I fully ruptured my both Achilles same time its very unfortunate but no help on internet to make me comfortable i started searching on you tube and i found your videos it helps me to build my confidence i can walk again without getting into surgery i ruptured in October 2022 and its February now i am still recovering I talked to doctor and she said its going to take sometime because its my both Achilles not just one But i want to thank you for all these your videos helped me to get through this time
So pleased for you. I'm 6 weeks in to my non-operative recovery, I can't tell you how much your posts have helped me. As a 48 year old man I've never been injured before nor suffered any kind of depression - the last six weeks have introduced me to both. You're an inspiration to me and no doubt to many others and I thank you for the time you have dedicated to letting all of us be part of your recovery. My best wishes and good luck for the future.
Thanks very much, Duncan! Hang tough, as the worst of it is behind you. Once you throw the crutches aside, your quality of life will increase radically. The recovery will continue to try your patience, but you will be rewarded if for it as you continue to make gains back toward normal. Good luck with your recovery!
I just ruptured my Achilles 2 weeks ago and when I came across this video, I felt so much better. Thankyou so much Evan for sharing your journey and making it easier for me and other people.
I speak about you just about every month... You are my hero.. Really. Been a year and half... Started to coach soccer now.. However your lessons saved me mentally first ..then physically after.. Your tone and delivery of the info is perfect. God sent. This Chinese berry schisandra was great companion during the healing process. So was tumeric. May God continue to bless you and your family. Quoting the 27 years exp surgeon that saw me and told me two hour before seeing your first video.."the grand canyon cannot come back together, you need surgery now"
Thanks very much, Roy. I had never posted a video before this experience, but felt that it might help someone else navigate this if I stepped outside my comfort zone a little. Thanks for the berry and herb tips, and best of luck with your continued healing and progress!
i just wanna say thanks so much my doc told me surgery was the best way or it would be 6-7 months before i can walk again but, after watching your videos i decided to go the non surgery route and i was able to walk in shoes after only 4 weeks its only been 12 weeks and i can jog a little i pretty much rehabbed myself slowly taking it day by day keeping a positive mind and i am coming along fine. thanks again you helped me more than you will ever know
Thanks so much for the feedback, Lamar. I was frustrated by the lack of consistency on the treatment of this injury, and was fortunate to have all day Sunday to research between my injury and my meeting with the orthopedic surgeon. If not for that, I probably would have opted for surgery, as I assumed it would be the only way to fix the tendon. The experiment has been successful so far for me, and it sounds like the same is true for you as well. Good luck with the rest of your recovery! Slow and steady winds the race. ;-)
I'm only 3 days after full rupture. One physio said have to do surgery. Done heaps of research and seems can do non surgical. I've got a holiday on 9 weeks. Hoepfully will be on shoes by then..
My Achilles rupture happened in May 2016 on a tennis court. I was known to be a quick runner so this was a big life changing shock to me. I was back to playing tennis in a year with no surgery. Did not miss a day of work, no cast, no boot. Did not see a doctor ever. Had to shuffle for quite a while, spent lots of time on my back with my leg raised to ease occasional swelling. Did a lot of icing, took glucosamine and other nutrients regularly and still do. Tried to keep my toes pointed as much as possible during sleep to help the tendon reconnect to the heel. I’m now almost as quick as I used to be and still find improvement in my ankle as time goes by. Good luck to you.
4 days in, non op route, heel lift and in an aircast. Full rupture while playing soccer. Heard the pop and felt the snap. Looking fwd to every milestone and I hope I don't get to impatient along the way. Thanks for posting and keeping that light on at the end of the tunnel. Cheers!
Evan, your videos have been a true inspiration. I ruptured my achilles June 2nd, 2017 while play basketball. I was considering the surgery until one sleepless night I watched all of you videos and saw how well you did with the non-surgical route. I am now 13 weeks non-surgical. At week 5 I was FWB and doing exercises at the gym. (Bike riding and single leg stands). This past week I was given the green light to wean off the boot and yesterday was the first full day without the boot. I am using compression socks and heal lifts in my sneakers to help with the transition. THANK YOU!!!!!
diblase51 I am glad to hear that your recovery is tracking so well! Keep up the discipline during the coming months, so that you don't overdo it or slack off and miss out on regaining balance, flexibility and strength in that leg. Good luck!
Hello from Australia Evan. I'm just over a year in now on non-op route. Watched your video's at the beginning and now at the other end. Your thoughtful and sharing approach to this scary injury was indeed a great help, showing me some good practical steps, but also in the sincerity of your delivery and empathy for others. Thank you sir for thinking of others and taking the time to share your journey.
7 лет назад+3
Thank you for your encouraging videos! They helped me so much. Today is one year since the accident. My treatment program was same like yours. I'm very pleased about this program. My calf is still weaker as the other one, but I hope it's going better all the time.Thank so lot!
Week six of partial tear, no surgery. Basket ball. Felt like someone hit me on the calf and heard a pop. Fell down, looked to see who hit me. No one there. Yes, heal pain because walking on the heal all the time is unnatural. Ordered memory foam inserts today. Thanks for the tip! At first I used crutches with a boot. Then, iWalk 3.0 with a boot. Then, just the boot. Therapist said to stop with the boot at four weeks. Shoe was fine on level floors and ground. Uneven ground got me a big set back, big pain. Wasn't able to sleep without stressing it again while turning over and catching the foot on blankets, etc. Got a lace up ankle brace which protects it while sleeping and is great for walking in shoes, but I am much more cautious now. Started stationary bike at four weeks. Had to stop after reinjury. Back again after getting the ankle brace. Still feels awkward, not painful. Found I can do the rowing machine as good as ever, no pain, can get a good workout. Push ups and ab wheel are fine. Also, squat/pulls. The Chi machine and Whole Body Vibrator seem to help with swelling and feels good. And foot massager with heat. Tried the rebounder a few times; kinda risky; just gentle bouncing; easy to stress the tendon. Mowed the lawn today, two days short of six weeks. It's like a motorized self-powered walker, so not too hard. I'll be 77 this month, fyi. Strange, last night, midnight, I awoke with burning in the tendon. Had to take the brace off and ice it. No idea why that happened. Over did it?
Hi, Evan. I just want to say thank you, for all your time invested in helping other people in the same situation! I'm in the week 10 now and, step by step, getting better. Thanks again! Really, you've helped us with a lot of very useful advises. All the best from UK!
Hi Evan - this is a message from my Dad, David King - he had the same injury (achillies rupture) 10 weeks ago and he just wants to say thank you so much for posting these videos as you have been very helpful to his recovery. And also thanks for sharing your own experience!
Evan, nice job; you've helped me. I'm going to add my story to confirm the spectrum of how this injury can go. I'm a retired medical doctor. On 8/3/16 I tore my right Achilles playing basketball. I had been training for two years to play Senior Olympics 3 on 3 with my high school buddy's team. That was a Wednesday. That Friday I played with my partner in our 2 man scramble golf league. What the hell, it was already torn. We shot a 76. In my Monday league, my 83 yo partner and I shot a 78. Surgery was 8/10/16. Re-rupture in PT was at seven weeks. I got up to 2 miles on treadmill (5 mph for a couple minutes/3 mph for a couple). The minor alteration in gait and stride started my R knee to start complaining so I've taken a week off. I'm just going to do as you say. Listen, adjust, adapt, accept. By the way, my team won Gold at Oakland University 8/19/16 and they gave me one. My target: 6/2/17 Games in Birmingham AL. Hey, at what month were you able to come up on just the affected side toes?
Evan, I started watching your videos in August 2022, and I have found them very helpful. At the moment, i am 7 weeks post injury with my first 2 weeks in a boot before MRI diagnosed a partial tear, and after MRI, 3 weeks NWB in a cash and the past 2 weeks back in the book NWB again... My rupture gap was 2.1 cm and I don't know if that is a lot or a little, but my Dr has not yet authorized me to start weight bearing nor any physical therapy. I have scrunched up my toes, moved my foot laterally, and with the boot and double heel cushion, I allow some very, very moderate weight bearing when standing in the kitchen sort of thing (no pain at all). Anyway,,,,, THANKS so MUCH for your videos, they have been very helpful.
Evan- Thanks so much for documenting your journey. It's brought me a lot of hope as I have been going through my own recovery. I ruptured my tendon in a father/sons basketball game in March 2016. I went the non-op route and things were going well...back in my shoes after 9 weeks and then had a partial re-rupture just doing some light walking one day. It was a major blow to me. I ended up doing surgery at the end of May, and am now 13 weeks post surgery (walking after 6 weeks) back in my shoes now without the ankle brace and walking somewhat normally. This week I started doing some two leg heel raises in PT. My hurdle now, as you had mentioned in one or your videos is the mental challenge of me not wanting to let all of my weight roll to the front of my foot when walking. My therapist says it's more mental than physical at this point for me. Going down the stairs is still a challenge, but I know the flexibility is slowly coming back. Looking forward to moving on from this! I know it's still a long road ahead, though life is much better than what it has been the last 5 months!
I am sorry to hear about the re-rupture, Rusty. As betrayed as I felt about the initial rupture and my confidence in my body's resistance to injury was shaken, I have regained a (prudent?) bit of confidence that with some moderation I can still be very active. A re-rupture was always my big concern, and a part of me wonders when the AT of the other leg is going to let go, but I am grateful for having made it this far without a reset. Regarding going down stairs: to regain comfort with that degree of dorsi-flexion, I found myself doing a sort of PT throughout the day whenever I was standing by bending my injured knee forward while keeping my heel on the floor. It had the dual benefits of very gradually increasing my comfort level with that range of motion and giving my sore heel a break. Keep up the good work, and best of luck with the rest of your recovery!
