Genuinely wish I'd found your video sooner. This has helped me so much in understanding the different phases of recovery. Such a shame I'm now 4 weeks off of surgery and still struggling as a result of my doctor's lack of input, but better late than never.
Oh I'm so glad it helped, but SO sorry you didn't get more help from your doctor. That is really frustrating. Best wishes for a better recovery moving forward!
Thank you for your simple yet effective method of learning how to transition. I've been struggling this past week with learning how to properly begin bearing weight with crutches and now you've shown me how. Once again, Thank you! 🤍
This is so helpful! I've been on crutches for over two months following a dislocation and subsequent MPFL reconstruction surgery and the surgeon told me I'd be off of them by week 3. It's been super frustrating even with PT but this video was validating and informative. Thanks for making it!
This video really helped my mental state. I had Brostrom ligament reconstruction and microfracture of the talus 6 weeks ago. I am currently on one crutch. My surgeon and PT have been quite annoyed with me that I'm not walking out of my cam boot yet. I'm still in a lot of pain and feel like I'm doing all I can. It's really nice to hear a professional say it's okay to not be on their timeline. Thanks. I'm gonna keep at it and anticipate being out of my boot at 8 weeks. I'll be satisfied with that!
Oh I'm so glad this helped you feel more okay about your timeline. Keep at it! Honestly, I feel like most of the timeline expectations are set around tissue healing time and don't take into account the actual human being experiencing pain. There's high variability and a lot of factors that influence the pain experience that have nothing to do with tissue healing, and it absolutely doesn't help if you're made to feel as though something is wrong because you're not all the way off crutches on someone else's timeline. As long as you're actively working on it, you'll be off the crutch and out of the boot soon. Good luck!
So I've fallen into a weird insurance zone and my physical therapy was put off for two weeks. I'm over 3 weeks out of meniscus repair surgery and won't see a Physical therapist until next week. I am allow to start to 50% weight bare with crutches and am excited to start working on this today. I wish I had found you sooner. Better late then never. Hope your knee got all straight as I see this is from 5 years ago. But timely for me. Thank you 🎉
Oh I'm sorry to hear that insurance stuff is interfering with therapy, but am so excited for you to start weight bearing! Woohoo! I'm doing so great now, and I hope you too end up with a good recovery :). Meniscal repair definitely takes some patience!
Great video. I am going into my fourth week on crutches after surgery but was walking incorrectly. Thanks for the demonstration. I was trying to get to one crutch but still limping. I will be ready soon! It has even helped my husband with his gait. 😊
Oh this is so great to hear! I'm really glad it's helped, and am so thrilled that you'll be getting off crutches soon after using them for that long. Best wishes for a speedy and smooth recovery!
You just answered a ton of questions for me. I've been NWB for 3.5 weeks. Doc said I can lose the crutches at the 4 week mark, but neglected to tell me how to ween off. Went to physical therapy 2 days ago and she put me on the bike and said for me to start trying to put some weight on my leg, also without giving much guidance. I am using your vid as a reference guide. I hope your following surgery went well. Happy Holidays.
Oh I'm so glad it was helpful! I know most docs and even therapists just assume people will figure out how to get off crutches on their own, but it's actually quite a process! Hope you're healing well
I'm so glad your video showed up first. I'm 6 weeks out from a sacroiliac fusion and doc told me last week he wants me weaned off of crutches by 4 more weeks. I didn't think to ask how to do that. DUH! LOL I've spent 15 yrs with a limp due to the SIJ dysfunction so when I try to walk without the crutches, I'm still limping even without the pain. My core muscles are pretty much useless at this point due to lack of any exercise (couch potato mostly) for the past 15 yrs so after trying to walk with one crutch or crutchless for the day(bed-sofa-bathroom-kitchen-sofa), I'm at a pain level 5-7 and my back is on fire. I can tell it's the core muscles asking me wth do I think I'm doing. I'm 5'0" so I have a short gait anyway but I'm absolutely going to take your advice on the one crutch heel to toe (which I noticed I haven't been doing) and retrain my brain/body to not flat foot it and limp on that side. Along with getting started on some yoga/physical therapy for my core I think this should help me out tremendously. Again, thanks so much for putting out this video. Hope you're doing well and that your next surgery is as painless as possible.
Oh goodness, I very much hope you get back on your feet soon and that recovery goes well. Thanks so much for sharing your story with me, and I'm glad the video helped!
Hello, I’m 10 weeks from surgery and will be approved at 12 weeks to wean off crutches. I’m in physical therapy and measuring at 95 flexible. I’m very nervous to walk on leg (tibia plateau fracture) it’s very weak and has lost a lot of muscle mass. Thank you for your video! I think it’s going to help me when I’m approved to weight bear. ❤
Hi there! I'm sorry I somehow missed your comment when you made it, but I'm rooting for you in your recovery!! I hope it is going smoothly and that you're well on your way :).
hi thank you so much for this video :) while i have gotten off crutches, i’m finding it difficult to regain natural walking gait and i realise it’s probably because i haven’t mastered the “push through the toes” action well (+ the fact my injured leg/knee is still weak). thanks for the tips, will keep practising ☺️
You bet! I hope your gait returns to normal once you are able to bring more awareness to those areas that aren't quite responding like normal. Push through the toes is a big one, and also looking at how your hip is extending when your standing leg starts transitioning to the back of your body -- sometimes it's hard to build trust in that knee enough to let your hip extend fully. Good luck!!
Wow 3 months! So glad you found the video useful, and I hope you are able to feel a lot of progress now that you're getting to weight bear. Recovery here you come!
