Month 10, 11 & 12 - Achilles Tendon Rupture - Operative Repair Surgery - One Year Update
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- Achilles Video Series - Month 10, 11 & 12 - Achilles Tendon Rupture - One Year Update
Quick update as I progress to playing basketball and boxing.
Video Series Description -
Thanks for tuning in to this video series. My name is Chi Chen and throughout the next year, I will be providing weekly updates of my recovery process. The purpose of these videos is to provide a live case study on the surgical rehab process in Canada for someone who is looking to return to competitive sports.
Summary -
I ruptured my Achilles Tendon on June 3, 2020 and it took about 3 weeks to go through the hospital system, appointments, scheduling and I finally had my surgery June 26, 2020. I'll be talking about stability and strengthening for your leg once you're walking without assistance again.
7 weeks post op, and am walking in normal shoes perfectly fine with no pain, here’s a reminder to not rely on other people’s healing process to predict yours, i’ve seen people still in a boot with pain at 8 weeks, everyone heals differently. still cannot run or jump but i can walk far distances perfectly fine with no pain.
That sounds like you're progressing along very well! Yes precisely, everyones injury and bodies are different and will vary from person to person. Always use your own body and pain as the best guide for when to rest and when to keep working on mobility and strength. Good luck with the rest of your recovery
I'd be so worried about rerupture 😮
Toronto waterfront resident here, too! Looks like you also play by the bball courts at Billy Bishop. Tore my achiles 1 week ago and awaiting surgery at Mt. Sainai. Your videos are so informative and encouraging for me to know what to look forward to. Thanks brother! I hope you're doing well.
Can’t believe that it’s going to be one year for me coming on Sept2. THANK YOU so much bro. You have helped me so much to see light at the end of the tunnel. Ruptured mine playing basketball. I hope you’re well and back to your grind. I’m still not 100% and will continue to grind as well. Onward and Upward
Mark
Austin, Texas
Hey man, you're very welcome! I'm doing great now and barely ever remember having torn both achilles. I'm able to play sports and everything. I felt about 100% again around the 1.5 year mark and that's back to playing basketball etc. take your time and keep working on your range of motion and strength.
Thanks a lot for doing these videos. I'm at about 6 1/2 weeks post-surgery. The recovery seems to be going well so far (can just about hobble along without the boot now) but it's a long and slow process. Watching these kinds of videos helps when I'm feeling a bit less positive about the injury. All the best to you
Hi Chi Chan, I just wanted to say thanks for putting those videos they are very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to do them. I ruptured my left leg Achilles tendon in June. I'm on boot now my faith and watching videos like yours help me alot. Alhamdulilah which means thanks god.
You are so welcome!
Just reading all these comments from everyone going through the same process is inspiring, sending you best wishes wherever you are in your journey. I can really feel the positive energy and wish everyone a fast recovery and stay motivated, we can get through this. Achilles rupture was the last thing I was worried about 3 days ago and now all I can think about is walking again and progressing to jogging, running, mountain biking and getting back to my ice hockey league and the soccer field.
Thank you Chi and hope you're ballin' out of control these days :)
Hey man, you definitely can and will get back to all those sports and activities again. I've been playing basketball every week sometimes twice a week for the past 6 months or more. That's after two repairs so maybe that can give you some hope that you'll be able to recover and get to the same point where you don't even remember you were ever injured.
Today marks month 11 post op for me. I am about 90% in terms of recovery and working on that other 10%. Just wanted to sincerely thank you for sharing your journey. I watched every one of your recovery videos as I went through the process and they really gave me the guidance and encouragement that I needed. I’ve even led friends to you after they ruptured their achilles. Can’t thank you enough. I didn’t realize how stiff I was in my joints until I got injured. So mobility has been at the top of my list. I feel the best that I’ve felt in years. I also learned a ton about myself and how patient, disciplined and resilient I am so I am thankful for that part of the experience. Stay healthy, brother! 🙏🏾
Thanks for this thoughtful message! I really do appreciate hearing about others finding these videos helpful. It sounds like your recovery went well and you're almost fully recovered soon.
I'm 3 weeks post surgery in my right Achilles. Watched all your videos and I just wanna say thank you bro!! This is going to help me a lot, and it's awesome seeing someone else go through this and come out okay 🙏🏾
Ah you're past the worst part which is the healing right after surgery. It'll be more exciting from here as you progress and heal and start walking again! Let me know if you have any questions as you heal. You got this! Stay positive and be patient with yourself
Month 10 post surgery. It’s been the longest and somehow shortest time of my life. Still a long way to go mobility and strength wise, but it’s so nice to be able to walk pain free and mostly do things normally again. Your videos have been a nice baseline to try to keep up with!
That phrase of it being the longest and somehow shortest time of your life rings so true. Took the words right out of my mouth. Glad you're past the hard part and back to regular activities and feeling normal again. It certainly feels like quite the journey looking back at it all right?