Evan, thanks so much for all your videos on your recovery. I am currently 17 weeks post Achilles rupture, non-op route. I found my progress has been very similar to yours and it was nice to check in and watch what you were going through, and your detailed videos really helped me feel at ease and to just carry on with the physio and exercises. Good to see you're doing well, and thanks again!
Hello Evan, and greetings from London 🇬🇧 I think the internet gods took pity on me and your videos came up on my feed at exactly the right time! I'm almost 2 weeks into a partial tear, and boy did I ever need the info gained from the experience with your own injury. The good old NHS over here are pathetic really, when it comes to this type of injury. My GP (family Dr.) gave me NSAID's and one print out with four exercises to perform. I was about to do something which I now realize would have been so stupid but thankfully watching your videos saved me (from myself). I found it astonishing how quickly my calf muscle turned to sponge. The biggest hurdle for me at least has been the mental adjustment. I've always been active - British Army, parachuting, martial arts - but all that didn't matter. My body wasn't ready but I wasn't listening! And that's when I found you. Really, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to make these videos and to detail your own recovery. Better than anything by the 'professionals' out there. Hopefully my recovery will not be that long, provided I continue to engage my brain before I have any more stupid ideas. Thank you Evan, most sincerely.
Thanks very much for the positive feedback, James! I hope that things are tracking well for you. It sounds like we had a bit in common, in that up until this injury I had never experienced a part of my body just catastrophically failing. All of my previous injuries, including broken bones and sprains, had healed in a matter of weeks. The realization that my parts could fail in ways that might limit my future activities was startling. So, I am a little more cautious now, but also am grateful that this was one that allowed me to fully recover. Maybe it was a warning shot across the bow, since it appears that I am not getting any younger! Best of luck to you!
I'm viewing this message in what seems to be four years since you celebrated your first anniversary. Congrats again! I'm in recovery week 13 since having surgery for a full rupture. Even at this point I can completely agree that your video is one of the best and most honest I have seen. Very good information and helpful advice. Thank you!
Hello Evan, I suffered a full rupture back on April 28th, so it's been a little more than 4 months. Your videos have been of tremendous help, thank you so much. Came off the boot 2 months ago and my non-surgical recovery has been going surprisingly great. I just started feeling that soreness in my heel and sometimes the pain is just too much!
Thanks, Joe! Hang in there. The milestones come slower after those initial months, but with patience you will gradually see things improve. I'm at 15 months now, and aside from that calf still being a little bit smaller than the other, things have been back to normal for awhile. Being able to run normally and regularly again has been liberating and satisfying, and I hope that the rest of your recovery goes smoothly as well!
Wow Even! This is really giving me hope. I also didn't wanna do a surgical operation, so I trust that I'm also going to heal patiently and get back to my normal self in right time.
Your vids helped me! I TOO am now coming up on 1-year anniversary from last June 2nd (doing gymnastics drill). It has come a LONG way. My inner right calf is still much smaller, but I keep on strengthening and hoping to get closer and closer to 100%! I think over the next couple years, we will still see more improvement and tissue regeneration (with good blood flow and exercise)! THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO as it was one of the most inspiring aspects of MY RECOVERY PROCESS. And I just shared your #1 video with a friend who just experienced the same injury. I can walk, jump, run (for one hour straight) and still do my tumbling on trampolines (just recently). I went non-surgical and had a major bump in the road at 4 weeks, so it was a LONGGGG process (especially being a full-time dental student--I could not miss a beat, nor did I--I still have perfect attendance through it all). So, thanks again, Brother!
Thanks, Drew! I am glad that the info was useful, and that your recovery has not kept you from pursuing your goals. Ditto here! Gymnastics? That's ambitious, and I am glad to hear that you are able to return to the activity you enjoy. I am at almost two years, and just returned to playing tennis (not at full speed) recently. Fortunately, it was not my passion... it just happened to be the activity that caused my rupture. Good luck!
Update: non surical route, 1,5 y after, I,m happy with the result. Back playing beachvolleyboll. Still a bit weaker in the calf compared with before, and also beeing a bit careful even if physio cleared me for it after 8 month. Everyday living and jogging is without thinking of the injury, just fine.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge I'm 10 weeks down the line and gett6fed up of boot. I realise with this injury although not painful it is a long healing process that requires a lot of patience and a strong will to help you through the dark times. Best Keith
Thank you! People were telling me to walk and it was painful and I decided to give it rest. Soon after the pain went away because I listened to it and let it rest. I appreciate you sharing your experience, it made me feel better and more confident.
Thank you for this video I am 3 weeks post injury your advice has been really helpful. I was a really active person and it's killing me not being able to do anything. I need to not push my luck and give it time. Thanks again X
I'm about 6 moths post injury now. I went the non surgery route. I about 95% recovered now still building strength. I have been told I should get back to my previous sports - snowboarding, cycling, playing netball..... thank you again for your help.
Hey Evan - ...this is long overdue, but "Thank you Thank You THANK YOU" :D I ruptured my right achilles May of 2014 (reliving my youthful basketball days)...and it definitely required surgery. It snapped with such force, the tendon coiled up under my calf. I personally wasn't going to risk going the non surgical route, and you hadn't made a video yet! It took me 3 months to get back to walking in a shoe. My doc said that I healed up pretty quick; nevertheless, after a year I was pretty much back to Me! Nov 1 of 2015, I ruptured my left achilles (basketball - I'm officially retired btw:)...and going off of my experience from my first rupture, I could tell it was a lot more manageable - if you can even refer to an achilles rupture as such. There was that space that you described in your previous vids that the tear took place, but I could still painfully shuffle around. With my first rupture, my foot was simply dangling there completely helpless. So again, I noticed a slightly different degree of rupture. I had already promised myself that I'm not going to have another surgery - in addition to the right achilles surgery, I've had a shoulder surgery and 2 knee surgeries for a lateral meniscus tear (basketball)...did I mention that I don't play basketball anymore?? So I began seriously exploring the non surgical option that I initially thought was a long shot half a$$ed way to heal up from this type of injury. Ha! But then I found your vids...and boy did that give me hope. I walked into my same doc's office that did the first achilles procedure, and he confirmed that it was in fact a rupture. Of course he recommended surgery - that's what they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education for right?...to open people up! It was empowering to declare with confidence that I will be opting for the NON surgical route, thanks to a few RUclips videos by this guy Evan Brown that is going through the same injury. LOL - I could tell that doc was rather turned off by that decision, but "hey" it's my decision to make, right? I wish I kept a more detail oriented account of what exactly happened, but I pretty much followed exactly ALL of your video recommendations. Only difference, I was healing faster than normal. I was back walking in a shoe under 1 1/2 months. I think a lot of it goes to early weight bearing after two weeks of my foot in a cast in the plantar flexion position. I gained much of my muscle definition back in no time. Also, age and genetics are important factors...I'm in the late 20s early 30s range, and I've always felt like I heal fairly quick, rarely get sick, and simply have more energy than my peers (I eat healthier than the typical individual as well). Now at 7 months post 2015 rupture, I would probably say that my progress is the equivalent to where you are in this video! What really pushed me was being able to beat my 4 year old racing again XD I feel super blessed that you took the time to document your recovery, and I'm glad that you decided to make one more video - it was the catalyst to me finally sitting down to take the time to tell you how much I appreciate you. Thanks again! ~Jon PS - I know it's a long winded comment, but necessary...
Thanks very much, Jon. The thought of this information possibly saving someone from accepting unnecessary surgical risk was what spurred me to make the videos, and I am grateful for you sharing your story. The idea that this tendon could heal without surgery seemed non-sensical the first time I read about it, but the more I read, the more enticing it became. Congrats on your recovery! It sounds like you have done many things right to be where you are today. Thanks again! -Evan
Hi Evan. Thanks for your videos. I ruptured mine last thursday and have been contemplating whether to have surgery or not. In the end I chose to have surgery based on a lot of research and talking with physios and other patients with the same injury. It seems to me the most important part of this is the rehab and the discipline each patient puts into recovery. I will probably be video logging as well because I have not been able to find anyone documenting their rehab after surgery. Wish me luck, and great to see you on your feet!
@@VEGASNEWPORT I'm very happy I took the surgery. After going through a lot of litterature and talking to several professionals (physios and doctors) in my family and among friends i decided for the surgery The rehabilitation was tough and looking my physio pushed me a little harder than he should have. So to anyone reading this with a ruptured tendon: "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" It's been almost.three years and my life.is completely normal even though I have some days with minor pains. I run and cycle, lift weights and go for long walks. Thanks for asking
Thank you so much for making these. I watched your entire journey and feel a bit better with my situation. I ruptured mine 3 days ago. Again you have no idea how at ease you've put my mind. Now for the uphill (win-able) battle. Thank you good sir.
Thanks, Warren! I passed the two year milestone recently, and don't give the injury much thought any more. It is a struggle to find the right balance between pushing enough to foster recovery and not overdoing it. Hang tough, and you will get there!
Evan, Thanks for all of your posts! Especially this one. I tore my right Achilles and left cartlidges in March. Coming from an Obstacle Course running, I'm interested in learning how much to push or not. I'm currently in 2 boots, non weight-bearing for 4 weeks. Getting ready for therapy in 2 wks. Thanks again for sharing, Tom in Maryland
I found that the finding the balancing point of pushing enough to make progress, but not so hard that the AT or ankle barked "too much" at me was a shifting target as my recovery progressed. As much as I wanted to recover as quickly as possible, avoiding re-injury was even more important. A number of times, I would over-do it, and then force myself to take some down time to let things recover. I hope that your recovery is smooth one!