Really liked this video after being on crutches with no weight bearing on my left ankle after Achilles tendon surgery. I’m struggling mentally as I’m very active and 10,000 steps a day down to 50 hops. Not in a good place at the moment.
Oh I’m glad the video is helpful but so sorry you’re going through Achilles recovery - I know that can be a long road. My best advice for that big mental challenge is to focus on anything you CAN do rather than what you can’t do. That helped me even though it was still really hard. Best wishes for a smooth recovery!
@@tiff_exploring great advice and what I am doing is sat mastering ChatGPT and AI at my Mac in the dining room which gives me access to the kitchen (and food/coffee) via my computer chair. Result!
@@ojeahugochukwu1878 Hi there, great question! With a toe surgery, the approach will be a bit different, because progressing off the crutches will probably align more with the general rehab from the surgery, and it will depend on the type of toe surgery. Practicing elements of the push-off could certainly be part of the rehab process at the appropriate time during the recovery process, with guidance from your physiotherapist or surgeon.
I had ankle surgery I got two screws to metal plates July 27th 2020 and it's taking me quite a bit to heal to walk alone I am using the Walker my physical therapy said get off the crotch and use the Walker and I am going to physical therapy since December 2020 and I don't have a lot of motion range at all my ankle all around and still very stiff and the physical therapy doesn't understand why but every day I will get better it takes time every month when I go back to my Orthopedic follow up I already was diagnosed before my injury I have very weak bones so that doesn't help me to heal quicker but I am not rushing it the chief doctor from Bellevue Hospital in New York New York she told me I will take a year or more to heal so I just got to go with the flow take my time and can't wait to get better and go back to walking a normal life
Hi Kimberly, the good news about all of your tissues, including bones, is that they respond to progressive stresses you put on them by adapting, increasing in their capacity and tolerance for movement and weight bearing. Keep the faith, and keep trying! I'm glad you're not rushing but are continuing to ask your tissues to adapt. I imagine the year+ projection is accurate. I hope you are getting good suggestions and guidance from your PT. Best wishes for you in your recovery!
I had my right knee joint surgery in jan 2020....Still am using crutche...My doctor told me that my bones, also muscles r week...Your vidoe helped me a lot...
I just got fitted with my air cast 3 days ago after being in a boot cast for 7 weeks. When my Dr came in the room he asked me was I still using my crutches. Duh! Well yeah. Thanks for the video I will definitely try this since I don’t start with PT until next week
I had my right knee joint surgery in jan 2020....Still am using crutche...My doctor told me that my bones, also muscles r week...Your vidoe helped me a lot...
i had injuries in knee and ankle too, so double trouble XD and idk how to learn to walk again with more weigh bearing, but i will try to use your advice. My ankle is quite stiff
Ah yes, an extra challenge for sure! My first knee surgery I actually had a knee and ankle surgery done simultaneously. I was in a knee immobilizer and an ankle cast, so I can definitely relate to your struggle there. I always found that my foot and ankle were very sensitive and stiff when I first started to weight bear again, which was a little scary, but the more I kept trying, the more I could do. It will get better -- one step at a time (couldn't help myself there ;) ) .
Phenomenal Video! Thanks for the amazing info and demonstration. Wanted to ask you. How long do you think the discomfort should last when weight bearing ? My physio is pushing me to improve weekly which is unrealistic.
Hi there! So glad the video is helpful and this is a great question. My best advice is to try and separate the concept of progress from the experience of discomfort. You can and likely will make progress AND experience discomfort, and in fact discomfort will be required to make functional progress. The main thing to find is that edge where you can safely poke into pain so that you make progress, which will then require that you poke into pain to make more progress. Your physio should be able to help you determine what is safe so that you can confidently poke into the discomfort.
Wish I followed this! If you’ve been limping badly for many months (4 months in my case) because you didn’t wean off of crutches correctly, should you go back to crutches? I’m getting a new physical therapist but was just interested in your input. I had a simple arthroscopy and scar tissue removal, full ROM, mri showed nothing wrong. Feels like I’ve forgotten how to walk and even stand. When stand I lean on the balls of my feet.
I'm sorry you didn't get more help with normalizing your gait weaning off crutches! At this point, you'll likely have to work with those uncomfortable parts of your gait and weight-bearing to desensitize the tissues still sending you pain/danger signals. That might mean just intentionally doing weight shifting exercises to get used to all the parts of your gait, or you could see if using one crutch or a cane gives you enough support to normalize your gait a bit so that you can wean off without a limp.
Would this be ideal for right ankle ATLF Ligament Internal Brace ? I'm in transition at the moment winging off the crutches or at least down to one crutch. The ankle still has some severe pain once some true weight is applied. All the strengthening exercises have indeed improved in a matter of a week. Great Video ‼️‼️ Thank You
Hi there! Sorry it took me a bit to reply to this. As long as you don't have any weight-bearing restrictions, you can work on this! I'd expect you to feel pain as you start increasing weight-bearing, and ideally I'd say to find the amount of support you need to be able not to limp! If the pain is so severe you can't help but limp, you need more support initially until you can tolerate more pressure. Best of luck on your recovery! So glad the exercises are starting to result in improvements.
Hi Joyce, great question on the brace! A lot of it is the type of brace and making sure it is really fitted to you. Some braces, like immobilizers, are generally tough to keep up, but if you've transitioned to a more fitted brace like this one and it is falling, I recommend calling your doctor or supplier. I will also say that wearing braces over clothes will make them more likely to fall down, so if you can get skin contact that helps. As for the one crutch, do you feel like it's a coordination issue or are you still feeling too much pain or instability?
@@tiff_exploring I did wear it bare legged, but swelling varied the fit. Good thing no more brace or crutch. 9 weeks out!. Now just trying to work on strength and stability!