Chi - Not sure if you remember me leaving comments and asking questions probably a year ago. I'm currently at the 12 month mark and I can honestly say, your videos and your progress really put the faith in me that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Appreciate you for sharing your journey with the world! I am in a better place both physically and mentally because of it. Can't wait to be going back to physical activities in a regular basis! Cheers bro~
Hey man! That sounds amazing and thank you for this message. It definitely lifts my spirit to know that someone found this information helpful and hearing that you're in a great place now physically and mentally is all the appreciation I'll ever need. So thank you for sharing! Make sure to ease into physical activities and don't rush it, bullet proof your other achilles as well by doing single leg stair calf raises etc too! Prevention is better than rehab haha
Bro you are so fucking motivating to watch i swear to GOd. I did my achilles boxing on July 2nd, and it's a mental fight every morning to keep my mental strong. Seeing that you not only have recovered but you're boxing, you're doing yoga - which tbh most normal peoples flexibility isn't even your level, so the fact you're pushing forward, skipping etc is so inspiring Power to you bro. I hope you're well and strong now, I wonder if you feel as strong as you did before injury
Hey man, yeah I'm completely well now and boxing, playing basketball and all that again. Don't even think about my injuries when I'm exercising and doesn't hold me back at all. You will definitely get to this point as well, just stay patient and keep up the consistent work. I've repaired both and it seems like a distant memory. The mental part is definitely one of the hardest parts but you got this! I know it.
@@ChiChen3 The mental part is still a thing for me. I admire the way you just go for things after experiencibg this twice!😊
@@ChiChen3 I checked this video and totally forgot I left a comment! I'm glad you made a full recovery Chi! I'm 9.5 months in now and have made almost a full recovery but maybe didn't do as much physio as I should have... I went for a jog 3 weeks ago and it's been abit tender since. I got an ultrasound yday and it's not reruptured but I've been told to take it easy and get more physio done. I'm hoping I cn get my full power jumps back by month 12-15, thank you again Chi.
I am now on my 8 month post surgery of ruptured right Achilles. Constant rehab and strengthening I can now sprint in interval about 9km/h. On progress working on my COD, agility and jumping. I have no pain after jogging 10km distance. Ramdom swelling is there but it subsides afterwards. Looking forward to playing basketball within 10-12 months. Your videos gives me ideas for rehab and recovery.
Sounds like you're recovering really well! Take your time with basketball especially playing in games because theres a lot of high impact acceleration and jumping that you may not be fully ready for yet. Just ease into it by dribbling around, taking shots, doing some layups and feel it out. I did that for a 2-3 months before actually playing in a competitive game.
Thanks you for this. I'm five months post-op, and it's great having your experience.
You're very welcome! Let me know if you have any questions while you're going through your recovery. Stay positive and you'll be healed up in no time.
Man I am at month 10 and have been watching all these vids… thanks bro
Glad you found them useful Daniel! I appreciate the kind words. Good luck with the rest of your recovery and let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Chi, thanks so much for these videos. I'm 8 weeks into recovery on my right achilles rupture repair. Did the left one 2 years ago. Your recovery journey is giving me hope for getting back to sporting activities in due course and motivation to keep hitting the gym (sensibly) through this recovery. Thanks so much!!
Glad you found them useful! You sound like me with two repairs in such a short time span. I'm going to start a series reviewing some mobility programs that will help bulletproof the achilles. So while you recover hopefully we'll be able to test out what will make them super strong and resilient again.
Friend i need to ask you something I ruptuerd my Achilles tendon last week i just wanna know how much weeks does it take to fully recovered
Hey,
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing the progress through your injury and recovery. I ruptured my achilles about 6 weeks ago playing rugby (only the 2nd game of the season!) and had surgery just under 4 weeks ago. Surgery apparently went well and I've had little to no pain at all for the last couple weeks but not being able to put weight on my foot and do things independently is quite a challenge! Looking forward to getting the boot back as I can start to weight bear and begin physio work and at least some sort of training after a few weeks off!
Really glad to see you were able to get back to the things you enjoy - I very much want to get back to playing rugby (even at 32!) and even though I know it's a long road ahead of me, seeing content like yours is giving me hope that it is possible. Hope you're continuing to keep fit and well and thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your story, yeah it's usually the first few games back when our bodies aren't use to the same movements and force just yet and we redline our bodies in a split second instinctual play and bam.. I definitely tried to stay in the gym even when I was in the boot and on crutches, just had a friend help me load and unload the bar for upper body exercises etc. machines are also useful during this time. I'm 36 now and back to playing basketball and boxing etc so you'll definitely be able to come back but just be patient and give yourself a good year at least to recover and get your body back into shape for things like rugby. It took me about 1.5 years to be back on the court with full confidence and playing at the same level without any fears in my mind Id ever rerupture it.
Yeah, I'm back in the aircast boot now and able to hit my upper body hard and work on the lower body with some modified exercises.
I'm lucky that our physios have worked at elite level sport for a while so have plenty of know-how for getting me back out there!
Hope you keep healthy, fit and active and thanks again for the videos!
Thank you Chi for all of your videos. I have surgery for a tear coming October 1st. They have been very helpful of what to expect especially in the beginning! Wish me luck!
Best of luck Robin! You'll get through this no problem and let us know if you have any questions during your recovery.
Hello again! Im almost at 30 days after surgery, in cast #3, at last visit they said my appt. was made too soon so I go back on 11/05 supposedly to remove stitches and get a boot. My question is do you have to sleep in that boot as well? I’d really like to be able to not sleep in it and if I need to get up during the night to carefully use my knee scooter. I haven’t quite got the showering thing down yet but I’m still working on it. I’ve been using some bathing wipes I got from Amazon for the most part. Again your videos have been super helpful! I hope you are doing well and on your way to playing basketball again.
Hi Chi. Thanks for your videos.