I ruptured my Achilles 6 weeks ago. Day 5 of a 23 day western USA dirt bike road trip. I kept going on my trip and even kept riding. My heel hurts bad and I wake up at night in pain all the time. Seeing doctor Tuesday and expected to go surgery. But after watching your vids, I'm not going that direction. Thanks for your awesome videos!! Did anyone else have very painful heel? How long? My injury is on my RUclips channel.,.moab tames tiger tanker...crash at the end of video. My limp now is noticeable but not as bad as it was for 4 weeks looking like a cripple.
Sorry to hear about your injury! If you have been able to get around for 6 weeks, chances are you did not have a full rupture, which would be good news. My sore heel lasted for months, but that probably would not have been as bad if I had introduced memory foam insoles sooner and didn't push it as much as I did. We had family vacation plans locked in prior to my injury, and keeping that on track led to walking 6-10 miles per day in the walking boot, and a couple months later did the same again in regular shoes... before my leg and foot were nearly back to normal. Good luck with your doctor's appointment and recovery!
Yeah, I have done zero of this immobilization thing. I was in the middle of an epic journey across the USA, heck if I was going home. But right now at 6-7 weeks, the heel pain is literally worse than the achilles area. I suppose it has to do with the fact that I am not giving it a rest other than sleep or in the late afternoons when I elevate. I am going to put some of those expensive aftermarket gel type insoles into my Merrill Sport shoes for some added cushion. I have an off road cabin rental for two weeks, want to go to canada and ride the mountains, Sierras.... I can't just stop.... My lack of care, has probably saved me from major Atrophy of the calf muscles etc.... still keeping many of the muscles active. I have MRI on monday, doc visit on tuesday....interesting to see his reaction when I decline surgery.
Thank you for sharing! Very useful my injury was back in April and it has been a struggle, seeing a video of someones own experience gives me hope on getting back on my feet and making my leg stronger!
Hi Evan! Thanks I will! I also bought the 'evenup' shoes, I somehow always lay the connection to your name. You should go on and produce and sell your improved version naming them 'Evanup' :-) Recently I was approached at a festival by someone who works at Ossur, which is the manufacturer of my walker boot. He saw me in the boot and we chatted. I told him that they should add an even up shoe to their product range. It seems only one manufacturer delivers them along with their boot, which seems strange because imo everybody needs the two together. He was going to discuss this in the office, so I hope I helped future achilles tendon rupture generations a bit too :-)
Hi evan, I don't know if you check in now or not but if you do, thanks for posting your videos. Theyve been very helpful and youre correct about the thinking about the mechanics of walking properly with the weakened calf. I'm at 8 months and although enjoying walking 3 or 4 miles twice a walk I dont look forward to the thinking process whilst walking and will be glad when I'm not conscious of this mental thoughtfulnous, which I am expecting to be at the year point. thanks again Peter
Evan thx 4 your info on this subject.....I too went non op also.....& watched what you were doing & it's helped me.......I'm on my 4th month & working slowly but surely I will get there...........btw you look like you're doing well & good luck to you ........thx again.... Mark
Thanks, Mark. I hope your recovery is still tracking well! Cushion your heel well, pace yourself, be patient and it won't be too long before people don't notice a limp and you forget which leg was injured. Good luck!
thx Evan 4 coming by & t yes I'm working on getting strength again .....is there a vid 4 that ?.....I'm trying 2 lift myself on one leg is that ever possible again?.....I'm joining a gym......hope all's well with U2......Mark
My left Achilles tendon rupture completely in Jan 2019, and the Doctors didn't give me this choice to do without surgery.. Im on week 13 and you did better then me at week 9.
thanks for the advice and updates. to tell u the truth after rupturing my AT in late march, i was pretty set on getting surgery until i ran across your video. mainly b/c u struck me as a regular guy...not like some of the professional athletes that have also posted vids and were pretty much fast tracking their recovery. just gave an everyday guy like me hope that while ive always been athletic, realized that my younger days were already behind me...but i could still beat this and be more than just functional. thanks again!
Thanks! That's me: "generally athletic, but my younger days are behind me... and I am not settling for marginally functional". ;-) I hope that everything is tracking well for you so far!
Hey Evan , your videos have been very useful . It's been a month that I hurt my achilles tendon (non-op ) , recovering well . Thanks for posting these .
Great videos Evan ! I’m on week 6 post rupture of the achilies . I am on a vacoped boot tendon seems to be healing very well . Trying to continue excercises which seem to help a lot !
Hey thanks so much, it's videos like yours which give hope to people like me me. Ive got three young children and sometime it scares me to think if I will be the same again for them but as the day go on I'm getting better. Once again thanks for the new video and all the best in your life👍🏻
I hear you. My rupture happened two weeks before our planned trip to the US so the kids could visit their friends and family. I took them there while still full weight bearing on crutches. I crutched my way up the long stairs to the top of a C-5 Galaxy for the trip to the US, and rode back solo in the back of a C-17 so they could spend a month in the US... not the most pleasant trip ever for me or the most prudent thing for my recovery, but it's what Dads do. You'll be there soon... just don't push it too much and reset your recovery clock. Good luck!
Thanks Evan so much for your videos as they have given me quite of motivation on these rough times. I ruptured my achilles tendon playing soccer decided to go non surgical route. I was put on a cast for 5 weeks by the OS now i'm 5 days with my cam boot. OS told me not to start doing any exercises. This is very frustrating because I feel like I want to get started with exercises to get my injured leg stronger. I'm still worried because my foot is still swollen and I still feel a dent on my tendon. OS did the Thompson test after my cast was taken off and there is some movement so i was happy about that and it is giving me hope that i will be back to normal some day. LOL. OS told me that was a sign of reattachment.Hopefully i can count on you with any questions I might have during my recovery. Thanks again.
You definitely don't want to launch prematurely into the wrong kinds of activities, but I believe I benefited greatly from my physical therapy starting as early as it did. At about two weeks post-injury, my therapist just massaged out the swelling and there was very little movement involved. Over time, she introduced more exercises and served as a great guide to show me what I should be doing at each step in the process. If you can swing it, I would highly recommend making physical therapy part of your weekly routine. I only saw my OS sporadically, and my physical therapist gave me the real day-to-day information on how to manage my recovery. Happy to answer questions when they are within my 'range'. Happy healing!
Evan thx you helped me. I am in 2 week from injury. As healcare tech I work at Ortopedic clinic, and non op was my choice. But yours exspir. was wow. You helped me with your video. THX once again
Haris Porobic Thanks, Hans! I was hoping that the posts would be helpful to folks struggling with finding a healthy path through their recovery. Hang tough! I am about 17 months out and the injury seems like a distant memory now. You will be there in the not too distant future!
Great work mate. You are the man! You've given me so much comfort with your vids. As we all know it's a long road - especially those first few weeks - so just wanted to say many thanks. If you're ever in Manchester pints on me!
Hi, Evan. Thank you very much for documenting your experience. I have a question for you. This comes from a person that is 44 years old an ruptured his achilles tendon 7 days ago. Don't worry, I took care of it since day 2, in part thanks to your videos. I have to make the decision to go op or non-op. Do you regret your decision to choose non-op, after 7 years of having posted this last video? What would you recommend from your experience, personally? Thank you kindly for your help.
..well its taking its own sweet time I tell you .. have an MRI booked in and then an appointment with doctor once that is done .. am doing eccentric exercises and have a physio in the meantime and today I purchased a TENS machine .. mine is not ruptured, just strained and painful ... I put the TENS electrodes over the achilles to stimulate it, only started that today so will see how it goes .. i massage it morning and evening also with arnica balm ... am trying everything I can really and not running or straining it in any direct way ... will know more once MRI comes through .. thanks again for your video ..
Thanks again Evan. To see how you are a year later gives me hope as I'm only my second week after my partial rupture. I have my first physiotherapy session tomorrow. Did you suffer a complete rupture or a partial rupture? Thanks you so much for posting video as it give me hope👍🏻
Mine was a full rupture. Good luck with your PT and recovery. It definitely gets better! I'm at 18 months, and hardly think about the injury any more. With patience, you'll get there!
Hi Evan, thank you for sharing your experience. It is my first week of my Achilles rupture "went with the non op route". I am struggling with the cast, really hate it. Thanks alot for the encouraging vids
I hope that you have escaped from the cast by now, and that you are healing well. It takes a long time for the foot and leg to edge closer to normal, so be patient. Good luck!
Evan Brown, Thank you for the reply. I am now in the boot and removed the last wedge. Hopefully within one week I can wean off the boot and move to a normal shoes. I really appreciate that you shared your experience with this awful injury. Your videos helped me a lot. God bless you
Love your video page. Now, I have micro-tears, at the insertion point, not a full tear. I’m not a full tear. Doesn’t hurt to walk, but running does. Where to start? Same regimen as you?
Hi Evan, a lot of information you have been giving and thanks to all of these. When was it that you shed those boot and came back to normal shoes. I am currently in my 8th week and have just begun to walk without the crutches. Eagerly waiting to be back without the boot and into my normal shoes. The walk in the boot is rocky probably due to the curved bottom of the boot.
It's been 2 months since I had my tear and I went non surgical by choice but happy I did and watching this makes me feel very good. But when did you start swimming and walking without the boot?
I took off the boot after 8 weeks, and only put it back on a few times over the next month or so when we went on really long walks on a family trip and I didn't want to over-tax the tendon. I didn't have convenient access to a pool where we lived at the time, but did swim laps periodically starting around five months post-injury. Needless to say, after flip turns I pushed off primarily with my uninjured leg at first! Good luck with your recovery!
Hi Evan, I have completely ruptured my right achilles on 13th of June. I was lucky enough to find your post. Thank you so much for posting such informative, helpful and inspirational videos with real person detailed recovering experience reflecting recent years scientific research findings, and including lots of links for people to search further. Really really appreciate what you did in helping people. By having found you and watched and read yours and those you linked and what I researched further, I was quite fully cleared up and motivated to take nonsurgical way before I met my surgeon. Then when I met the surgeon he actually suggested nonsurgical way and I had no doubt to accept it. Now it has been 7 weeks and everything went smooth. I just have a question here, when did you start sleeping without boot? By the rehab protocol it says during 6-8 weeks one is still required wearing boot when sleeping. Thanks a lot!