I’m finding my limp is more mental issue then physical. I am 32 weeks pregnant and walking normal with 1 crutch, heel to toe, normal. But I’m so terrified of falling without the crutch, it stops me from even really trying. Do you have any advice to getting over that mental hurdle? I had my awake knee surgery 2 weeks ago, today. I got my steristrips off today and they want me to work on getting off off crutches but have no advice on doing that.
Hi Tabatha, wow congrats on the two week mark. I do have some ideas you can try! - Practice walking backwards (you can use your crutch to do this, and then see if it feels easier to lighten up or use your crutch less when you go forward again) - Put your fingertips on a countertop and do sidesteps both ways, then see if you can switch to hovering your hands. - Try switching to a cane or walking stick and build some confidence that way. - Without your crutch, just take one step forward, shift your weight onto your leg, then do the same backward, and alternate the two. It's like your just practicing the first step until you feel confident, then see if you can add the second step. See if any of those help, and good luck with the knee and the baby both!
hello! I'm now about 8 weeks post knee surgery for a tibial plateau fracture. I was nwb for 6 of those weeks. I find it super hard to get my ROM back as well. I'm at around 40-50 degrees. But I am cleared to full weight bear. It seems really hard to do since I can't even get my leg straight. I think its at 10 degrees. Should I still do these exercises even though I can't fully extend yet?
Hi there! I know what it's like to be nwb for 6 weeks, and I'm so glad you're on the side of getting to weight-bear again! I hope that you have an awesome physiotherapist helping you with your ROM and to generally regain function. I'll speak generally here -- definitely anything I say is not a replacement for the advice of the medical professionals working with you personally -- but in my experience, absolutely, once cleared to weight-bear, working to regain functional gait and working really intentionally on weight-bearing can not only help the leg feel better, but can also help with ROM.
I’ve also just started to bear weight after tibial plateau fracture and this video has been such a life saver! Walking with the crutches has helped straighten my leg a bit more.
Hi Jacqueline, I totally understand where you're coming from! BUT, all bodies and brains are different and heal at different rates, and every injury is different as well. I did not have any weight bearing restrictions after this particular surgery, so I was able to start working on weight bearing right away. Usually fractures are non-weight-bearing for several weeks, so I wouldn't expect you off crutches at the same rate.
I’m not sure if you’re going to see this comment. I am 9 weeks post op from a meniscus repair and finding it so hard to get off crutches. My Gait is messed up and still have a limp and using a lot of my hip in the other side to try and walk. Is it normal to feel discomfort and sometimes pain when you try to fully weight bear?
Hi Ashley, yes that's really normal! Your tissues are going to be sensitized from both the surgery and lack of normal stimuli (both movement variety and weight-bearing), so there can be a LOT of discomfort when you start weight-bearing. I would even have a lot of pain in my foot and ankle, which wasn't a surgical site! Typically the return to weigh-bearing kind of pain is the kind of pain that stinks because no one wants to have pain, but isn't indicative that anything is wrong. Just work progressively and regularly with what you can tolerate, and you'll start being able to tolerate more and more. Usually if there's still a considerable limp and pain when you lose the crutches, I say to add a little support back, like maybe a single crutch or a cane/walking stick, and try to get that gait to smooth out a little bit and build confidence before you go fully unsupported.
I had to have 6 surgeries over all, so bracing types and length of time in the brace varied quite a bit. For the ACL reconstructions, I wore the immobilizer brace (keeps your knee straight) for 2-4 weeks until I had confidence in my ability to weight bear without a knee buckle, then used a functional brace after that for longer. For my meniscal transplant and the subsequent root repair on that transplant, I wore the immobilizer more like 6 weeks, then used an unloader brace after that for months.
I’m 12 weeks post op ORIF surgery today and I’m in shoes but both crutches. I’m in so much pain when I attempt to out all my weight on my ankle. Is it normal to be in pain? My surgeon expected me to be off crutches last week. He said my ankle is healed but is weak.
Hi Amanda, I'm so sorry to hear you are in pain. If you have been non-weight-bearing or minimally-weight-bearing for 12 weeks, I would be surprised if it didn't hurt as you start to weight bear again. In fact, whenever I was non-weight-bearing (because of my knee) for only 6-8 weeks, my foot and ankle hurt SO BADLY when I started weight-bearing again, and that's not even where my surgery was. My best recommendation is to breathe, work on it in small spurts several times a day when it hurts a lot like this, and remind yourself that it's normal to hurt but it will get better!
And, if you are working on your weight bearing progressions and find that your pain gets worse and worse instead of better and better after a few days, make sure you contact the doctor so they can check it out.
I'm supposed to be full weight bearing but I do not have full plantar or dorsi flexion yet. Do I wait put full weight until I have that? I'm 10 weeks post cast removal for ankle avulsion fracture with sprain. It's taking so long:( Any tips would be helpful
Hi Joan, if you have clearance to do full weight bearing, you definitely don't need to wait for full range of motion. Using your ankle in the way it was intended (such as with weight-bearing and walking) will help with your range of motion. I hope you have a great physical therapist helping you work through it as well!
Hello! I'm one month and 3 weeks post op, instead of having pain in my knee it's in the nerves in my thigh and it's hard to make my quad fire in my left any tips I'm doing at home exercise and physical therapy exercise but still wobbly and can't feel my thigh and still isn't off my crutches. Frustrating honestly any tips? I've even incorporated the step through and slowing doing more heel toe and pushing off my toes.