Ruptured my left achillies eleven weeks ago and operated five weeks ago. Got covid two days after tearing the achillies and had to wait a month after I had been negative before they would operate. Cast is off now while around the house, but there almost no muscle to lift my heal off the floor. Tore the achillies while playing squash. It was the third game back after a ten year lay off. At age fifty eight I can only hope my recovery is as good as yours. Inspired by your story, thank you. Look after yourself. All the best👍
Hey Craig, thanks for sharing your story. Yeah the muscle atrophy is pretty wild when they remove the cast and you see how much your leg shrank and your calf is just skinny and jello like. This is totally normal and as you being to strengthen and gain mobility back, the muscles will come back quick. Muscle memory is a crazy thing. Theres others who are in their 60's and 70's that are healing / healed from this as well in these comments. You got this!
Thanks for these Chi. Really appreciate your series. Hope your doing well and enjoying your active life.
Thanks man! I just played basketball yesterday and it felt great so yeah I'm fully recovered and loving life.
@@ChiChen3 hi! That's for your series documenting your recovery. I'm about 11 months post op (missed 6 weeks approx of rehab)
Do you have a skipping routine that you do? I've been skipping for the last couple of weeks with slow improvements but it sounds like you progressed well with your skipping routine.
I can run 5km/3.1 miles easily in under 30 mins and doing plyometrics etc so things are moving forward🎉
Your videos helped me so much! I’m am nearing one year post op. Thank you!
You are so welcome! Happy to use my experience to help others.. even a little.
Thanks for the video. I have been watching your videos since I ruptured my AT 7 weeks ago. Great content and inspiring. I got right into PT at 2 weeks when cast came off and immediately worked on maintaining strength while protecting the AT. Now boot is off 85% of the time and I am working on walking. Swimming and working on quads, hamstrings, glutes etc has made a huge impact on my rapid progression. Hope to back like you at 12 months running and jumping. nervous and have to get the confidence
Hey man, it sounds like you're doing all the right things and if you keep up this hard work I have no doubt you'll be where I was at Month 12.
I’m 3 month pass my surgery. Even though I can walk at 6 weeks, the muscle really takes time. I have full range of motion now. I still cannot stand on my toe on my injured leg. Anyway, keep grinding.
Yes it definitely takes time. Be patient with it and just try to walk around and use it whenever you can.
Came across this video and its giving me hope. I'm 3 weeks post op and they're making stay in my cast so far.
It's alright just use this time to let your wound heal and when you take the cast off, you'll be able to slowly start physio as you get into the boot and then eventually out of the boot.
It has been a year and a month now since my surgery. I've been running on the treadmill. It's pretty safe to say that I can run to 8 on a treadmill but I can actually max it out before the surgery. Here's the thing, even though I can run on a treadmill, I could only run straight and I have to run a pavement like I'm running on a treadmill.
I also play basketball, but it seems like I couldn't run appropriately to do a layup. If it's only two steps away from the basket, I can do the two step run and do the layup. But if I'm starting to drive all the way from the three point line, I can't do it. It feels like I lost that dip and explode to drive to the basket. I played basketball against an actual person few days ago. I couldn't drive. I don't know what training I should do to get back what I lost.
It's month 11 for me now. I can do some somersaults in the gym now and did some parkour height drops into rolls and a back flip with some box jumps outside to condition myself against impact again slowly
Wow....I'm in month 15 now and I still struggle with jumping. I think it's more of a mental issue.
Wow that sounds like you're recovering well. I'd be a little careful with plyometrics like parkour height drops, just make sure youre not trying to jump out of them. Rolling out of them may be safer but start with lower heights and let your achilles get use to it first.
@@ChiChen3 Yeah, I'm still rolling out of landings
Kinda the only rupture video series i can relate to. I ruptured my achilles 10 months ago; right before a taekwondo tournament .
I feel pretty strong i can double calfpress around 2x my bodyweight, do assisted pistol squats. Allowed to kick around 70-80% power.
I do feel soreness or fatigue when i challenge my achilles, I’m not too scared to kick once I’m warmed up .
I’ll take it in mind to challenge my achilles more now when i recover pretty well
Sounds like you're recovering very well! Yes you want to keep challenging yourself in order for it to heal back to 100%. It'll take some time but just let it rest and recover after a hard workout and rinse and repeat!
Week 7 and watching your videos really help me with just my mental because all I want to do is return back to my sport which is skateboarding. my Achilles was sliced by a peice of metal sticking out and went into surgery right away. Still in the boot but slightly testing myself I can walk with no crutches. I just want the pain in my heel to start going away!! and the indent in my heel area!! But I guess that's with time.
Yeah both will go away with time as you heal and gain strength back. That sounds like a gnarly accident..
Hey, thanks for all your videos you really helped me with my recovery. It's now 11 months, for me , my PT already cleared me to get back to basketball court and I have played couple fullcourt 4v4. I wanted to ask you - how did your leg felt when you got back to basketball ? Because mine feels okyish, but sometimes after a layup (jump with injured leg) I feel some discomfort/very light pain in it. It also felt weird after I did hard stop on it during a game. The feeling in very similar to lighty rolled ankle, but it went away during the game (I stopped playing with ball for a bit). How did it go for you ?
Hm.. fairly similar experience. I think my first time playing casual pickup, I felt a bit of a flat tire on my leg during push off or layups. This showed me that my strength wasn't fully back yet. I think around Month 16-18 was when I felt completely normal and didn't think twice when playing. But around the 1 year mark, I was about the same as you. If you can continue to play but just casually, thats the best way to recover. Your body will get use to the strain of basketball, just make sure you don't overdo it on the court during this time.
Hi Chi,
Thank you for all the videos and motivational words. You are putting lots of effort to reply to everyone's comments. You are great: good luck and best wishes for a bright future. Chi, I had surgery one year ago. I have been doing all the exercises as per physio instructions. But still, I can't go on slopes. Sometimes I lose balance when I walk. Have you ever experienced this?