Thanks, William! Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I was off the net for a couple weeks. I was in the boot for 8 weeks, and was concerned that I might accidentally push against the sheet in my sleep and hurt the tendon. I slept in the boot for 7 weeks, and began to sleep without it in that last week before I transitioned to two shoes. Good luck with your recovery. I'm at 14 months now, and pleased to sometimes have to think about which leg was injured. I did not expect things to turn out this well, so it has been a pleasant surprise. I hope you are able to say the same at end of your journey!
Thank you so much Evan. I started sleeping without boot from 9th week. Everything went fine. Please don't be sorry for late reply. You reply still have given me a valuable confirmation that I know I didn't do too aggressive and as you told in your video that one needs to listen to its body. Thank you again for your reply and wishing for me. Hope you have the rest of this great summer.
Hi Evan, wondering if you could please share about how your colleague who reruptured is doing? You said he did op then non op, and I think I'm going the same route, and wondering how that person has recovered. Thanks for the awesome videos.
Hi Evan. I have just ruptured my achilles tendon and I'm feeling pretty low! watching your videos has given me some hope so thank you. I'm 1 week in and I'm finding this hard especially having to depend on other people. You seem so optimistic in your videos but did you have the similar feelings at the beginning
Thank you for your comments. I am 10 weeks post-op, after enduring 10 months with a significant tear of my L achilles tendon. It’s been a steep learning curve. Little did I know when I agreed to surgery, that my recovery would have to be individually customized. What a pain in the 🫏 The next year should prove to be very interesting
Hi evan, Great to hear things are still going well. My "anniversary" is next week & it was interesting to compare your experiences to date with mine - me having gone down the surgical route due to the double achilles rupture. I'm walking 100% now and back mountain biking 4-5hrs over pretty extreme stuff. Still some things i find hard such as walking down stairs without shoes on (not sure if this is a mental issue or not lols) & limited movement on 1 leg heel raises as yet but progressing. just started 1 leg jumps on and off small step box which is a real ureka moment for me. Agree on the sketchers and memory foam , brilliant on the feet. Strangely although the achilles are fine now i sometimes get sore bits around the front of my ankles after exercise and the bones in underside of feet can often crack - i can only put this down to wearing the boots for 7 weeks and everything locking up solid. Most painful part of the whole process to date was without a doubt the physio sessions where she used the graston technique on my achilles to beak things up and get blood into the area to improve healing - strongest pain killers possible required for this! Took about 9months to see some muscle definition return to the calfs but progressing nicely now. Long may your recovery continue. cheers Barrie
Thanks, Barrie! I had a fair bit of tightness on the front/top of my foot that kind of surprised me. I presume the bones shifted while all of the tendons and muscles were loosened up, and it took a long time for them to find their way back into alignment. I have essentially the same range of motion back now, but on the injured side I feel extra tightness at the limit. Keep up the good work, and congrats on clearing the year milestone! -Evan
I am a few days away form 1 year anniversary of rupturing my Achilles' tendon with non surgical recovery. Your videos have been helpful. I just now watched this one. I know the good enough feeling, and not doing as much strengthening as I probably should. I can hike, bicycle, swim and walk. Not much of a runner but slowly getting there. One thing I want to go back to is pickleball, which is the sport that I ruptured my achilles doing. Maybe I should check in with PT first. It stills like a tightness around my ankle area with certain stretching and my heel lifts are only half way there. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Thanks, Barrie. I hope that your recovery has proceeded very well since you posted your comment. Though a degree of definition and muscle mass seem to come back "for free" with walking and minimal exercise, the rest of getting back to "normal" definition and mass take deliberate effort. I've regained a lot through running, cycling and some visits to the gym, but still have work to do. Best of luck to you!
Thanks, Mary! I have avoided tennis and other sudden acceleration activities since the injury, but am starting to dabble with the ground rule that letting the ball bounce twice is much better than the possible consequence of overdoing it. I am a bit concerned that my other AT was weakened by the poorly executed barefoot running that set up my injured AT for failure, so I am taking it easy for awhile. Good luck with your return to pickleball... just don't overdo it and get competitive unless or until you feel justifiably confident in your AT. Happy healing!
Great videos Evan, thank you so much for sharing them. I'm just over 3 weeks into my full rupture. I have been in the boot for 2 weeks and today was the first full day I've not used crutches! Aside from the boot, it feels great to walk/shuffle unaided. Did you keep your boot on during the nights?
I kept it on at night for the first weeks to maintain the correct angle for AT healing, and for a few additional weeks to ensure that I did not re injure by pushing against the sheet/blanket in my sleep. I believe I started sleeping without it around week 7 or 8, just before I ditched the boot altogether.
Thanks for the videos Evan! I went non op by initial doctors suggestion and it has been 5 month. I stayed in the boot for 3.5 month , doctors didn't think it was reconnected properl, so stayed a little longer . I was then told I should have surgery because it wasn't feeling that well, I decided to wait a month and now doctor thinks it's too late to have the surgery. I can walk just fine with a slight limp. I don't feel much tension of the Achilles on the injured foot. I can't do a single heel raise with the same foot at all. When could you do one, and when did you start running.? Did you feel the tension of the tendon when you got out of the boot? I'm just trying to see if I'm screwed or there is a chance for me to recover. Thanks for any input.
Alex Truesow The real trick is rebuilding the balance and strength in the lower leg. Some of it comes back in “normal use”, but not all. I am three years post-injury, and still my right calf does not have the same muscle mass and strength as my left. To do a single-heel raise, and have a normal running gait will take deliberate strength training. I’m not sure when I started jogging again, but think it was around the four month mark.
Hello Evan, First of all, thanks so much to share those videos. It really makes me feel better. I had a rupture in my achilles tendon 2 days ago and I'm still not sure with a go to surgery or non surgery procedure. The doctor said that the recovery is almost the same time but with non surgery I have between 0 to 9% of having my tendon rupture again. I'm not sure what to do but after watching your videos I will try the non surgery way. My concerns is about being back to soccer. I play soccer 2-3 times per week, I play in a league and I'd like to be ready to play as soon as possible. I could not find anything saying that surgery is better (if I wanna play soccer sooner). Do you know anything about it? Thanks a lot.
I've made it to 21 months without a re-rupture, but haven't played aggressive court sports or soccer. I run, cycle and hike without concern, but am a little cautious about explosively pushing off. I think that this would be the case regardless of whether I had surgery, based upon friends who re-ruptured along both surgical and non-op paths. Whichever path you choose, best of luck with your recovery!
By 3 months, the only pain I had was in my heel when I stood or walked (resolved later with memory foam insoles), temporarily in the AT if I over-did something, or some aggravation between the bones of my injured foot after a long walk as the bones were still not back in their normal positions. I hope your recovery is going well!
Feeling Frustrated!! I was told the rupture in my achiles tendon is 5 centimeters apart and I need surgery or will limp forever. I am regaining strength and almost on track according to videos like this one. Did anyone experienced a tendon separation like mine and recovered without a surgery?? Please share your stories, I really need to hear some good hopeful news, or face reality. Thank you
So I have been in a splint with foot in planter flexion position going on to 3 weeks now. Ortho is putting me in a cast for another 6. Is that a good idea? I feel like I will have muscle issues after this without any foot movement.
do you feel like your balance is off when you walk ? I've noticed that I put a lot of pressure still on the external side of my foot. so my feet are not flat on the floor and I keep loosing balance. does this happen to you ?
Hi Even, I ruptured my Achilles' tendon a week ago. No pain while foot is elevated but when I stand I feel like my calf muscle will explode. It's like a cramp I can't stretch out. No pain in the Achilles to touch but my calf feels like it's bruised to touch. Did you experience these symptoms in your calf?
craigandanet same here too! as soon as I stand up it feels like the pressure rushes straight down my leg. but when I straighten my leg my calf feels so tight
Emre Basmaci I had this for the first 3 weeks, it's normal. Keep it elevated as much as possible :) Once you start weight-bearing the blood flow improves and it gets much better. I'm at 7 weeks now, I still elevate when I can but it feels fine :)
James Morcom cheers buddy! I'm starting to get a lot of feeling and a little pain at my achilles tendon so I'm trying look at that of a positive sign of healing. but when I touched the area yesterday when changing the liner of my boot the skin felt very hard! did you experience that?
Hello Evan, I'm into my 15 months recovery for my non surgical Achilles' tendon rupture. I'm having a problem building my calf muscles on my injured leg. I'm doing my daily excerise, I walk for a living, I still go to the gym and still nothing. I'm wondering if or did your build up? if so, can you please tell me what you did for it? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
I'm at 21 months, and though the injured leg is much stronger and balanced than a year ago, it still isn't quite matching the "good leg". I hold myself responsible for this, because the tendon has been strong enough for focused, deliberate strengthening exercises for many months, but I have been complacent. I run, cycle, swim and hike without noticeable differences, and therefore haven't put in the extra effort to work on muscle mass. I think you can get your former strength and definition back, with discipline and patience.
bro..I also broke my Achilles tendon...did your calf hurt as well? This is my second week since I injured my Achilles tendon...my calf hurts so much...is it normal?
As I recall, the calf was sore, but not super-painful... except when it cramped, which gave me some of the worst charley-horse cramps of my life. Fortunately, those were primarily in the first few weeks and not very often.
when you were in the early weeks and months did you use a ankle brace just for support on the ankle? I have noticed since I'm starting to walk that my injured ankle by the heel is a bit numb. maybe due to the way I step perhaps. did you experience any of that.