Wow, I'm sorry you're having to deal with such a difficult recovery. I don't give personalized medical advice in this type of forum, but in my experience it unusual to have numbness in the thigh that long after surgery (I guess it could depend on the surgery, but I haven't seen a lot of that with knee surgeries). Hopefully your doctor and PT are aware and working with you accordingly. If you aren't already working with some electrical stimulation, that could be something to look into. You could also inquire about blood flow restriction exercises and see if your providers might recommend something like that in addition to your other exercises. Don't give up! It will get better.
After a bone injury there may be a range of different injuries besides the broken bone (most often there are), such as nerve injuries, muscle/ tendons/ ligaments injuries etc. Each one of these parts have different Time-line for healing. Assuming that the surgery was done correctly and the nerves are not severely damaged, each body is unique and will take its own time to heal. This healing process, unlike what is commonly stated by so called experts, is completely self-regulating and need you to keep away. Nerves take the longest time to repair especially if your body is deficient in nutritions required for the repair and recovery, your diet contains sugar, processed food or pain medication, etc. I cannot advise you what to eat or not to eat. Nor can I tell you what you are deficient in. Nevertheless, I can tell you that you are most probably deficient in at least 15 different vital chemicals (as almost everyone) and consume many dietary toxins, which in combination with your attempt to move makes it very difficult for your body to recover. Again that is if everything else is anatomically correct after your surgery and you already perform exercises to off load the affected nerves. I personally had a trochanteric femur fracture 8 weeks ago in a racing accident (high energy fracture). I was lucky to get a great surgeon who performed an anatomically perfect reduction. Also I was lucky to not listen to anyone but my body and only provide it with all nutritions required to help it doing the repairs (also lucky to know what nutritions were needed to the smallest dot). I refused to listen to physiotherapists and allowed my body to decide when and how to move. Less that 9 weeks after the surgery I can walk and the entire process after the surgery has been pain free without any need of pain medication. Yes, there was numbness involved and muscles were misfiring. But I just let them do the work without "pushing through ". Good luck to you.
@@5cubits70 thanks for your input, and I'm happy to hear you're healing process is going smoothly after your fracture. I completely agree that bodies are all very different, experience injury differently, and require unique timelines and levels of intervention for healing. I'm all for creating the best conditions support of the body healing itself via nourishment in all its forms! I don't think it's accurate to claim that a person you've never met before is probably deficient in a specific number of "vital chemicals" and is consuming high levels of "toxins" (not a lot of consensus on what that means from a dietary perspective), but I am glad that you've found ways to nourish yourself and support your healing that work well for your unique body and recovery. Best wishes!
@@tiff_exploring I don't need to see the foundation for a house in flooded zone to know that there is a problem. And how would you know that someone is deficient in something by seeing them? As example how would you tell that someone is magnesium deficient by seeing them? At best, the doctors look at the blood test!!! Which will always show appropriate magnesium levels as long as your patient walks and talks. When that level is lower than 1% (normal level) you wouldn't be consulted, because the patient is already dead or on his way to ER after a heart attack!! And if you by a remote chance knew how to check the levels, would you even prescribe the test? Or could you find a lab that does the test in your area? Do you really need to see someone to know that a person is deficient in X when 96.3% of population on earth is deficient? The other 3.7% are either supplementing or living in an area with abundant supply of X in there "unprocessed" food. My post was not to start an endless debate on meaningless medical school plans, nor feed anyone's ego. It was to point a person with problem to make sure if there is an anatomical injury and if not start seeking help somewhere else to correct the problem.
@@5cubits70 I very much appreciate your desire to help people look at health on more levels than the anatomical and mechanical. I'm into that, too! I think, ultimately, our advice is actually really similar -- consult with your providers (that's what I mean when I say "see" -- it means having a professional relationship in which I actually learn about the individual to best be able to advise them) and ensure that nothing really obvious is going on, then seek out the wealth of other contributors to health that can help support healing and generally feeling better. I just feel that blanket statements about people being deficient in nutrients and ingesting toxins every day are fear-mongering and therefore not health-promoting, and since this is my channel I'm going to say so :).
Thanks for the feedback! For sure, it was filmed 5 years ago on whatever iphone model I was using at the time. I was working on my own gait and thought it might be nice to make a video that could help other people. Not really trying to be a professional youtuber here, so I guess it's one of those take it or leave it scenarios :).
Genuinely wish I'd found your video sooner. This has helped me so much in understanding the different phases of recovery. Such a shame I'm now 4 weeks off of surgery and still struggling as a result of my doctor's lack of input, but better late than never.
Oh I'm so glad it helped, but SO sorry you didn't get more help from your doctor. That is really frustrating. Best wishes for a better recovery moving forward!
Keep moving, even if very small movements.
Thank you for your simple yet effective method of learning how to transition. I've been struggling this past week with learning how to properly begin bearing weight with crutches and now you've shown me how.
Once again, Thank you! 🤍
This is so helpful! I've been on crutches for over two months following a dislocation and subsequent MPFL reconstruction surgery and the surgeon told me I'd be off of them by week 3. It's been super frustrating even with PT but this video was validating and informative. Thanks for making it!
I’m so glad you found it helpful and encouraging and I wish you good progress in your healing! You’ll get there on your time.
Thank u Findlay I stop limping you actually saved my life
This makes me so so happy to hear. Glad to have helped -- I know how much work it takes to get out of that limping stage. Amazing job.
This video really helped my mental state. I had Brostrom ligament reconstruction and microfracture of the talus 6 weeks ago. I am currently on one crutch. My surgeon and PT have been quite annoyed with me that I'm not walking out of my cam boot yet. I'm still in a lot of pain and feel like I'm doing all I can. It's really nice to hear a professional say it's okay to not be on their timeline. Thanks. I'm gonna keep at it and anticipate being out of my boot at 8 weeks. I'll be satisfied with that!