Hm.. I haven't lost balance when I've been walking but uphill slopes sometimes can be difficult at first when you haven't unlocked the full range of motion and strength yet. One exercise to really help this would be to do single calf leg raises on the stairs to build up the strength through the full range of motion. Another exercise would be to push a sled at the gym but that's more advanced and requires a prowler sled and a gym haha.
Thank you, Chi. Getting advice from someone who experienced the whole process is more valuable than professional advice. Very helpful 🙏
Thanks bro your videos helped me a lot tho my recovery process
You're very welcome! I'm glad these videos have been helpful.
So helpful and motivational
Glad it was helpful!
Great work!
Thank you! Cheers!
Hi man, just saw my comment below 4 month ago. I am now 5 month post op, things progressed long way, boxing is great excerise which I have done for couple years, I started boxing again 2 month ago in a boot, because am southpaw, so it is not too bad as my injuried foot is lead foot in a boot.
Thats exciting man, sounds like you're recovering well. I found that ducking and weaving was a bit more difficult during the recovery process because I was lacking range of motion in my ankles so be careful with those.
@@ChiChen3 Yea, I mostly just doing slipping and parry to minimse foot movement. Been 7 month since surgery, I still feel the tightness around the tendon, espcially when I bare foot or early morning or sitting for long time. I hope this feeling will go away eventually.
14 months post op. And I still remember when I started watching your videos when I was 1 month in. Thanks for doing these, years later they still help people.
I'm still weak on that calf side, does that every get its full strength? Any tips at this point?
thanks again!
Yes, it does take a bit more time to get back to full strength. I did weighted calf raises at the gym and it takes about 2 years after surgery to get it back to feeling full strength with training. I'm happy my videos were able to help you!
Thank you for sharing very helpful!
You're very welcome Carolyn!
Hey Chi, I was just wondering how your life and daily activity has changed from normal after your tear. I’m 20, never had a major injury and very active so I’ve had a lot of trouble keeping my head up and not thinking that I will always have to worry about re-tearing or just my Achilles will never feel normal. Could we get another update about how you’re feeling in a couple months again? And thanks for documenting your journey. I don’t know how I would have dealt with this injury without them.
And at what week after surgery can I stop worry about over stretching my tendon and losing explosiveness? I’m at week 9 and just beginning PT, so I worry about that a lot
Hey Christian, yeah absolutely, I'm 35 now standing on two repaired achilles both torn in my 30's. I plan to get back at sports and staying active for a while longer so I'm also looking for ways to bulletproof my achilles. Stay tuned and I'm going to add videos of me trying different programs e.g. gmb elements and kneesovertoesguy zero program.
I basically have the same problem, also 20 and I love playing football. However I can’t even think of playing football as I am scared to tear it again.
Im 22 and I had a 42 inch vertical and was looking forward to dunking this year. Tore my achilles one month ago and I’m worried I won’t have the same bounce again :/
@@ChiChen3 do it
1 year post-op myself. Been playing pickleball the last 6 months already. I highly recommend pickleball as an additional sport to pick up if you get a chance to try it. The goal for me now is to be playing volleyball again by this summer.
Ah I haven't tried pickleball yet but I can see how it can be great for recovery since the court is much smaller. Just be careful you're not pushing it too hard with any explosive steps or movements trying to chase balls.
I ruptured my achilles tendon playing pickleball. Almost 8 weeks out from surgery and I am starting to walk in a shoe. Not much pain. I'm hoping to be back on the pickleball court in two months. I have been going to the gym during the whole process and just doing what I could. I was in a cast and non weight bearing for the first six weeks. I'm almost 70 but still really active. I don't want to push it too soon but my Physical therapist thought that two months ( four total ) is a reasonable goal. They said it was a freak thing and it actually came detached from my heel and had to be anchored back to it. Good luck to everyone with their healing.
@@waynejacobi382 mine was from pickleball as well. 1 year post surgery this week. Hope you are getting better every week.
I’m coming up on my 9 month mark and am barely starting to jog. Sometimes it’s disheartening seeing other people be further along at the same point but it’s also nice to see how much I’ve progressed. What stretches worked best for you?
warrior, im on month 2 and i’m scared shitless to play ball ever again, ruptured my achilles with the same move
That fear will pass. I'm back to playing ball at least once a week for the past 6 months and feel great. Take your time and don't rush things, you'll naturally feel more confident in your body as it heals, I didnt start playing until almost a year and that was super light, and only started competitive about a year and a half after my surgery.
Man I really appreciate these videos. Detailed and plenty of demonstrations. Thank you man.
I'm on week 2, on a boot, still have the sutures. Was wondering do the skin eventually flatten out?
Yeah the skin will eventually flatten out as the wound heals from the staples/sutures and then again as the achilles starts to mould and lengthen and gets more pliable the skin will also return more to normal.
@@ChiChen3 Great! It's probably why it still feels so tight when slightly stretching. These are my go to videos and uplifts my spirit. Thank you again 🙏
@@cyrusm3391 Good luck with the recovery and some manual cross friction massage over your skin and achilles helps loosen up the skin and achilles too. You can lookup some youtube videos that show you how to do it.
9:35 that’s the same way I ruptured my right Achilles. Few months post up now and trying to slim down as well to help with recovery.
Yeah its usually pretty typical moves or heavy load and explode actions that tend to do it. Our brains thinks we can still do certain actions but our bodies aren't prepared for it anymore and these accidents happen.
