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AndyM
23rd July 2002, 01:11
Hi,

I'm a newbie here, so take it easy please folks.

A good friend of mine (Melanie) pointed me to this forum cos there was some good advice given on the ACL thread.

I was wondering if anyone here had experience of Achilles tendon rupture. I was unfortunate enough to completely rupture mine training. Though the ends have been stitched together as of two weeks ago, i'm in a cast, and set to be in it for another two months. Followed I'm told by around six months physio.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Andy

Steve Loftin
28th July 2002, 15:52
I don't really have any advice for you, but I just want to wish you a speedy recovery. After years of ankle locks and only minor injuries, I can definitely understand the severity of your injury. I hope you recover quickly and fully.

AndyM
20th August 2002, 00:44
Thanks anyway Steve

Andy

Jdalton51
20th August 2002, 02:30
Trust your physiotherapist and do the exercises he/she tells you to do. It will be painful and unpleasant at times but it will ensure a great recovery.

Good luck.

9demons
20th August 2002, 04:04
I had a horrible accident once with Uchi Mata. My ankle did not require any stitching, but I was out of commision for about 2 1/2 weeks. I think it might be similar, but from what you are describing I would say that your injury seems worse.

Although after it had healed, I started to work the flexibility of my ankle. Incidentally I worked that ankle a little bit more and am now more flexible in that ankle (not a big thing, because there is not much call for flexible ankles).

I hope your recovery comes quickly.

Joe Kras
29th August 2002, 18:00
A complete Achilles tendon rupture IS a very serious injury. A couple of years ago a visiting instructor in our karate dojo was backing up quickly and raising his front leg to kick when

SNAP!!! The loudest crack that I had ever heard erupted...

Two years later and he is just getting back into things at a NEAR normal effort again.

Take it easy, and always warm up slowly and completely, and stretch well afterwards. No training at all until the doctor/physiotherapist agrees, then ramp things up ever so slowly.

Regards,

Joe Kras
St. Louis, MO USA

AndyM
7th October 2002, 23:45
Well I snapped it on the 4th of July, had the operation on the 6th of July. I was in a cast and on crutches for 8 weeks. I'm now on physio, with lots of exercises and stretches to do.

Apparently one of the big problems with injuries in the lower leg, is that there is the poorest blood supply to that area compared with other portions of the body, being so far from the heart, and so low relative to gravity and all that. As a result, muscle tissue degenerates faster down there, and takes much longer to build up again.

When they took the cast off, there was basically no calf muscle left at all. Over three months have passed, and I'm just at the stage where I can barely raise my heel off the ground without taking any weight on my other leg, or my arms. Apparently I have little to complain about, as it is relatively unheard of for a 35 y/o to make such a rapid recovery from this type of injury.

I'd just like to sa a big thanks to all my MA friends for all their support during my recovery....especially Melanie!

Andy Watson
8th October 2002, 16:18
Andy

I'm not promoting any tree hugging here but seriously, nutritional therapy has helped me and a number of other martial artists I could mention.

Firstly, get stuck into taking glucosamine sulphate. This promotes mending of the cartilidge in joints and though the tendon is not a cartilidge per se, reinflation of the fluids into the tendon will be promoted with glucosamine.

Secondly, take silica supplements as these also promote healing of tissues as will vitamin C and zinc.

Another supplement I once took when I hurt my knee was "celery complex" a nutrional supplement which I suppose is concentrated celery. This along with silica mended a karate knee which the GP could not.

As everyone else on this thread recommends, plenty of rest from training and physio are the best thing. You may never get back to normal but you will certainly have a complete relapse if you go back to training too quickly.

Regards

Andy Watson
9th October 2002, 13:08
Oh, and I forgot the wonderful drinking experience of cod liver oil. Forget the capsules, get a dessert spoon of the stuff down yer neck washed down with a large glass of orange juice a day.

Tastes like...well, fish but a colleague of mine took it after a motorcycle accident where he damaged the tendons in his wrist. The doctors were amazed at his recovery after he started taking the fish oil.

GWS