Oh I'm so glad this helped you feel more okay about your timeline. Keep at it! Honestly, I feel like most of the timeline expectations are set around tissue healing time and don't take into account the actual human being experiencing pain. There's high variability and a lot of factors that influence the pain experience that have nothing to do with tissue healing, and it absolutely doesn't help if you're made to feel as though something is wrong because you're not all the way off crutches on someone else's timeline. As long as you're actively working on it, you'll be off the crutch and out of the boot soon. Good luck!
I’m looking forward to getting off these dang crutches next month.. Very helpful thank you.
Your video is currently helping me to progress off crutches following a fracture/dislocation of my patella (needed surgery)
Thank you so much!!
Thank you for this video. Sprained my knee during my vacation in China. Haven’t left my room in week. This really helps.
Oh wow. I hope you heal up well! Glad the video was helpful.
So I've fallen into a weird insurance zone and my physical therapy was put off for two weeks. I'm over 3 weeks out of meniscus repair surgery and won't see a Physical therapist until next week. I am allow to start to 50% weight bare with crutches and am excited to start working on this today. I wish I had found you sooner. Better late then never. Hope your knee got all straight as I see this is from 5 years ago. But timely for me. Thank you 🎉
Oh I'm sorry to hear that insurance stuff is interfering with therapy, but am so excited for you to start weight bearing! Woohoo! I'm doing so great now, and I hope you too end up with a good recovery :). Meniscal repair definitely takes some patience!
Great video. I am going into my fourth week on crutches after surgery but was walking incorrectly. Thanks for the demonstration. I was trying to get to one crutch but still limping. I will be ready soon! It has even helped my husband with his gait. 😊
Oh this is so great to hear! I'm really glad it's helped, and am so thrilled that you'll be getting off crutches soon after using them for that long. Best wishes for a speedy and smooth recovery!
You just answered a ton of questions for me. I've been NWB for 3.5 weeks. Doc said I can lose the crutches at the 4 week mark, but neglected to tell me how to ween off. Went to physical therapy 2 days ago and she put me on the bike and said for me to start trying to put some weight on my leg, also without giving much guidance. I am using your vid as a reference guide. I hope your following surgery went well. Happy Holidays.
Oh I'm so glad it was helpful! I know most docs and even therapists just assume people will figure out how to get off crutches on their own, but it's actually quite a process! Hope you're healing well
I’ve stumbled upon a gem thank God
Oh I'm so glad it's useful to you!
I'm so glad your video showed up first. I'm 6 weeks out from a sacroiliac fusion and doc told me last week he wants me weaned off of crutches by 4 more weeks. I didn't think to ask how to do that. DUH! LOL I've spent 15 yrs with a limp due to the SIJ dysfunction so when I try to walk without the crutches, I'm still limping even without the pain. My core muscles are pretty much useless at this point due to lack of any exercise (couch potato mostly) for the past 15 yrs so after trying to walk with one crutch or crutchless for the day(bed-sofa-bathroom-kitchen-sofa), I'm at a pain level 5-7 and my back is on fire. I can tell it's the core muscles asking me wth do I think I'm doing. I'm 5'0" so I have a short gait anyway but I'm absolutely going to take your advice on the one crutch heel to toe (which I noticed I haven't been doing) and retrain my brain/body to not flat foot it and limp on that side. Along with getting started on some yoga/physical therapy for my core I think this should help me out tremendously. Again, thanks so much for putting out this video. Hope you're doing well and that your next surgery is as painless as possible.
Oh goodness, I very much hope you get back on your feet soon and that recovery goes well. Thanks so much for sharing your story with me, and I'm glad the video helped!
Hello, I’m 10 weeks from surgery and will be approved at 12 weeks to wean off crutches. I’m in physical therapy and measuring at 95 flexible. I’m very nervous to walk on leg (tibia plateau fracture) it’s very weak and has lost a lot of muscle mass. Thank you for your video! I think it’s going to help me when I’m approved to weight bear. ❤
Hi there! I'm sorry I somehow missed your comment when you made it, but I'm rooting for you in your recovery!! I hope it is going smoothly and that you're well on your way :).
Oh, i feel you, i also have same fracture plus ankle. IDK how i will learn to walk normal again, but keep on working 🦵
hi thank you so much for this video :) while i have gotten off crutches, i’m finding it difficult to regain natural walking gait and i realise it’s probably because i haven’t mastered the “push through the toes” action well (+ the fact my injured leg/knee is still weak). thanks for the tips, will keep practising ☺️
You bet! I hope your gait returns to normal once you are able to bring more awareness to those areas that aren't quite responding like normal. Push through the toes is a big one, and also looking at how your hip is extending when your standing leg starts transitioning to the back of your body -- sometimes it's hard to build trust in that knee enough to let your hip extend fully. Good luck!!
I love the furniture!
Thank you so much for this. 2 weeks post surgery and finally starting to walk without crutches and will be using these tips starting today😊
You're welcome! I'm so glad you're getting to progress of crutches. I hope it goes really well :).
Your video and advice is so useful! Thank you so much. I just started weight bearing after 3 months.
Wow 3 months! So glad you found the video useful, and I hope you are able to feel a lot of progress now that you're getting to weight bear. Recovery here you come!
Really liked this video after being on crutches with no weight bearing on my left ankle after Achilles tendon surgery. I’m struggling mentally as I’m very active and 10,000 steps a day down to 50 hops. Not in a good place at the moment.
Oh I’m glad the video is helpful but so sorry you’re going through Achilles recovery - I know that can be a long road. My best advice for that big mental challenge is to focus on anything you CAN do rather than what you can’t do. That helped me even though it was still really hard. Best wishes for a smooth recovery!