I'm 4 months post operation, and I'm starting to walk normal again but I cant walk for long distances without getting sore. I started to bike again around my neighborhood with no incline for around 40 min (around 14km). Should I walk more around this time or is biking fine as well. I still spend an hour a day for stretches and exercises on top of biking. Happy to see your progressing well, keep up the great work!
Both are good. Walking is a must but feel free to switch it up and bike as well. It sounds like you're trying to stay active and challenge your foot which is awesome. Keep it up!
Happy to see this !!! Any Pain when waking up ?
No, the achilles is sometimes a little tight when I wake up but after a couple minutes of walking around the house it feels fine again. But I wouldn't trust myself to be able to wake up in the middle of the night and have to sprint somewhere out of bed. Hopefully theres no fires lol.
Hey @Chi Chen! I'm at one year myself. I definitely don't feel ready to get back to competitive sports yet 😅. I'm just curious how did your training plan change after you hit one year? I feel like my overall strength is like 90-95% back, but my injured side gets sore and weak way too fast to play a competitive sport (e.g. like basketball) right now.
Hey Caleb, yeah I felt the exact same way. Just take your time and at about 1.5 year mark was when I felt completely comfortable playing full length games in competitive sports. At 1 year mark it definitely got sore quickly and still felt lack of strength.
Week 2 post op and I don’t feel much pain. Is that normal? I’m off the cast and moved to a cam boot with a 10 degree heel wedge. Doc said I can start walking with crutches and doing some ankle movements. Just surprised that I’m not feeling much pain when doing some toe touches with crutches.
Thats a good sign. Its normal to feel pain but may just mean that you're recovering and healing up quickly. You'll start feeling some pain as you challenge your achilles and start strength training (eg calf raises etc).
Thanks for the videos Chi, really meaningful to follow along as I recover from my own rupture. Just wondering if you have thoughts about what you might have done differently after your first rupture to prevent the other one?
Hey Henry, yeah I definitely would have focused more on bulletproofing my other leg by strengthening it through the full range of motion, best exercise for that would be single leg calf raises on an elevated surface like stairs etc. Also making sure I warm up and stretch before any strenuous exercises like basketball.. I tore my second one because I didn't do these things.
@@ChiChen3 Thanks a lot Chi. Hope your recovery continues and you're back to full athletic activity.
90days complete my surgery plz suggest me what i m doing
Hey Chi, I'm 6 weeks into my rupture and went the non-operative route because the hospital surgeon and physio both recommended that was the best route. I'm curious around your 3-6 week range, how often were you going to PT?
I was going to physio once a week and doing exercises at home by myself inbetween my physio visits. Weeks 3-6 is mostly still in the AirCast boot so I didn't have too much range of motion at that point.
Hi Chi, I’m 1 week post-op on my right Achilles, I have followed you video’s during recovery of my left Achilles surgery 1 year ago. I want to ask if you have found any information on why individuals tear both left and right achilles several years apart. I’ve play sports most of my life and also a paratrooper in the service. This new Achilles Injury has been devastating for me cause I put so much work into recovering my left. But I’m keeping my spirts up know the hard road I have ahead. Chi, thanks for your videos on your recovery journey.
Hey Edward! Keep your head up. The second recovery is WAY easier than the first one. To answer your question, from my understanding, there are a few factors that play into a rupture. One being genetics and some of us naturally get less blood flow into our extremities like our hands and feet. With less bloodflow and lower circulation, we're more prone to these injuries. Another factor is wear and tear over the years. This is probably the biggest factor in my opinion. I played sports growing up all my life competitively, played high level since I was a child and even played for my University team. Throughout all those years, perhaps similar to your Paratrooper service, our ankles, achilles and other muscles probably incurred micro tears through the heavy workload. So imagine you're a car and your tires have been slowly worn down over the years due to high workload. At some point, if you continue to push your car to the limits, your vulnerable tires may eventually give way to a small bump in the road. Similar to our achilles, they've been worn down over the years and if we try and push them to the same limits as when we were younger, we may push off in an awkward manner during sports and "pop a tire". There is a way to prevent this and change to new tires by doing preventative strengthening and flexibility work. Basically everything you did at the end of your recovery to get your leg back to 100%, the calf raises, the downward dog yoga poses to stretch the achilles etc. Also, making sure you warm up and stretch before high impact sports and exercises! Hope this info helps, keep your head up, there are quite a few of us who have torn both and though its tough, you'll get through it soon! Im back to playing basketball and all the things I did before my injuries.
Thank you. Chi you've been very helpful
hey, thanks for making this vid about ur achilles rupture recovery. but i’ve one question. is there any lesion in ur achilles after u had a surgery?
Hm.. Im not sure if it's a lesion or more just built up scar tissue but my first repair using the traditional method definitely has much more scar tissue along the achilles compared to my more recent repair on my right achilles which feels much more normal like pre-surgery.
Hey! I don’t know if you’ll see this. I’m wondering when you would recommend starting to restore plantar flexion. I’m week 3 post op
I'd follow your doctors protocol but typically you start removing heel lifts in your boot to start restoring plantar flexion.
Thanks for the videos. Do you have any information/tips or a video on how to prevent an Achilles rupture ever happening in the first place? thanks.
The best way is to take your achilles through the full range of motion under load. So single leg calf raises with weight will help strengthen through the entire range of motion of your achilles, pushing and pulling a prowler is good too, and then move your way up to controlled plyometrics with body weight to ensure your body is accustomed to more explosive movements, like hops on one leg and even low box jumps. Just be careful with plyometrics because if you're not ready yet or you're stressing your achilles too much with sports AND plyometrics, this is also how you can lead to another tear if you're not careful.