I tried a neoprene ankle brace once, but it made my shoe uncomfortably tight and it did not provide enough benefit to justify the discomfort. Heel pain was a problem for me for months, but I don't think I encountered numbness. I found that memory foam shoes and insoles were worth their weight in gold to make my heel comfortable. Hopefully they will help you as well. I found one set of memory foam insoles for $9... not bad.
Hello Evan, My name is Martin and I ruptured my tendon 2 weeks ago. I went to see an ortho and I am going the non surgical route as well. I was curious about putting pressure on the injured foot. I do not feel any pain on the effected foot unless the boot is off or i attempt to point my toes. Its been 2 weeks since the day of the injury. I was curious if this is good or bad for me to be walking around with the boot two weeks after the injury?
With the important caveat that I am NOT a doctor: Doctors differ in their approaches, but generally it seems that the earlier one puts weight on the injured foot, it encourages healing and staves off some of the ills that come with long-term immobilization. In my own case, at 2 weeks I started to put weight on the boot, but was still using crutches until the end of week 4 when I ditched them. That was the protocol given to me by my doc, and it worked. I can't recommend going entirely without crutches after only two weeks, because it is beyond my own experience and protocol, but I can't say for sure that you are running additional risk by doing so if you are careful. Be sure to take your time, as the tendon is still healing at that stage. You don't want to risk stumbling and reflexively reacting in a way that harms your AT. Best of luck with your recovery!
I did not spend enough time focusing on strength training, and after 2.5 years my right calf still isn't quite back to where the uninjured leg is. I've been cyclic a lot, and recently started working in the gym again, and am finally confident that I will get there. However, I am equally confident that it would never return to its original size without that kind of deliberate effort. My recommendation would be to work on flexibility/range of motion and calf raises, and over time you will regain the strength in that leg. Good luck!
Mine isn't as strong as it could have been with more deliberate exercise. Once it got "good enough" for walking and running fairly naturally, I became less disciplined about heel raises, etc.. My only advice is to keep after it (without overdoing it) and continue working on strengthening it. Good luck!
Hi. I,m 38 years old. I ruptured completely my left leg achilese tendon on the 20 August 2019 while playing football. Had surgery and my foot was placed in a plaster for 12 weeks after which I have started some physio exercises for 3 weeks now. I am now on my 15 weeks. I still cannot do a single toe raised with my left foot as I feel a lot of pain at the base of the injured tendon while trying to raise that foot from the ground. I can walk though not perfectly and the numbness and pain is still there. Can you please tell me at what week or month were you able to at least start doing a single toe raised on the injured leg?
@@svetlanajovanovic9885 hello. Today after almost 3 years after injury, i can say I've recovered above 95%. Thanks GOD, there is almost no pain and i can walk normally and do single toe raised and run as normally as before the injury. However, following the advice of my Doctor, I no longer play competitive football.
Unfortunately, I don't have a much knowledge about strains. I studies ruptures enough to inform my recovery decisions, but never had a strain or studied them. I hope your situation clears up soon!
Sorry for not seeing your question sooner. I hope that you were able to navigate those early months well and are getting back toward normal again. I recall wearing my boot at night for a couple weeks past the end of my two months of wearing it full time, just to keep for re-injuring in my sleep by pushing against sheets or something the wrong way.
Hi Evan, First off I want to Thank you for posting your journey through your non surgical path to healing. It's helped guide me through my journey as I'm now 18 weeks post rupture. My question to you is if you experienced pain in the Achilles area when pushing off at the ball of the foot. If I don't push off there is no pain really, just stiffness. Just wondering your experience with this. Hope to hear from you soon!
Great question. My own approach to this recovery has been one of constant adjustments. There were times when I started to walk with a solid push on the ball of my foot, and then felt a twinge in the AT. After that, I would sort of throttle back and not push off as much. After a couple runs when the AT was actually sore, I deliberately transitioned to a full-on limp again for a couple days on purpose to give it a rest. Some discomfort is to be expected, but if it crosses the line into pain, I would take that as a sign to rest it, let time be your ally, and work your way back into the offending activity gradually. Good luck!
Hello Evan i had my full rupture around 10 month ago and i also went the none op route. however, i still am unable to walk properly and am very limited to around 2 blocks, do not have calve strength and am starting to have other parts of my body being effected because of this. I am usually extremely active yet have been unable to do so because of my achilies. hopefully you could give me some personal advise on my situation in relevance to what you've experienced.
Wow. Limited calf strength is to be expected, but if you have a hard time walking more than a couple blocks after 10 months... that does sound a bit concerning. What is the limiting factor? Be fair to yourself, if it is simply regaining a normal gait. Calf strength takes a long time time to restore, unless you are really disciplined about strength training (I was not, after the initial months of PT). After two years, I am probably at greater than 75% of pre-injury, but at 10 months... not nearly that strong.
Hello ! I just saw your comment, I'm 7.5 months after my breakup and the non-surgical route. and like you I am limited to 30/40 minutes of walking and I still limp a lot in the evening. ! I wanted to know if you have recovered from your injury? thank you
I'm very sorry about your re-rupture. Unfortunately the data show that re-ruptures happen just as often to surgically repaired tendons, but I am glad that your second recovery is working out better than the first. Regardless of the op/non-op choice, each recovery is an experiment, with many variables that can contribute to re-injury. I'm glad that you are navigating the recovery process successfully, and wish you continued success.
I fully ruptured my both Achilles same time its very unfortunate but no help on internet to make me comfortable i started searching on you tube and i found your videos it helps me to build my confidence i can walk again without getting into surgery i ruptured in October 2022 and its February now i am still recovering I talked to doctor and she said its going to take sometime because its my both Achilles not just one
But i want to thank you for all these your videos helped me to get through this time
So pleased for you. I'm 6 weeks in to my non-operative recovery, I can't tell you how much your posts have helped me. As a 48 year old man I've never been injured before nor suffered any kind of depression - the last six weeks have introduced me to both. You're an inspiration to me and no doubt to many others and I thank you for the time you have dedicated to letting all of us be part of your recovery. My best wishes and good luck for the future.
Thanks very much, Duncan! Hang tough, as the worst of it is behind you. Once you throw the crutches aside, your quality of life will increase radically. The recovery will continue to try your patience, but you will be rewarded if for it as you continue to make gains back toward normal. Good luck with your recovery!
I just ruptured my Achilles 2 weeks ago and when I came across this video, I felt so much better. Thankyou so much Evan for sharing your journey and making it easier for me and other people.
I speak about you just about every month... You are my hero.. Really. Been a year and half... Started to coach soccer now.. However your lessons saved me mentally first ..then physically after.. Your tone and delivery of the info is perfect. God sent. This Chinese berry schisandra was great companion during the healing process. So was tumeric. May God continue to bless you and your family. Quoting the 27 years exp surgeon that saw me and told me two hour before seeing your first video.."the grand canyon cannot come back together, you need surgery now"
Thanks very much, Roy. I had never posted a video before this experience, but felt that it might help someone else navigate this if I stepped outside my comfort zone a little. Thanks for the berry and herb tips, and best of luck with your continued healing and progress!
i just wanna say thanks so much my doc told me surgery was the best way or it would be 6-7 months before i can walk again but, after watching your videos i decided to go the non surgery route and i was able to walk in shoes after only 4 weeks its only been 12 weeks and i can jog a little i pretty much rehabbed myself slowly taking it day by day keeping a positive mind and i am coming along fine. thanks again you helped me more than you will ever know
Thanks so much for the feedback, Lamar. I was frustrated by the lack of consistency on the treatment of this injury, and was fortunate to have all day Sunday to research between my injury and my meeting with the orthopedic surgeon. If not for that, I probably would have opted for surgery, as I assumed it would be the only way to fix the tendon. The experiment has been successful so far for me, and it sounds like the same is true for you as well. Good luck with the rest of your recovery! Slow and steady winds the race. ;-)
I'm only 3 days after full rupture. One physio said have to do surgery. Done heaps of research and seems can do non surgical. I've got a holiday on 9 weeks. Hoepfully will be on shoes by then..
My Achilles rupture happened in May 2016 on a tennis court. I was known to be a quick runner so this was a big life changing shock to me. I was back to playing tennis in a year with no surgery. Did not miss a day of work, no cast, no boot. Did not see a doctor ever. Had to shuffle for quite a while, spent lots of time on my back with my leg raised to ease occasional swelling. Did a lot of icing, took glucosamine and other nutrients regularly and still do. Tried to keep my toes pointed as much as possible during sleep to help the tendon reconnect to the heel. I’m now almost as quick as I used to be and still find improvement in my ankle as time goes by. Good luck to you.
4 days in, non op route, heel lift and in an aircast. Full rupture while playing soccer. Heard the pop and felt the snap. Looking fwd to every milestone and I hope I don't get to impatient along the way. Thanks for posting and keeping that light on at the end of the tunnel. Cheers!
Evan, your videos have been a true inspiration. I ruptured my achilles June 2nd, 2017 while play basketball. I was considering the surgery until one sleepless night I watched all of you videos and saw how well you did with the non-surgical route. I am now 13 weeks non-surgical. At week 5 I was FWB and doing exercises at the gym. (Bike riding and single leg stands). This past week I was given the green light to wean off the boot and yesterday was the first full day without the boot. I am using compression socks and heal lifts in my sneakers to help with the transition.
THANK YOU!!!!!
diblase51 I am glad to hear that your recovery is tracking so well! Keep up the discipline during the coming months, so that you don't overdo it or slack off and miss out on regaining balance, flexibility and strength in that leg. Good luck!
Hello from Australia Evan. I'm just over a year in now on non-op route. Watched your video's at the beginning and now at the other end. Your thoughtful and sharing approach to this scary injury was indeed a great help, showing me some good practical steps, but also in the sincerity of your delivery and empathy for others. Thank you sir for thinking of others and taking the time to share your journey.