@@tiff_exploring great advice and what I am doing is sat mastering ChatGPT and AI at my Mac in the dining room which gives me access to the kitchen (and food/coffee) via my computer chair. Result!
Very well explained! Thank you Doctor! I wish you'd stayed a little longer on the "non weight bearing" part!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Great feedback - it is much appreciated.
Great help doctor, how would you suggest people who had toe surgery get through the pushing back off toes stage
@@ojeahugochukwu1878 Hi there, great question! With a toe surgery, the approach will be a bit different, because progressing off the crutches will probably align more with the general rehab from the surgery, and it will depend on the type of toe surgery. Practicing elements of the push-off could certainly be part of the rehab process at the appropriate time during the recovery process, with guidance from your physiotherapist or surgeon.
I had ankle surgery I got two screws to metal plates July 27th 2020 and it's taking me quite a bit to heal to walk alone I am using the Walker my physical therapy said get off the crotch and use the Walker and I am going to physical therapy since December 2020 and I don't have a lot of motion range at all my ankle all around and still very stiff and the physical therapy doesn't understand why but every day I will get better it takes time every month when I go back to my Orthopedic follow up I already was diagnosed before my injury I have very weak bones so that doesn't help me to heal quicker but I am not rushing it the chief doctor from Bellevue Hospital in New York New York she told me I will take a year or more to heal so I just got to go with the flow take my time and can't wait to get better and go back to walking a normal life
Hi Kimberly, the good news about all of your tissues, including bones, is that they respond to progressive stresses you put on them by adapting, increasing in their capacity and tolerance for movement and weight bearing. Keep the faith, and keep trying! I'm glad you're not rushing but are continuing to ask your tissues to adapt. I imagine the year+ projection is accurate. I hope you are getting good suggestions and guidance from your PT. Best wishes for you in your recovery!
@@tiff_exploring thank you dr. Tiffany Denny
I had my right knee joint surgery in jan 2020....Still am using crutche...My doctor told me that my bones, also muscles r week...Your vidoe helped me a lot...
I just got fitted with my air cast 3 days ago after being in a boot cast for 7 weeks. When my Dr came in the room he asked me was I still using my crutches. Duh! Well yeah. Thanks for the video I will definitely try this since I don’t start with PT until next week
I really hope it helps and that you enjoy being out of the boot :).
I had my right knee joint surgery in jan 2020....Still am using crutche...My doctor told me that my bones, also muscles r week...Your vidoe helped me a lot...
I'm so glad!! I wish you very well in your continued recovery efforts.
i had injuries in knee and ankle too, so double trouble XD and idk how to learn to walk again with more weigh bearing, but i will try to use your advice. My ankle is quite stiff
Ah yes, an extra challenge for sure! My first knee surgery I actually had a knee and ankle surgery done simultaneously. I was in a knee immobilizer and an ankle cast, so I can definitely relate to your struggle there. I always found that my foot and ankle were very sensitive and stiff when I first started to weight bear again, which was a little scary, but the more I kept trying, the more I could do. It will get better -- one step at a time (couldn't help myself there ;) ) .
Very useful tips
Thanks so much! Glad you found it useful!
Phenomenal Video! Thanks for the amazing info and demonstration. Wanted to ask you. How long do you think the discomfort should last when weight bearing ? My physio is pushing me to improve weekly which is unrealistic.
Hi there! So glad the video is helpful and this is a great question. My best advice is to try and separate the concept of progress from the experience of discomfort. You can and likely will make progress AND experience discomfort, and in fact discomfort will be required to make functional progress. The main thing to find is that edge where you can safely poke into pain so that you make progress, which will then require that you poke into pain to make more progress. Your physio should be able to help you determine what is safe so that you can confidently poke into the discomfort.
Wish I followed this! If you’ve been limping badly for many months (4 months in my case) because you didn’t wean off of crutches correctly, should you go back to crutches? I’m getting a new physical therapist but was just interested in your input. I had a simple arthroscopy and scar tissue removal, full ROM, mri showed nothing wrong. Feels like I’ve forgotten how to walk and even stand. When stand I lean on the balls of my feet.
I'm sorry you didn't get more help with normalizing your gait weaning off crutches! At this point, you'll likely have to work with those uncomfortable parts of your gait and weight-bearing to desensitize the tissues still sending you pain/danger signals. That might mean just intentionally doing weight shifting exercises to get used to all the parts of your gait, or you could see if using one crutch or a cane gives you enough support to normalize your gait a bit so that you can wean off without a limp.
@@tiff_exploring I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks so much! 🙏
Muletas especiales o son comunes información gracias
Las muletas se llaman Mobilegs. Los obtuve de mi cirujano, pero también se venden en Internet.
Thank you for that!
You bet! Thanks for watching!
Would this be ideal for right ankle ATLF Ligament Internal Brace ? I'm in transition at the moment winging off the crutches or at least down to one crutch. The ankle still has some severe pain once some true weight is applied.
All the strengthening exercises have indeed improved in a matter of a week.
Great Video ‼️‼️ Thank You
Hi there! Sorry it took me a bit to reply to this. As long as you don't have any weight-bearing restrictions, you can work on this! I'd expect you to feel pain as you start increasing weight-bearing, and ideally I'd say to find the amount of support you need to be able not to limp! If the pain is so severe you can't help but limp, you need more support initially until you can tolerate more pressure. Best of luck on your recovery! So glad the exercises are starting to result in improvements.
very helpful!!
I'm so glad!
Thanks, it's hard using the 1 crutch on my non dominant leg. Also how do keep your brace from falling down to ankle. I'm always readjusting it!