Just marked the one year spot. It's good to see progress, still there are some mental challenges. I'm still learning to jump on a flat surface but running on a threadmill works fine! I still feel that I haven't got my strength back though.
I really want to start working out regularly again 😭. Anyone has experiences with other physical challenges after starting to walj again? For example sciatica... ?
Yeah the mental challenges will always be there until you're fully recovered and it's actually a good thing so that you don't accidentally push yourself past what you're capable of at the moment. It took till about 1.5 years until I was playing competitive sports again and moved past my mental block.
@@ChiChen3 Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hey Chi. Another question. How do you know if you overstretched your achilles after the surgery? I’m just over 4 months from surgery and I remember the doctor and other vids have talked about not over stretching the Achilles right out of the boot or it will be permanently weakened. I’ve been out of the boot for a while but I sometimes stress that I did a couple months back and now it will be very weak when I’m fully recovered. How would I know if I did that at some point?
That will mostly come from perhaps more explosive exercises. For now, your strength is probably still lacking quite a bit in your calves, legs and so forth until about month 6 at least. So don't worry about it too much and just keep doing your exercises and stretches. At 4 months your plenty past healed up to stretch and strengthen as much as it can tolerate.
Hey Chi, I’m at 6 months post op and still having issues with tightness/stiffness around my Achilles which make it’s hard for me to do squats regularly or single leg. Could you let me know what stretches you do and when your Achilles started to feel looser and actually feel like it wasn’t so constricted?
Best exercise is just knee over toes stretch. Another great one is calf raises on a platform so you can go through full range of motion and progressively add weights. Squatting until you feel a stretch in the achilles and dont go lower than it can handle. Your squat will get deeper as you heal. Im still not able to go ass to floor and it's been 1 year for me but Im getting close. Another good exercise is thekneesovertoesguy doing the deep lunge but staying on your toes.
Hi from toronto, I have torn my Achilles last week playing volley ball and waiting for the orthopedic surgeon. I have watched your videos which gave me hope. Please let me know how the surgery felt ( is it excruciatingly painful?) and who is a good surgeon in toronto ? Thank you so much.
Id recommend Dr Park if you can get him. He uses the newer technique with special tools that is minimally invasive vs traditional wide open surgeries. His info is in one of my first videos in the description. He's a specialist for the feet and ankle and I wouldnt see any other surgeon for my achilles.
@@ChiChen3 do you have any idea , if I could choose to be referred to him?
My Achilles tendon surgery is 33 days ago means 5 week complete
The Dr is not giving by the boot and not recomand the shoes and
he said go to work
Now Iam walking to normal like not full strength on my bad leg
If walking time it's swelling and pain coming please tell me but my tendon Achilles is not full cut it's partial cut Dr said swelling is no problum please tell me.
I'm not a health professional but even with partial tears, I don't think its wise to walk too much on it at week 5. A little bit of walking is alright if you can bear it at this stage but as soon as it swells up I think you need to rest it and ice it. This seems like quite an aggressive plan by your doctor.
I just got into my walking boot today. No surgery route though. (i was a smoker)
I have a question for you guys. What about the mind state as far as the recovery process? Im having difficulty just thinking about the rehab/therapy process. How'd you guys deal with that part? My foot is so week and obviously no range of motion at the moment. My injury happened 5weeks ago. I ruptured my Achilles playing basketball 😢
From my experience after tearing both my achilles one after the other over a 2-3 year time frame. I'd say the number one thing to keep in mind is to be patient with yourself and try not to get frustrated. Slow consistent effort and progress is key during physio stages. If you watch my videos, it'll give you a general sense of timeline and what to expect month by month. It'll get easier with time as you move through the recovery stages and once you can walk around in regular shoes again, time will pass much quicker because your daily life will be back to normal. At that point you may not be able to play sports yet but you'll feel comfortable during daily life activities. Just make sure you continue your physio exercises and strengthening especially if you want to return to sports like I did. I'm back to playing basketball again after recovering from two torn achilles so it's definitely possible.
Hey man, im now almost 1 year post op, i jog, run, play half court bball just fine, verticial is at around 60-70%, range of motion is at around 90%. However i am noticing sth weird, around my achilles theres thickness, my achilles feels very thick as if its surrounded by sth. It feels like 4 achilles stitched together 😂. Im planning to see the doctor next week, but don you have any idea what that could be?
What was the verdict on this?
Month 10 is weird. I’m walking normal but still getting inflammation. Looks just like yours when your doing the wall stretches
Yeah I found that too. Don't be too hard on yourself when it comes to timelines. Sometimes your body needs a bit more time in certain stages and as long as you stay consistent with your physio and training, things will definitely improve. Just be patient and keep showing up! You got this.
Also what’s your opinion on shoes at this point ? I tried doing the whole minimal sneaker thing but I feel like my Achilles can’t take it
Shoes definitely offer more support but by Month 10 and onwards, I definitely had no problem walking around in sandals or barefoot all day.
I still can’t run after 12 month post op
This takes time and the strength will only come back if you slowly and progressively keep challenging yourself, so starting with heel raises and then moving onto to brisk walks and light jogging. It'll feel like you're running on a flat tire for a while until the strength starts to build up.
Did you by chance attempt to do any plyo? If so, was it early (9-12th month mark) or is it still not ready for plyometrics. Month 3 post op for me but just planning ahead as I’m about to start PT/getting out of the boot (at 90° with no wedges). Thanks again for the videos. Definitely give me hope to get back to semi pro basketball.
