In the beginning, it felt like I'd never wear 2 shoes or 2 socks again. But, here I am 16 weeks later weeding through the shoes I can wear. I was wondering if anyone has found one shoe better than the other. My incision burns and the it hurts to have anything rubbing on them so, I've been looking for a shoe that is cut below the ankle. I have a shoe made by Clark that has a rocker type sole (similiar to the boot). I have found that I can walk much easier in this shoe. However, it doesn't have any ankle support. My needs may be different than yours.
Hi linda66990
When I came out of walking boot all the doc at ortho clinic told me was a sturdy shoe. all I ever wore in winter was uggs and physio said to avoid them as no support. Must've ordered about 40 different kinds and brands of trainers and most were useless but the best pair I've found for support were new balance 999. They were £90 or something but I'm wearing them most days. Also had to buy few pairs of ankle boots but they had to have a zip in the side and laces as I can't get my foot in anything slip on. One from Jones bookmakers And clarks. I'm 18 weeks post op (pilon fracture) and crutch free this week. Hope u find something that gives u the support u need.
Hello
im 7 weeks post op with locked up ankle but bones have meshed nicely. I'm not in shoes yet but Skechers are making all sorts of very comfy shoes. I bought a pair for my good foot and they are working like a charm. Have memory insoles which I first thought they would be too hard but amazingly comfortable. I wish you well in finding the right pair.
Any tips on on getting foot moving are greatly appreciated. I'm no athlete at 65 but an avid walker. I'm starting physio but for some reason I'm having difficulty starting the process mostly due to pain. Did you have this?
Best to all...keep on. .Jannie
Thanks so much for starting this discussion. I'm just going into my 12th week post break and have been wearing a normal, flat boot on my good foot and a croc on the one with the ankle break! I keep praying that my boots will fit on both feet - feel like a Cinderella wannabee!! This week, I managed to get into my low cut trainers but really need something that looks ok with work clothes.
I will check out the New Balance 999 and Jones. My doctor told me your free, you don't have to wear the boot anymore. That was it. No instructions as to weaning out of the boot or crutches. I think I may have weaned myself too quickly. Wishing you a graceful gait.
Hi Jannie,
I'm happy to hear your bones have meshed. My initial movement was flexing the foot up and down, holding it for a few seconds in each direction. I tried doing circle with the ankle each direction, writing the alphabet. I would sit with both feet on the floor and lift my heal up and down. PT gave me a stretching rubber band to use for resistance in all directions, I do this several times a day. Massage your foot, ankle and calf yourself. At first, I had all kinds of crazy shooting pains everywhere, but that subsided quickly and my foot would turn purple when hanging down, that went away quickly, too. This week I've see some improvement in my range of motion and it's given me more hope of returning to normal. My ankle still feels quite stiff, but my husband says I've made alot of improvement. I go to PT and thats about all I get done that day. I have to go home and ice it and take Tylenol and it wakes me up that night. I assume some pain is expected. I have had more pain with PT than when NWB. It's a fine balance to get it moving and tolerate the pain. We have to move it so it doesn't look up.
Wishing you a speedy recovery so you can get back to normal. So nice to chat with everyone
Thanks Linda, it's a long road but I'm going get thru this. I've become foot blessed so I'm trying to branch out a little. I guess it's hard not to, it's all consuming. I start PT MI day and hopefully water therapy. You've inspired me and thanking you for your kind response. Take good care and keep on....
That is foot obsessed....haha
Hi Cinderella,
I do have one pair of flat, dressy shoes made by Clarks, too. They are comfortable and low cut under the ankle, not much arch support. I also have a pair of Keen's that are supportive under the foot. I think I'm going to need my hardware out before I can wear boots that rub on the ankle. It's been snowing like crazy here and I have a pair of Born's that are lose on the ankle and zip up the sides so I can get them on, the bottoms are not slippery. I've been petrified of slipping and falling on the ice and snow.
How much range of motion do you have? Do you still have swelling and pain? Are you doing PT? You must be back at work. I hope that is good for you.
I've got very little range of motion - still very swollen, too. I've been worried that it's taken so long to get better - stable break and i was told it would be "back to normal" in 6 to 8 weeks. I had to pester the doctors to have a second x-ray as the fracture clinic discharged me despite never doing a second x-ray to see if the bone was mending. I've had no PT - in fact, it's been a nightmare in terms of care from beginning to end. I had a second x-ray last week and finally got the results today. It's no wonder my ankle is so swollen - the bone hasn't mended. So, they told me to walk on it weeks ago and I shouldn't have been, the doctor said today. Yes, I've been working on one or two days a week which has been tricky - can't drive yet so friends have been taking me. Who knows what will happen, now. Awaiting an appointment with the consultant - just hope I don't get the incompetent fool that I saw originally :-(
I'm sorry to hear what has been your post op outcome. I had a break years ago and when I came out early from my aircast same as you happened to me. Went back in my boot for 4 months with ongoing PT. it healed better after that. My new break 7 weeks ago is completely different this time and my foot is like it's frozen. I started physio and in excruciating pain this morning so icing and see my GP to manage pain while I go thru this.