Hi Joyce, great question on the brace! A lot of it is the type of brace and making sure it is really fitted to you. Some braces, like immobilizers, are generally tough to keep up, but if you've transitioned to a more fitted brace like this one and it is falling, I recommend calling your doctor or supplier. I will also say that wearing braces over clothes will make them more likely to fall down, so if you can get skin contact that helps.
As for the one crutch, do you feel like it's a coordination issue or are you still feeling too much pain or instability?
@@tiff_exploring I did wear it bare legged, but swelling varied the fit. Good thing no more brace or crutch. 9 weeks out!. Now just trying to work on strength and stability!
@@joycetaylor6680 Oh that's awesome news! Yes swelling can make it really challenging to fit a brace. Best wishes in your recovery!
I’m finding my limp is more mental issue then physical. I am 32 weeks pregnant and walking normal with 1 crutch, heel to toe, normal. But I’m so terrified of falling without the crutch, it stops me from even really trying. Do you have any advice to getting over that mental hurdle? I had my awake knee surgery 2 weeks ago, today. I got my steristrips off today and they want me to work on getting off off crutches but have no advice on doing that.
Hi Tabatha, wow congrats on the two week mark. I do have some ideas you can try!
- Practice walking backwards (you can use your crutch to do this, and then see if it feels easier to lighten up or use your crutch less when you go forward again)
- Put your fingertips on a countertop and do sidesteps both ways, then see if you can switch to hovering your hands.
- Try switching to a cane or walking stick and build some confidence that way.
- Without your crutch, just take one step forward, shift your weight onto your leg, then do the same backward, and alternate the two. It's like your just practicing the first step until you feel confident, then see if you can add the second step.
See if any of those help, and good luck with the knee and the baby both!
@@tiff_exploring I’ll try those, thank you
Thank you for your video I like to I like watching
You're welcome! So glad you found it useful.
how do i start walking again?
hello! I'm now about 8 weeks post knee surgery for a tibial plateau fracture. I was nwb for 6 of those weeks. I find it super hard to get my ROM back as well. I'm at around 40-50 degrees. But I am cleared to full weight bear. It seems really hard to do since I can't even get my leg straight. I think its at 10 degrees. Should I still do these exercises even though I can't fully extend yet?
Hi there! I know what it's like to be nwb for 6 weeks, and I'm so glad you're on the side of getting to weight-bear again! I hope that you have an awesome physiotherapist helping you with your ROM and to generally regain function. I'll speak generally here -- definitely anything I say is not a replacement for the advice of the medical professionals working with you personally -- but in my experience, absolutely, once cleared to weight-bear, working to regain functional gait and working really intentionally on weight-bearing can not only help the leg feel better, but can also help with ROM.
I’ve also just started to bear weight after tibial plateau fracture and this video has been such a life saver! Walking with the crutches has helped straighten my leg a bit more.
@@soniamotlhageng3152 hooray for getting back to weight-bearing! So so happy to hear the video helped and that you're seeing progress :).
Super helpful! But I’m just a bit disheartened hearing you’re off crutches in 3 weeks and I’m at week 9 after a broken ankle- distal fib no surgery
Hi Jacqueline, I totally understand where you're coming from! BUT, all bodies and brains are different and heal at different rates, and every injury is different as well. I did not have any weight bearing restrictions after this particular surgery, so I was able to start working on weight bearing right away. Usually fractures are non-weight-bearing for several weeks, so I wouldn't expect you off crutches at the same rate.
I’m not sure if you’re going to see this comment. I am 9 weeks post op from a meniscus repair and finding it so hard to get off crutches. My Gait is messed up and still have a limp and using a lot of my hip in the other side to try and walk. Is it normal to feel discomfort and sometimes pain when you try to fully weight bear?
Hi Ashley, yes that's really normal! Your tissues are going to be sensitized from both the surgery and lack of normal stimuli (both movement variety and weight-bearing), so there can be a LOT of discomfort when you start weight-bearing. I would even have a lot of pain in my foot and ankle, which wasn't a surgical site! Typically the return to weigh-bearing kind of pain is the kind of pain that stinks because no one wants to have pain, but isn't indicative that anything is wrong. Just work progressively and regularly with what you can tolerate, and you'll start being able to tolerate more and more. Usually if there's still a considerable limp and pain when you lose the crutches, I say to add a little support back, like maybe a single crutch or a cane/walking stick, and try to get that gait to smooth out a little bit and build confidence before you go fully unsupported.
Beautiful legs. How long in the brace
I had to have 6 surgeries over all, so bracing types and length of time in the brace varied quite a bit. For the ACL reconstructions, I wore the immobilizer brace (keeps your knee straight) for 2-4 weeks until I had confidence in my ability to weight bear without a knee buckle, then used a functional brace after that for longer. For my meniscal transplant and the subsequent root repair on that transplant, I wore the immobilizer more like 6 weeks, then used an unloader brace after that for months.
@@tiff_exploring beautiful though
I’m 12 weeks post op ORIF surgery today and I’m in shoes but both crutches. I’m in so much pain when I attempt to out all my weight on my ankle. Is it normal to be in pain? My surgeon expected me to be off crutches last week. He said my ankle is healed but is weak.
Hi Amanda, I'm so sorry to hear you are in pain. If you have been non-weight-bearing or minimally-weight-bearing for 12 weeks, I would be surprised if it didn't hurt as you start to weight bear again. In fact, whenever I was non-weight-bearing (because of my knee) for only 6-8 weeks, my foot and ankle hurt SO BADLY when I started weight-bearing again, and that's not even where my surgery was. My best recommendation is to breathe, work on it in small spurts several times a day when it hurts a lot like this, and remind yourself that it's normal to hurt but it will get better!