Be careful with heavy plyometrics. You can start light plyometrics like low box jumps around the 10-12 month mark depending on how much work you put into physio leading up to that. Plyo is really straining to your achilles and you should wait till it's almost fully recovered before placing too much explosive demand on them.
@@ChiChen3 appreciate the feedback.
hi bro, I finished the surgery for almost 1 year, can you let me know how to train, or how to start jumping. Until now, I still cannot jump..
I started with jogging and then moved to strength training exercises like weighted calf raises. Then once it's strong enough, you can move into light jump training and plyometrics.
Hey mate, just a quick question. I'm in my week 5. Went out for few hours with my boot and when I came back home my ankle and whole ft was swollen. Did it happen to you?
Yeah that's completely normal. Whenever you challenge your foot and ankles, which sounds like you did being out for a few hours, it'll swell up. That just means that you've pushed it far enough and need to start resting it and icing it so it can recover before you challenge it again next time. Also, once you remove the boot, your ankle and foot will swell up again as you try to walk cause it's trying to protect you to not try too much before its ready. So think of it as a sign that you've done enough work today and it's time to ice, elevate and rest until it's ready to do more work again.
@@ChiChen3 cheers man, its good to hear from someone who experienced it. My job requires long standing and all so got me worried lol . BTW, you have massive balls getting back to jumping sports again, respect!
@@aidanafshar139 Hahah thanks man. May be less courage but rather just can't bear to live without these sports.
Hi chi, im at 7 week past my surgery and now when i walk i feel pain and numbnes at my footprint is that normal?
Yeah you're still in the healing phase somewhat and your tendon / muscles are still getting use to making all the connections. It shouldn't be any sharp pains but mild numbness is normal especially if you're still in the boot.
What about swelling after 10.11. 12 months post op? Did you get swelling still on the end of the day
There is far less swelling at the 10-12month mark. It can still happen when you overexert your leg through training and you'll want to let that come down before you exercise it again. But pushing your leg to this limit in a controlled way is a great way to strengthen it and recover faster.
Hi! Are there any resources/videos you recommend for tear preventions? I recently tore my achilles and am 1 week post op so would like to do what I can to prevent a tear in the future. Thanks!
Yeah you can look at exercises that can bulletproof your achilles. It's very similar to the physio that you have to go through from a tear. Single leg calf raises and weight single leg calf raises are very good. Also look into light plyometrics which help to place extra load on your tendons so that they are trained and capable to handle any athletic movements you try to do.
How long did it take to get that springy feeling when you jump?
It took a while, I'd say between 1.5-2 years
@@ChiChen3makes sense because I still don’t have that feeling and I’m hesitant to jump high because of it.
About 7 months post op. At what time did you other calve look pretty much the same as the non injured. I know it’s normal for there to be a slight difference after but how long until it was pretty much back to normal for you because mine still looks a lot different
I wasn't doing calf raises with weights as early as I should have cause of COVID lockdowns but I'd say it took me till after 1 year mark or just past there to have my calves start looking similar size. Im sure you can get there around Month 10 or 11 with training though.
I'm in week 4 and I feel like I'll never play sport's again the mind no longer trusts the body 😂 its walks and hikes from now on
😂 I felt the same way after my second surgery. Both legs have been repaired and I don't have a third to mess up. But that's got me motivated to figure out a way to bulletproof my achilles and prevent any future injuries. I'm going to look into reviewing different mobility programs for everyone so that once they're healed they can look at what exercises can really help them prevent injuries in the future.
Im on my 10th weeks post op and still wearing the boot as per dr advised but when I go to my PT or walking to the house without the boot i can feel like a knife stabbing under my heel is that normal? Also when i go to a grocery and walking with my boot as soon i go home i feel pain and numbness on my heel . Please advise. Ty much
This may mean that your achilles is just getting use to the stretch in your boots. This pain should slowly decrease as you progress through the wedges at 100% weight bearing. Once you're out of the boot, that will also help as you start strengthening all the stablizer muscles in your foot and ankles as well.
Struggling with single leg calf raises. Any recommendations? I’m a little over 3 months from surgery
Just take your time with it, start with letting your other foot help you get to the top of the raise and then try to slowly lower yourself to the ground with control. At first it'll feel like it just wants to drop instantly but do reps of these and you'll soon see it get stronger. You can even lean over a counter and use your upper body and arms to help support the weight to lighten the load as well.
How are you doing after 2 years? Are you at 100% or almost there?
Yes I'm pretty much at 100% now and I play basketball, box and other sports without ever thinking about it anymore.
How's the rehab going now? Are you almost back to normal?
Yeah I'm back to normal now after two repairs. Played basketball from Friday night and felt great. Didn't feel like I was ever injured at all.
Good deal man! Your hard work payed off. I go in for surgery in a couple days. I've been watching all your videos and they are very inspiring! 🙏
Do you wear any type of support around that area from now on? Like an ankle strap?
No, I don't use any support at all. I think it's better to strengthen your ankle and legs to prevent injuries. Straps or ankles braces I find limit your movement and thus your strength in those ranges of movement and you become dependant on always wearing one. I think with proper physio and rehab you can bulletproof your achilles again so you can go back to being active the same as before.
@@ChiChen3 Thanks for the replies. I had an accident this morning and I landed on my foot. I called my doctor and he said I should be fine but I’m low key kind of scared that I messed something up. Hopefully there’s no complications come Monday when I have my appointment
@@flflores0 Ah I think you're probably alright. During surgery, they really tie that sucker together well. If you tore your achilles, you wouldn't be able to move your foot at all. If you partially tore it, then it would've swollen up like a balloon and be very painful as well. I think you likely just stretched it a bit further than normal for a brief second and you should be fine.