Thank you for your encouraging videos! They helped me so much. Today is one year since the accident. My treatment program was same like yours. I'm very pleased about this program. My calf is still weaker as the other one, but I hope it's going better all the time.Thank so lot!
Week six of partial tear, no surgery. Basket ball. Felt like someone hit me on the calf and heard a pop. Fell down, looked to see who hit me. No one there. Yes, heal pain because walking on the heal all the time is unnatural. Ordered memory foam inserts today. Thanks for the tip! At first I used crutches with a boot. Then, iWalk 3.0 with a boot. Then, just the boot. Therapist said to stop with the boot at four weeks. Shoe was fine on level floors and ground. Uneven ground got me a big set back, big pain. Wasn't able to sleep without stressing it again while turning over and catching the foot on blankets, etc. Got a lace up ankle brace which protects it while sleeping and is great for walking in shoes, but I am much more cautious now. Started stationary bike at four weeks. Had to stop after reinjury. Back again after getting the ankle brace. Still feels awkward, not painful. Found I can do the rowing machine as good as ever, no pain, can get a good workout. Push ups and ab wheel are fine. Also, squat/pulls. The Chi machine and Whole Body Vibrator seem to help with swelling and feels good. And foot massager with heat. Tried the rebounder a few times; kinda risky; just gentle bouncing; easy to stress the tendon. Mowed the lawn today, two days short of six weeks. It's like a motorized self-powered walker, so not too hard. I'll be 77 this month, fyi. Strange, last night, midnight, I awoke with burning in the tendon. Had to take the brace off and ice it. No idea why that happened. Over did it?
Hi, Evan.
I just want to say thank you, for all your time invested in helping other people in the same situation! I'm in the week 10 now and, step by step, getting better.
Thanks again! Really, you've helped us with a lot of very useful advises.
All the best from UK!
Hi Evan - this is a message from my Dad, David King - he had the same injury (achillies rupture) 10 weeks ago and he just wants to say thank you so much for posting these videos as you have been very helpful to his recovery. And also thanks for sharing your own experience!
Thanks for letting me know that the info has been helpful. I hope he continues to progress well!
Evan, nice job; you've helped me. I'm going to add my story to confirm the spectrum of how this injury can go. I'm a retired medical doctor. On 8/3/16 I tore my right Achilles playing basketball. I had been training for two years to play Senior Olympics 3 on 3 with my high school buddy's team. That was a Wednesday. That Friday I played with my partner in our 2 man scramble golf league. What the hell, it was already torn. We shot a 76. In my Monday league, my 83 yo partner and I shot a 78. Surgery was 8/10/16. Re-rupture in PT was at seven weeks. I got up to 2 miles on treadmill (5 mph for a couple minutes/3 mph for a couple). The minor alteration in gait and stride started my R knee to start complaining so I've taken a week off. I'm just going to do as you say. Listen, adjust, adapt, accept. By the way, my team won Gold at Oakland University 8/19/16 and they gave me one. My target: 6/2/17 Games in Birmingham AL. Hey, at what month were you able to come up on just the affected side toes?
Evan, I started watching your videos in August 2022, and I have found them very helpful. At the moment, i am 7 weeks post injury with my first 2 weeks in a boot before MRI diagnosed a partial tear, and after MRI, 3 weeks NWB in a cash and the past 2 weeks back in the book NWB again... My rupture gap was 2.1 cm and I don't know if that is a lot or a little, but my Dr has not yet authorized me to start weight bearing nor any physical therapy. I have scrunched up my toes, moved my foot laterally, and with the boot and double heel cushion, I allow some very, very moderate weight bearing when standing in the kitchen sort of thing (no pain at all). Anyway,,,,, THANKS so MUCH for your videos, they have been very helpful.
Evan- Thanks so much for documenting your journey. It's brought me a lot of hope as I have been going through my own recovery. I ruptured my tendon in a father/sons basketball game in March 2016. I went the non-op route and things were going well...back in my shoes after 9 weeks and then had a partial re-rupture just doing some light walking one day. It was a major blow to me. I ended up doing surgery at the end of May, and am now 13 weeks post surgery (walking after 6 weeks) back in my shoes now without the ankle brace and walking somewhat normally. This week I started doing some two leg heel raises in PT. My hurdle now, as you had mentioned in one or your videos is the mental challenge of me not wanting to let all of my weight roll to the front of my foot when walking. My therapist says it's more mental than physical at this point for me. Going down the stairs is still a challenge, but I know the flexibility is slowly coming back. Looking forward to moving on from this! I know it's still a long road ahead, though life is much better than what it has been the last 5 months!
I am sorry to hear about the re-rupture, Rusty. As betrayed as I felt about the initial rupture and my confidence in my body's resistance to injury was shaken, I have regained a (prudent?) bit of confidence that with some moderation I can still be very active. A re-rupture was always my big concern, and a part of me wonders when the AT of the other leg is going to let go, but I am grateful for having made it this far without a reset.
Regarding going down stairs: to regain comfort with that degree of dorsi-flexion, I found myself doing a sort of PT throughout the day whenever I was standing by bending my injured knee forward while keeping my heel on the floor. It had the dual benefits of very gradually increasing my comfort level with that range of motion and giving my sore heel a break. Keep up the good work, and best of luck with the rest of your recovery!
Dude you have no idea how much I'm going to be watching these videos for the next few months. Really appreciate you making them.
Evan, thanks so much for all your videos on your recovery. I am currently 17 weeks post Achilles rupture, non-op route. I found my progress has been very similar to yours and it was nice to check in and watch what you were going through, and your detailed videos really helped me feel at ease and to just carry on with the physio and exercises. Good to see you're doing well, and thanks again!
Hello Evan, and greetings from London 🇬🇧
I think the internet gods took pity on me and your videos came up on my feed at exactly the right time!
I'm almost 2 weeks into a partial tear, and boy did I ever need the info gained from the experience with your own injury. The good old NHS over here are pathetic really, when it comes to this type of injury. My GP (family Dr.) gave me NSAID's and one print out with four exercises to perform.
I was about to do something which I now realize would have been so stupid but thankfully watching your videos saved me (from myself).
I found it astonishing how quickly my calf muscle turned to sponge. The biggest hurdle for me at least has been the mental adjustment.
I've always been active - British Army, parachuting, martial arts - but all that didn't matter. My body wasn't ready but I wasn't listening!
And that's when I found you.
Really, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to make these videos and to detail your own recovery. Better than anything by the 'professionals' out there.
Hopefully my recovery will not be that long, provided I continue to engage my brain before I have any more stupid ideas.
Thank you Evan, most sincerely.
Thanks very much for the positive feedback, James! I hope that things are tracking well for you. It sounds like we had a bit in common, in that up until this injury I had never experienced a part of my body just catastrophically failing. All of my previous injuries, including broken bones and sprains, had healed in a matter of weeks. The realization that my parts could fail in ways that might limit my future activities was startling. So, I am a little more cautious now, but also am grateful that this was one that allowed me to fully recover. Maybe it was a warning shot across the bow, since it appears that I am not getting any younger! Best of luck to you!
I'm viewing this message in what seems to be four years since you celebrated your first anniversary. Congrats again! I'm in recovery week 13 since having surgery for a full rupture. Even at this point I can completely agree that your video is one of the best and most honest I have seen. Very good information and helpful advice. Thank you!
Very well presented videos. I am 3 weeks post-injury and really appreciate the resource that your videos represent.
Thanks very much, Dan. I hope that your recovery is a smooth one!
Hello Evan, I suffered a full rupture back on April 28th, so it's been a little more than 4 months. Your videos have been of tremendous help, thank you so much. Came off the boot 2 months ago and my non-surgical recovery has been going surprisingly great. I just started feeling that soreness in my heel and sometimes the pain is just too much!
Thanks, Joe! Hang in there. The milestones come slower after those initial months, but with patience you will gradually see things improve. I'm at 15 months now, and aside from that calf still being a little bit smaller than the other, things have been back to normal for awhile. Being able to run normally and regularly again has been liberating and satisfying, and I hope that the rest of your recovery goes smoothly as well!
Wow Even! This is really giving me hope. I also didn't wanna do a surgical operation, so I trust that I'm also going to heal patiently and get back to my normal self in right time.
Your vids helped me! I TOO am now coming up on 1-year anniversary from last June 2nd (doing gymnastics drill). It has come a LONG way. My inner right calf is still much smaller, but I keep on strengthening and hoping to get closer and closer to 100%! I think over the next couple years, we will still see more improvement and tissue regeneration (with good blood flow and exercise)! THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO as it was one of the most inspiring aspects of MY RECOVERY PROCESS. And I just shared your #1 video with a friend who just experienced the same injury. I can walk, jump, run (for one hour straight) and still do my tumbling on trampolines (just recently). I went non-surgical and had a major bump in the road at 4 weeks, so it was a LONGGGG process (especially being a full-time dental student--I could not miss a beat, nor did I--I still have perfect attendance through it all). So, thanks again, Brother!
Thanks, Drew! I am glad that the info was useful, and that your recovery has not kept you from pursuing your goals. Ditto here! Gymnastics? That's ambitious, and I am glad to hear that you are able to return to the activity you enjoy. I am at almost two years, and just returned to playing tennis (not at full speed) recently. Fortunately, it was not my passion... it just happened to be the activity that caused my rupture. Good luck!
Thanks for your experience. Very happy for your recovery and advice. I am on my journey, 12 weeks, following some of your recommendations.
This video still comfort and good advices; I'm now 5 weeks in non-surgical rehab. My goal is also to get back to running.