And, if you are working on your weight bearing progressions and find that your pain gets worse and worse instead of better and better after a few days, make sure you contact the doctor so they can check it out.
@@tiff_exploring thank you so much for the great advice!! Your video has helped me so much!! 😊❤️
I'm supposed to be full weight bearing but I do not have full plantar or dorsi flexion yet. Do I wait put full weight until I have that? I'm 10 weeks post cast removal for ankle avulsion fracture with sprain. It's taking so long:( Any tips would be helpful
Hi Joan, if you have clearance to do full weight bearing, you definitely don't need to wait for full range of motion. Using your ankle in the way it was intended (such as with weight-bearing and walking) will help with your range of motion. I hope you have a great physical therapist helping you work through it as well!
Hello!
I'm one month and 3 weeks post op, instead of having pain in my knee it's in the nerves in my thigh and it's hard to make my quad fire in my left any tips I'm doing at home exercise and physical therapy exercise but still wobbly and can't feel my thigh and still isn't off my crutches. Frustrating honestly any tips? I've even incorporated the step through and slowing doing more heel toe and pushing off my toes.
Wow, I'm sorry you're having to deal with such a difficult recovery. I don't give personalized medical advice in this type of forum, but in my experience it unusual to have numbness in the thigh that long after surgery (I guess it could depend on the surgery, but I haven't seen a lot of that with knee surgeries). Hopefully your doctor and PT are aware and working with you accordingly. If you aren't already working with some electrical stimulation, that could be something to look into. You could also inquire about blood flow restriction exercises and see if your providers might recommend something like that in addition to your other exercises. Don't give up! It will get better.
After a bone injury there may be a range of different injuries besides the broken bone (most often there are), such as nerve injuries, muscle/ tendons/ ligaments injuries etc. Each one of these parts have different Time-line for healing. Assuming that the surgery was done correctly and the nerves are not severely damaged, each body is unique and will take its own time to heal. This healing process, unlike what is commonly stated by so called experts, is completely self-regulating and need you to keep away. Nerves take the longest time to repair especially if your body is deficient in nutritions required for the repair and recovery, your diet contains sugar, processed food or pain medication, etc.
I cannot advise you what to eat or not to eat. Nor can I tell you what you are deficient in.
Nevertheless, I can tell you that you are most probably deficient in at least 15 different vital chemicals (as almost everyone) and consume many dietary toxins, which in combination with your attempt to move makes it very difficult for your body to recover. Again that is if everything else is anatomically correct after your surgery and you already perform exercises to off load the affected nerves.
I personally had a trochanteric femur fracture 8 weeks ago in a racing accident (high energy fracture). I was lucky to get a great surgeon who performed an anatomically perfect reduction. Also I was lucky to not listen to anyone but my body and only provide it with all nutritions required to help it doing the repairs (also lucky to know what nutritions were needed to the smallest dot). I refused to listen to physiotherapists and allowed my body to decide when and how to move.
Less that 9 weeks after the surgery I can walk and the entire process after the surgery has been pain free without any need of pain medication. Yes, there was numbness involved and muscles were misfiring. But I just let them do the work without "pushing through ".
Good luck to you.
@@5cubits70 thanks for your input, and I'm happy to hear you're healing process is going smoothly after your fracture. I completely agree that bodies are all very different, experience injury differently, and require unique timelines and levels of intervention for healing. I'm all for creating the best conditions support of the body healing itself via nourishment in all its forms! I don't think it's accurate to claim that a person you've never met before is probably deficient in a specific number of "vital chemicals" and is consuming high levels of "toxins" (not a lot of consensus on what that means from a dietary perspective), but I am glad that you've found ways to nourish yourself and support your healing that work well for your unique body and recovery. Best wishes!
@@tiff_exploring I don't need to see the foundation for a house in flooded zone to know that there is a problem. And how would you know that someone is deficient in something by seeing them? As example how would you tell that someone is magnesium deficient by seeing them? At best, the doctors look at the blood test!!! Which will always show appropriate magnesium levels as long as your patient walks and talks. When that level is lower than 1% (normal level) you wouldn't be consulted, because the patient is already dead or on his way to ER after a heart attack!!
And if you by a remote chance knew how to check the levels, would you even prescribe the test? Or could you find a lab that does the test in your area?
Do you really need to see someone to know that a person is deficient in X when 96.3% of population on earth is deficient? The other 3.7% are either supplementing or living in an area with abundant supply of X in there "unprocessed" food.
My post was not to start an endless debate on meaningless medical school plans, nor feed anyone's ego. It was to point a person with problem to make sure if there is an anatomical injury and if not start seeking help somewhere else to correct the problem.
@@5cubits70 I very much appreciate your desire to help people look at health on more levels than the anatomical and mechanical. I'm into that, too! I think, ultimately, our advice is actually really similar -- consult with your providers (that's what I mean when I say "see" -- it means having a professional relationship in which I actually learn about the individual to best be able to advise them) and ensure that nothing really obvious is going on, then seek out the wealth of other contributors to health that can help support healing and generally feeling better.
I just feel that blanket statements about people being deficient in nutrients and ingesting toxins every day are fear-mongering and therefore not health-promoting, and since this is my channel I'm going to say so :).
what kind of crutches are those?
They are called Mobilegs :).
@@tiff_exploring TY!!!
Ĺlo que está en la pierna es una orthesis
esta ortheßis orthesis para ayudar a caminar hasta arriba cual es el nombre de esta férula gracias
Dreadful sound quality
Thanks for the feedback! For sure, it was filmed 5 years ago on whatever iphone model I was using at the time. I was working on my own gait and thought it might be nice to make a video that could help other people. Not really trying to be a professional youtuber here, so I guess it's one of those take it or leave it scenarios :).