am finally walking without crutches all the time (with the injured ankle in the boot). I had heel pain when I first started walking in the boot (with crutches) and my heel felt pretty raw at first, for at least two weeks (maybe three). I think that is what you might be talking about. I found all the PT stretches (right, left, flex, point, pick up a towel with toes etc.) helped with this pain, and also walking on it as much as I could tolerate (quitting when it hurt too much). Using pain as a guide, has always been the best measure for me. I also massaged it for at least an hour a day in total, sometimes more, breaking the massage up throughout the day as needed. I no longer have that heel pain anymore. You may have plantar fasciitis. It is pain right under the arch of the foot, that can stretch into the heel too I believe. I had this for a day under my foot recently, after doing a ton of walking for the day, and the pain was quite bad, but I massaged it out and did a bunch of calf stretches (you can find these online on you tube if you look up plantar fasciitis) and it went away by the next day. From personal experience, I would not recommend walking bare foot now, as it is much harder to do than walking in the boot. I can walk fast in the boot, but walk like a snail barefooted, and can only put about 30% weight down on the injured foot and my leg feels kind of rigid when I do that. My doctor told me I am not ready to walk barefoot yet, but sometimes I need to get somewhere and putting the boot on everytime I need to take a few steps can be a pain, so I cheat here and there. I do this, because I go back to the doctor in about two weeks and I think that will be the next step for me anyway (or at least moving to a tennis shoe). It does feel quite odd walking bare foot for sure. Hope this info helps.
I loved the walker at first too for regaining strength and beginning WB. Seemed to allow for just the right pressure on the foot. Have you tried to get an "Evenup" from Amazon for your good foot? It is a black strap that you put over your tennis shoe, that lifts your shoe to the same height as the boot. Look up the key words "ProCare Evenup Shoe Balancer Amazon". Keep up the good work!
I hated to take the anti-inflammatories at first, but you may need them to get through PT exercises when you first start them. I found the pain goes away after you can do the exercises for a while, and the exercises give you a lot of strength and get rid of scar tissue that seems to want to creep in and keep you more frozen up.
My Surgeon said No walking in my Moonboot. Although I might try it. Said it would stop movement.
Hello PattI. Thanks very much for your considered reply. I don't have plantar fasciitis. It seems I had it for a very short period and did all the required exercises and, thank goodness, all the heel pain abated. I'm now 17 weeks post surgery and all the various pains I have on a daily basis seem like a moving target. That's why, ultimately, I just get on with my own instinct. To really helps is anti-inflammatory and, even more importantly, the provision of KT tape. There is a certain way of using this and there are very good YouTube is to show you how to take a foot post ankle surgery. So, my main concern is the sporadic and acute pain underneath both the tibia and the fibula, i.e. the inside and the outside ankle post exercise. It feels that the bone slips out of place and I'm wondering if the tendon sheath that surrounds it is not stable yet. Having had foot surgery before, I'm very familiar with scar massage which I do every day to break up the knotty fibres that eventually debilitate and prevent mobility. I also massage my calf extensively before I do my exercises. It is just that the more difficult exercises, like standing on one's toes on the stair and dropping the heel down often causes the bone to become to stabilised and makes me feel like I'm walking on barw stumps which is nauseating. I am walking in trainers now and have found a pair that are unbelievably comfortable and supportive and I can generally walk for 10 minutes without the aid of one crutch. Part of me feels that by walking generally everything will become stronger but my consultant and the physio seem to oppose that view saying that I have to build up my muscle with exercise but it is only when I do the exercise they specify that my stability seems to collapse. It is a real conundrum getting the balance right because I do walk with a slight limp at the moment Hello PattI. Thanks very much for your considered reply. I don't have plantar fasciitis. It seems I had it for a very short period and did all the required exercises and, thank goodness, all the heel pain abated. I'm now 17 weeks post surgery and all the various pains I have on a daily basis seem like a moving target. That's why, ultimately, I just get on with my own instinct. To really helps is anti-inflammatory and, even more importantly, the provision of KT tape. There is a certain way of using this and there are very good YouTube is to show you how to take a foot post ankle surgery. So, my main concern is the sporadic and acute pain underneath both the tibia and the fibula, i.e. the inside and the outside ankle post exercise. It feels that the bone slips out of place and I'm wondering if the tendon sheath that surrounds it is not stable yet. Having had foot surgery before, I'm very familiar with scar massage which I do every day to break up the knotty fibres that eventually debilitate and prevent mobility. I also massage my calf extensively before I do my exercises. It is just that the more difficult exercises, like standing on one's toes on the stair and dropping the heel down often causes the bone to become to stabilised and makes me feel like I'm walking on barw stumps which is nauseating. I am walking in trainers now and have found a pair that are unbelievably comfortable and supportive and I can generally walk for 10 minutes without the aid of one crutch. It is a bit of a conundrum because the consultant and the physio therapist say that I have to do these exercises to strengthen my calf and therefore the foot but when I get a response with such instability it creates a conflict as to whether they are worthwhile doing
Thank you Jannie. I am going with my instinct and limiting the amount I do dependent upon pain. I take Anti inflammatory, am icing, use KT Tape, do extensive scar tissue massage and walk in supportive trainers. I just wish this ankle instability would cease
I see the problem Holland. Would swimming help to build the muscles without the pain you are encountering perhaps? Or do you think a stationary bike would be beneficial? It must be frustrating!
It's interesting that you mention a stationary bike because I did join a gym and was using the bike about 5/6 weeks ago and I stopped. I think it's something I might go back to. The physiotherapist mentioned swimming but said that breaststroke would not be helpful and that I would need to do the crawl to get the flipper action. As I'm not able to crawl, he asked me to avoid it. Thanks again for all your feedback. It is much appreciated
I slipped on ice in January and had to have surgery immediately with plates and screws. I was in plaster for two weeks and then a surgical boot 24 hours a day for seven weeks. I got about using a Zimmer frame and then two crutches and now at 17 weeks, one crutch. It had been a roller coaster
I found the breaststroke to really work for me, as I could flex and point my toes and it seemed to really help me loosen up my foot. If you PT prefers you don't do that, can you do water exercises perhaps to strengthen the leg and foot? Just an idea.
The stability will come, once I could fully weigh bare without tipping over it became easier and now my Pt is working hard, as I am on releasing the stiff ankle joint, it takes time and being on this journey the time factor is unknown. This forum has helped me so much as I can see what stages people go thru. I'm off all pain melds as my Dr put me on gabbapentin cream at the base of my spine. Drugs play havoc with my gut and brain. Getting the pain under control helped me to endure rehab. The ice I couldn't do instead I enjoyed warm water with Epson salts. I think it helped my swelling. The massage is great what you are doing. Keep at it, it will come - take care 👣