Update: non surical route, 1,5 y after, I,m happy with the result. Back playing beachvolleyboll. Still a bit weaker in the calf compared with before, and also beeing a bit careful even if physio cleared me for it after 8 month. Everyday living and jogging is without thinking of the injury, just fine.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
I'm 10 weeks down the line and gett6fed up of boot.
I realise with this injury although not painful it is a long healing process that requires a lot of patience and a strong will to help you through the dark times.
Best
Keith
Thank you! People were telling me to walk and it was painful and I decided to give it rest. Soon after the pain went away because I listened to it and let it rest. I appreciate you sharing your experience, it made me feel better and more confident.
Thanks! I hope that you are recovering well!
Thank you for this video I am 3 weeks post injury your advice has been really helpful. I was a really active person and it's killing me not being able to do anything. I need to not push my luck and give it time. Thanks again X
Nicola Rae how are you now? I'm into my second week no surgery, did you have to get surgery?
I'm about 6 moths post injury now. I went the non surgery route. I about 95% recovered now still building strength. I have been told I should get back to my previous sports - snowboarding, cycling, playing netball..... thank you again for your help.
Nicola Rae n
Thank you for the sharing. I am at 3 weeks non surgical. I hope to have your sucess.
Hey Evan -
...this is long overdue, but "Thank you Thank You THANK YOU" :D
I ruptured my right achilles May of 2014 (reliving my youthful basketball days)...and it definitely required surgery. It snapped with such force, the tendon coiled up under my calf. I personally wasn't going to risk going the non surgical route, and you hadn't made a video yet! It took me 3 months to get back to walking in a shoe. My doc said that I healed up pretty quick; nevertheless, after a year I was pretty much back to Me!
Nov 1 of 2015, I ruptured my left achilles (basketball - I'm officially retired btw:)...and going off of my experience from my first rupture, I could tell it was a lot more manageable - if you can even refer to an achilles rupture as such. There was that space that you described in your previous vids that the tear took place, but I could still painfully shuffle around. With my first rupture, my foot was simply dangling there completely helpless. So again, I noticed a slightly different degree of rupture.
I had already promised myself that I'm not going to have another surgery - in addition to the right achilles surgery, I've had a shoulder surgery and 2 knee surgeries for a lateral meniscus tear (basketball)...did I mention that I don't play basketball anymore?? So I began seriously exploring the non surgical option that I initially thought was a long shot half a$$ed way to heal up from this type of injury. Ha! But then I found your vids...and boy did that give me hope.
I walked into my same doc's office that did the first achilles procedure, and he confirmed that it was in fact a rupture. Of course he recommended surgery - that's what they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education for right?...to open people up! It was empowering to declare with confidence that I will be opting for the NON surgical route, thanks to a few RUclips videos by this guy Evan Brown that is going through the same injury. LOL - I could tell that doc was rather turned off by that decision, but "hey" it's my decision to make, right? I wish I kept a more detail oriented account of what exactly happened, but I pretty much followed exactly ALL of your video recommendations.
Only difference, I was healing faster than normal. I was back walking in a shoe under 1 1/2 months. I think a lot of it goes to early weight bearing after two weeks of my foot in a cast in the plantar flexion position. I gained much of my muscle definition back in no time. Also, age and genetics are important factors...I'm in the late 20s early 30s range, and I've always felt like I heal fairly quick, rarely get sick, and simply have more energy than my peers (I eat healthier than the typical individual as well).
Now at 7 months post 2015 rupture, I would probably say that my progress is the equivalent to where you are in this video! What really pushed me was being able to beat my 4 year old racing again XD I feel super blessed that you took the time to document your recovery, and I'm glad that you decided to make one more video - it was the catalyst to me finally sitting down to take the time to tell you how much I appreciate you. Thanks again!
~Jon
PS - I know it's a long winded comment, but necessary...
Thanks very much, Jon. The thought of this information possibly saving someone from accepting unnecessary surgical risk was what spurred me to make the videos, and I am grateful for you sharing your story. The idea that this tendon could heal without surgery seemed non-sensical the first time I read about it, but the more I read, the more enticing it became. Congrats on your recovery! It sounds like you have done many things right to be where you are today. Thanks again! -Evan
Hi Evan. Thanks for your videos. I ruptured mine last thursday and have been contemplating whether to have surgery or not. In the end I chose to have surgery based on a lot of research and talking with physios and other patients with the same injury.
It seems to me the most important part of this is the rehab and the discipline each patient puts into recovery. I will probably be video logging as well because I have not been able to find anyone documenting their rehab after surgery.
Wish me luck, and great to see you on your feet!
Hey Morten did how did it go after surgery route do you think it was better route are for you?
@@VEGASNEWPORT
I'm very happy I took the surgery. After going through a lot of litterature and talking to several professionals (physios and doctors) in my family and among friends i decided for the surgery
The rehabilitation was tough and looking my physio pushed me a little harder than he should have.
So to anyone reading this with a ruptured tendon: "slow is smooth, smooth is fast"
It's been almost.three years and my life.is completely normal even though I have some days with minor pains. I run and cycle, lift weights and go for long walks.
Thanks for asking
Thank you so much for making these. I watched your entire journey and feel a bit better with my situation. I ruptured mine 3 days ago. Again you have no idea how at ease you've put my mind. Now for the uphill (win-able) battle. Thank you good sir.
Thanks, Warren! I passed the two year milestone recently, and don't give the injury much thought any more. It is a struggle to find the right balance between pushing enough to foster recovery and not overdoing it. Hang tough, and you will get there!
WarrenBHall Week 8 for me and reading others have overcome this makes us all feel better!!! Hope you continued to heal well.
Evan, Thanks for all of your posts! Especially this one. I tore my right Achilles and left cartlidges in March. Coming from an Obstacle Course running, I'm interested in learning how much to push or not. I'm currently in 2 boots, non weight-bearing for 4 weeks. Getting ready for therapy in 2 wks. Thanks again for sharing, Tom in Maryland
I found that the finding the balancing point of pushing enough to make progress, but not so hard that the AT or ankle barked "too much" at me was a shifting target as my recovery progressed. As much as I wanted to recover as quickly as possible, avoiding re-injury was even more important. A number of times, I would over-do it, and then force myself to take some down time to let things recover. I hope that your recovery is smooth one!
thank you Evan i have been in a boot for 3 weeks and looked at all of your videos thank you
I ruptured my Achilles 6 weeks ago. Day 5 of a 23 day western USA dirt bike road trip. I kept going on my trip and even kept riding. My heel hurts bad and I wake up at night in pain all the time. Seeing doctor Tuesday and expected to go surgery. But after watching your vids, I'm not going that direction. Thanks for your awesome videos!! Did anyone else have very painful heel? How long? My injury is on my RUclips channel.,.moab tames tiger tanker...crash at the end of video. My limp now is noticeable but not as bad as it was for 4 weeks looking like a cripple.
Sorry to hear about your injury! If you have been able to get around for 6 weeks, chances are you did not have a full rupture, which would be good news. My sore heel lasted for months, but that probably would not have been as bad if I had introduced memory foam insoles sooner and didn't push it as much as I did. We had family vacation plans locked in prior to my injury, and keeping that on track led to walking 6-10 miles per day in the walking boot, and a couple months later did the same again in regular shoes... before my leg and foot were nearly back to normal. Good luck with your doctor's appointment and recovery!
Yeah, I have done zero of this immobilization thing. I was in the middle of an epic journey across the USA, heck if I was going home. But right now at 6-7 weeks, the heel pain is literally worse than the achilles area. I suppose it has to do with the fact that I am not giving it a rest other than sleep or in the late afternoons when I elevate. I am going to put some of those expensive aftermarket gel type insoles into my Merrill Sport shoes for some added cushion. I have an off road cabin rental for two weeks, want to go to canada and ride the mountains, Sierras.... I can't just stop....
My lack of care, has probably saved me from major Atrophy of the calf muscles etc.... still keeping many of the muscles active. I have MRI on monday, doc visit on tuesday....interesting to see his reaction when I decline surgery.
Thank you for sharing! Very useful my injury was back in April and it has been a struggle, seeing a video of someones own experience gives me hope on getting back on my feet and making my leg stronger!
Thanks, and best of luck with your recovery!
Thanks for this video! I'm in the early weeks of my recovery and listening to your experience is very encouraging!
Thanks Evan, you really are a great guy! I am 8 weeks in now non-op and have benefited a lot from your information.
Thanks very much, Pieter! I am glad to hear that the info has been helpful to you. Get those memory foam insoles asap! ;-)
Hi Evan! Thanks I will! I also bought the 'evenup' shoes, I somehow always lay the connection to your name. You should go on and produce and sell your improved version naming them 'Evanup' :-)
Recently I was approached at a festival by someone who works at Ossur, which is the manufacturer of my walker boot. He saw me in the boot and we chatted. I told him that they should add an even up shoe to their product range. It seems only one manufacturer delivers them along with their boot, which seems strange because imo everybody needs the two together. He was going to discuss this in the office, so I hope I helped future achilles tendon rupture generations a bit too :-)
Hi evan,
I don't know if you check in now or not but if you do, thanks for posting your videos. Theyve been very helpful and youre correct about the thinking about the mechanics of walking properly with the weakened calf. I'm at 8 months and although enjoying walking 3 or 4 miles twice a walk I dont look forward to the thinking process whilst walking and will be glad when I'm not conscious of this mental thoughtfulnous, which I am expecting to be at the year point.
thanks again
Peter
Thanks, Peter. Keep up the great work, and good luck!