I hope wth this news your bone is still mending that your healing will be better knowing this. I guess slow and steady but I get how frustrating this is for you. Your amazing for working and I wish you good recovery from here on. Keep us posted and take it easy on yourself. May you get someone to help you move forward the way your meant to......
I'm self-employed (hence, no sick pay) and have one permanent day of work so felt it was really important to keep that going. It hasn't been easy, though, especially when I was on two crutches and couldn't put my foot to the floor.
Is your second break on the same ankle? Oh, no, you poor thing. So disheartening to be going through it all again.
My main annoyance is that my original break didn't need an operation - it was considered a stable, aligned break. It was assumed that all would heal well so they never x-rayed it again. It looks as if it may have become misaligned and I blame that on mismanagement on the part of my consultant. If I'd been given sound information on what to do/when to walk etc... this should never have been a problem break. I think they try to save money but actually end up spending more in the long run when things go wrong.
Good luck with your break. I read somewhere that Ibuprofen is one reason why breaks don't heal well - the body needs to feel the pain so that your brain gets the message to heal that body part. Hard not to take the pain-killers when you're in agony, though!!
That must be so frustrating. Did they tell you to stop walking on it? Are they going to do surgery on it?
I had a similiar thing happen. I broke my ankle in France, it was not displaced, they casted it. I flew back to the US a few days later, a doctor cut the cast off and put me in an airboot, told me to walk on it. I did for a week. Flew to Oregon, where I live, doctor here said it 's displaced now and you need surgery. I feel that if I had'd walked on it I would be healed by now.
Yes, it is so frustrating, especially as it wasn't displaced originally. I haven't been told much, to be honest. I asked if I should put the aircast back on & my doctor said it "might be a good idea" and to keep off it as much as possible. Trouble is, I'm used to walking about on it, now, so I keep forgetting to use the crutches so I'm probably doing more harm every day. At least I'm seeing the consultant at the end of the week so I will hopefully know more, then.
Sorry to hear about your ankle - sounds so much like mine and as you say, if we hadn't been advised to walk on them, we would probably have been fine.
Looks like I won't be fitting in my normal shoes any time soon!!
I was told the same thing in France about Ibuprofen type drugs, that they prohibit healing. The doctor in the ER told me not to take any. Then I looked it up online and it says that, too. The doctors in the US are not up on that and tell you to take it. They would include all NSAIDS (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) like Motrin, Aleve, Celebrex, Vioxx, Naprosen.
Your post was a year ago. I just want to know if you had surgery and what was the outcome? I hope you're doing fine now. I have tibia and fibula fractures and I didn't have surgery. This gonna be my 3rd month with no WB so hopefully all my bones healed when I go for my next check up.
Hi, I'm glad you didn't need an op! I didn't have one, either. My break just didn't fuse very well despite being aligned. Nobody could explain why. I'm virtually back to normal now, though, thankfully! I can't bear anyone or anything to touch my ankle - it doesn't hurt, it just feels really peculiar. So, shoes are still a bit of a nightmare - no heels or cuts of shoe that rub against the ankle. Apart from that, all is well. Thank you. I hope your break is fixing well. Take good care.
G'day Linda
I realize your original post on this topic was over a year ago, but I'd like to chime in for the benefit of ankle sufferers to whom selecting shoes is a critical issue now. You are probably doing just fine now, though.
Basic shoe recommendations for foot fracture patients ready to ditch moon boots/casts and and start full unrestrained walking are: shoes that have sturdy soles that don't flex too much; relatively low heel heights (sorry ladies, high heel fashions are over for you), and lace-up closure that provides a secure base for foot in shoe. Shoes should be spacious in toe compartment to accomodate the inevitable swelling that comes and goes. Shoes designed for diabetics might work well for you in this regard.
Flip-flops can't be recommended, at least until you heal.
Problem with foot injuries is a complicated set of soft tissue bits that get re-arranged, stretched, contorted, scarred, and inflamed during your long recovery. No wonder that many of us complain of never-ending bouts of pain and swelling that persists for months. It's easy to imagine that some foot demon has possessed your ankle and delights in torturing you with all kinds of weird and changing pain symptoms.
Remember that your poor foot is trying to heal itself months later while you go on using it constantly in everyday activities-- walking, twisting, standing long periods, etc. Give your injured ankle more respect, and as much rest as you can (hard to do when you must use it daily to earn your living-- that sucks.)
Depending on nature of your injury (and everyone's situation is different although we all would like to believe that they are roughly the same) you may need a shoe insert or orthotic to support tendons or ligaments that keep the arch intact and foster overall stability and good foot biomechanics in movement. If you need professional advice there are doctors (podiatrists) that do nothing but treat foot problems.
Thanks for your response. Hoping everything is okay with my next appointment. Include me in your prayers pls. I feel depressed sometimes . It's kind of hard when you have some knowledge of what's going on. I'm a nurse and sometimes I think of the worst outcome. But I think I have to change this attitude. I have to think positive. Thank you again!
I wonder if the breakage causes a bit of depression. I read a fabulous book called the magic when I was housebound - all about positive thinking. It definitely helped & changed my attitude & way of seeing things. Hold on in there. It will improve - it just takes time.