I’m over 2 1/2 years post surgery(complete rupture during flag football) I still feel I’m only around 60-70%. I still can’t do single leg calf raise but I would like to get back into BJJ/Muay Thai full time. Do you have any tips/exercise/stretches. I’ve done PT twice now for good period of time but it’s helped only so much.
How was the initial healing process? It's strange it's only at about 60-70% after 2 1/2 years. Have you been consistently doing single calf raises and working on progressively overloading it? (e.g. adding a bit more weight or reps each time).
@@ChiChen3 according to the specialist, And doing physical therapists they all said things were going well. But it’s like I hit a wall and I have improved slightly over time but that’s all they kept telling me. So I stopped being as consistent but now I’m working way more again. Any exercises or tips you recommend helped you a lot?
@@JLillard5 Aside from the single leg calf raises. I found skipping and also light jogging all helped get the strength and explosiveness back. It wasn't quick though, it felt like running on a flat tire at first but stick to it and it'll come back!
@@ChiChen3 thank you for the replies, I do a lot of heavy bag work and back into shadow boxing with footwork drills. I can spar with people sometimes it just feels I’m a step behind but the movement has gotten better. Im also able to throw kicks decent. I hope you’re doing well with yours as well. But definitely will try jumping and jogging more.
Hi mate, I just removed my cast today and into the moon boot, but I found my achillies tendon is very tight, it is so tight that I can not have my foot into a 90 degree angle. The best I can do is at 70 degress. Was it same for you after sugery? Thanks Ivan Yu
Yes, you definitely cant put your foot 90 degrees yet. This is why I have heel wedges in my boot, I take one wedge out per week. So about 4-5 weeks after I get into the boot, that's when I am able to get to 90 degrees. Definitely don't try to force it right away, that's how you can tear it.
@@ChiChen3 Thanks Chi. I am far away from 90 degrees, I think I am 55 at best right now. However the Physio give me the wedges which only support 25 degree of elevation, which means there is gap even I am in the boot, I feel a little strange about it. I thought I should be able to touch the wedges but I can not.
@@Ivan-zz9hd Yeah you should be able to touch the wedges so that you can actually step into your boot and start slowly adding weight bearing. You may want to find something else to add that elevation for now or slowly stretch until you can reach the support.
@@ChiChen3 Thanks Chi. I went to another Physio and she gave me higher wedges now, so I am good for now. Feeling a lot more comfortable and natural to work in the boot
Hello chen
Can u pls suggest me some shoes that i can wear. It's been 1 year since i tore my achiles. Pls give me some link of shoes.
After one year you should be able to wear any shoes really but look for ones that have comfortable back area, the part that touches your achilles. Some shoes have very stiff areas here which hurts a bit more when rubbing against your fixed achilles.
Which is your Instagram? I want to follow your recovery process day by day...
I dont really have day by day updates on instagram but its @ allyoucanchi
Month 11 post op - whenever I calf raise I feel the Achilles flexing individually and not really working with the calf on the raise. Is this normal and due to a lack of strength and flexibility?
Whenever I run and jump aswell it feels isolated sort of like the muscle is folding in itself
Really appreciate if you could get back this. Thank you!
Hm.. that may just be a factor of limited strength in the achilles and calves. When you run and jump, does it feel like it's running on a flat tire? There isn't much pushoff force?
@@ChiChen3 yes it feels like my foot isn’t getting much push off force and flat tiring. Is that strength or flexibility thing?
@@darrenn6860 That's a strength issue. This will naturally come back. I still felt somewhat of a flat tire feeling in this video even at Month 10-12. Single leg calf raises and skipping / jogging helps..
what stretches did you do when it got tight throughout the day and how can you make it less tight
Just knee over toe stretches, aka touching my knee to a wall in front of my foot. Also calf raises on stairs.
@@ChiChen3 thanks chi i really appreciate it how many sets and reps did you do and how many times can i do it again
a day *
@@yancobabakhayokho9756 I did it about 2-3 times a day and just did calf raises till I was sore and let them rest for a bit.
Hi,
Am 7month post op, is it able to recover without exercise
Hi Sandy, no you'll need to exercise and go through physio in order to recover and get your full strength back. Otherwise, your leg will only recover as much as it thinks you need it to. If you stay in a wheelchair and never try to use your legs, the muscles will atrophy because it thinks you no longer need it anymore.
can you please help me for my operation.
I can send positive thoughts your way. Let me know how I can help, if you're in Toronto area I can try to direct you to my doctor or physiotherapist
Hi sir chi..im from philippines and i just got my achilles surgery 4 weeks ago, is it possible that i could easily recovered even if i will not use a walker boot cause i cannot afford to buy for it?or maybe you could just give me your boot😀just kidding..i 've been watching your video and it can help me a lot to recover, i am in week 5 right now..
Hey man, to be honest, I'm not sure what to recommend if you can't get a walker boot. But once you get past the beginning phases of healing and you're able to put weight on your bare foot again then I think you'll be fine to keep progressing along. I just don't know what doctors recommend for stretching and weight bearing after surgery without a boot.
Hi bro I am from India now I am at week 14 post op how long can I walk per day can I walk long distance ?
Not yet, your leg will get very sore but you can try working your way up to it. Just listen to your body and let it rest when it gets sore and painful
@@ChiChen3 thanks brother
Hi.. still there is no 💯 perfect flexibility...bt feeling better than past
There is a limping some times while I'm walking