Evan thx 4 your info on this subject.....I too went non op also.....& watched what you were doing & it's helped me.......I'm on my 4th month & working slowly but surely I will get there...........btw you look like you're doing well & good luck to you ........thx again.... Mark
Thanks, Mark. I hope your recovery is still tracking well! Cushion your heel well, pace yourself, be patient and it won't be too long before people don't notice a limp and you forget which leg was injured. Good luck!
thx Evan 4 coming by & t
yes I'm working on getting strength again .....is there a vid 4 that ?.....I'm trying 2 lift myself on one leg is that ever possible again?.....I'm joining a gym......hope all's well with U2......Mark
My left Achilles tendon rupture completely in Jan 2019, and the Doctors didn't give me this choice to do without surgery.. Im on week 13 and you did better then me at week 9.
thanks for the advice and updates. to tell u the truth after rupturing my AT in late march, i was pretty set on getting surgery until i ran across your video. mainly b/c u struck me as a regular guy...not like some of the professional athletes that have also posted vids and were pretty much fast tracking their recovery. just gave an everyday guy like me hope that while ive always been athletic, realized that my younger days were already behind me...but i could still beat this and be more than just functional. thanks again!
Thanks! That's me: "generally athletic, but my younger days are behind me... and I am not settling for marginally functional". ;-) I hope that everything is tracking well for you so far!
Hey Evan , your videos have been very useful . It's been a month that I hurt my achilles tendon (non-op ) , recovering well . Thanks for posting these .
Thanks, Mohan. I hope your recovery is coming along nicely!
Great videos Evan ! I’m on week 6 post rupture of the achilies . I am on a vacoped boot tendon seems to be healing very well . Trying to continue excercises which seem to help a lot !
Hey thanks so much, it's videos like yours which give hope to people like me me. Ive got three young children and sometime it scares me to think if I will be the same again for them but as the day go on I'm getting better. Once again thanks for the new video and all the best in your life👍🏻
I hear you. My rupture happened two weeks before our planned trip to the US so the kids could visit their friends and family. I took them there while still full weight bearing on crutches. I crutched my way up the long stairs to the top of a C-5 Galaxy for the trip to the US, and rode back solo in the back of a C-17 so they could spend a month in the US... not the most pleasant trip ever for me or the most prudent thing for my recovery, but it's what Dads do. You'll be there soon... just don't push it too much and reset your recovery clock. Good luck!
Thanks!
Thanks Evan so much for your videos as they have given me quite of motivation on these rough times. I ruptured my achilles tendon playing soccer decided to go non surgical route. I was put on a cast for 5 weeks by the OS now i'm 5 days with my cam boot. OS told me not to start doing any exercises. This is very frustrating because I feel like I want to get started with exercises to get my injured leg stronger. I'm still worried because my foot is still swollen and I still feel a dent on my tendon. OS did the Thompson test after my cast was taken off and there is some movement so i was happy about that and it is giving me hope that i will be back to normal some day. LOL. OS told me that was a sign of reattachment.Hopefully i can count on you with any questions I might have during my recovery. Thanks again.
You definitely don't want to launch prematurely into the wrong kinds of activities, but I believe I benefited greatly from my physical therapy starting as early as it did. At about two weeks post-injury, my therapist just massaged out the swelling and there was very little movement involved. Over time, she introduced more exercises and served as a great guide to show me what I should be doing at each step in the process. If you can swing it, I would highly recommend making physical therapy part of your weekly routine. I only saw my OS sporadically, and my physical therapist gave me the real day-to-day information on how to manage my recovery. Happy to answer questions when they are within my 'range'. Happy healing!
Evan thx you helped me. I am in 2 week from injury. As healcare tech I work at Ortopedic clinic, and non op was my choice. But yours exspir. was wow. You helped me with your video. THX once again
Haris Porobic Thanks, Hans! I was hoping that the posts would be helpful to folks struggling with finding a healthy path through their recovery. Hang tough! I am about 17 months out and the injury seems like a distant memory now. You will be there in the not too distant future!
Great work mate. You are the man! You've given me so much comfort with your vids. As we all know it's a long road - especially those first few weeks - so just wanted to say many thanks. If you're ever in Manchester pints on me!
thanks for making these videos, they are really helpful, especially the physio one!
Hi, Evan. Thank you very much for documenting your experience. I have a question for you. This comes from a person that is 44 years old an ruptured his achilles tendon 7 days ago. Don't worry, I took care of it since day 2, in part thanks to your videos. I have to make the decision to go op or non-op. Do you regret your decision to choose non-op, after 7 years of having posted this last video? What would you recommend from your experience, personally? Thank you kindly for your help.
...really good of you to update like this, thanks so much ..
Thanks, David! I hope all is going well for you.
..well its taking its own sweet time I tell you .. have an MRI booked in and then an appointment with doctor once that is done .. am doing eccentric exercises and have a physio in the meantime and today I purchased a TENS machine .. mine is not ruptured, just strained and painful ... I put the TENS electrodes over the achilles to stimulate it, only started that today so will see how it goes .. i massage it morning and evening also with arnica balm ... am trying everything I can really and not running or straining it in any direct way ... will know more once MRI comes through .. thanks again for your video ..
Thanks again Evan. To see how you are a year later gives me hope as I'm only my second week after my partial rupture. I have my first physiotherapy session tomorrow. Did you suffer a complete rupture or a partial rupture? Thanks you so much for posting video as it give me hope👍🏻
Mine was a full rupture. Good luck with your PT and recovery. It definitely gets better! I'm at 18 months, and hardly think about the injury any more. With patience, you'll get there!
Hi Evan, thank you for sharing your experience. It is my first week of my Achilles rupture "went with the non op route". I am struggling with the cast, really hate it.
Thanks alot for the encouraging vids
I hope that you have escaped from the cast by now, and that you are healing well. It takes a long time for the foot and leg to edge closer to normal, so be patient. Good luck!
Evan Brown, Thank you for the reply.
I am now in the boot and removed the last wedge. Hopefully within one week I can wean off the boot and move to a normal shoes.
I really appreciate that you shared your experience with this awful injury. Your videos helped me a lot. God bless you
Thanks for documenting and sharing. Ur series were really informative and useful.
Love your video page. Now, I have micro-tears, at the insertion point, not a full tear. I’m not a full tear. Doesn’t hurt to walk, but running does. Where to start? Same regimen as you?
Hi Evan, a lot of information you have been giving and thanks to all of these. When was it that you shed those boot and came back to normal shoes.
I am currently in my 8th week and have just begun to walk without the crutches. Eagerly waiting to be back without the boot and into my normal shoes. The walk in the boot is rocky probably due to the curved bottom of the boot.
It's been 2 months since I had my tear and I went non surgical by choice but happy I did and watching this makes me feel very good. But when did you start swimming and walking without the boot?
I took off the boot after 8 weeks, and only put it back on a few times over the next month or so when we went on really long walks on a family trip and I didn't want to over-tax the tendon. I didn't have convenient access to a pool where we lived at the time, but did swim laps periodically starting around five months post-injury. Needless to say, after flip turns I pushed off primarily with my uninjured leg at first! Good luck with your recovery!
Hi Evan, I have completely ruptured my right achilles on 13th of June. I was lucky enough to find your post. Thank you so much for posting such informative, helpful and inspirational videos with real person detailed recovering experience reflecting recent years scientific research findings, and including lots of links for people to search further. Really really appreciate what you did in helping people. By having found you and watched and read yours and those you linked and what I researched further, I was quite fully cleared up and motivated to take nonsurgical way before I met my surgeon. Then when I met the surgeon he actually suggested nonsurgical way and I had no doubt to accept it. Now it has been 7 weeks and everything went smooth.
I just have a question here, when did you start sleeping without boot?
By the rehab protocol it says during 6-8 weeks one is still required wearing boot when sleeping. Thanks a lot!
Thanks, William! Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I was off the net for a couple weeks. I was in the boot for 8 weeks, and was concerned that I might accidentally push against the sheet in my sleep and hurt the tendon. I slept in the boot for 7 weeks, and began to sleep without it in that last week before I transitioned to two shoes. Good luck with your recovery. I'm at 14 months now, and pleased to sometimes have to think about which leg was injured. I did not expect things to turn out this well, so it has been a pleasant surprise. I hope you are able to say the same at end of your journey!
Thank you so much Evan. I started sleeping without boot from 9th week. Everything went fine. Please don't be sorry for late reply. You reply still have given me a valuable confirmation that I know I didn't do too aggressive and as you told in your video that one needs to listen to its body. Thank you again for your reply and wishing for me. Hope you have the rest of this great summer.
Hi Evan, wondering if you could please share about how your colleague who reruptured is doing? You said he did op then non op, and I think I'm going the same route, and wondering how that person has recovered. Thanks for the awesome videos.
Hi Evan. I have just ruptured my achilles tendon and I'm feeling pretty low! watching your videos has given me some hope so thank you. I'm 1 week in and I'm finding this hard especially having to depend on other people. You seem so optimistic in your videos but did you have the similar feelings at the beginning
Thank you for your comments. I am 10 weeks post-op, after enduring 10 months with a significant tear of my L achilles tendon.
It’s been a steep learning curve.
Little did I know when I agreed to surgery, that my recovery would have to be individually customized. What a pain in the 🫏 The next year should prove to be very interesting
Can you tell me if to what extent can you do after full recovery, do you feel like you're still 100% same after that injury or not?
Hi evan,
Great to hear things are still going well. My "anniversary" is next week & it was interesting to compare your experiences to date with mine - me having gone down the surgical route due to the double achilles rupture. I'm walking 100% now and back mountain biking 4-5hrs over pretty extreme stuff. Still some things i find hard such as walking down stairs without shoes on (not sure if this is a mental issue or not lols) & limited movement on 1 leg heel raises as yet but progressing. just started 1 leg jumps on and off small step box which is a real ureka moment for me. Agree on the sketchers and memory foam , brilliant on the feet. Strangely although the achilles are fine now i sometimes get sore bits around the front of my ankles after exercise and the bones in underside of feet can often crack - i can only put this down to wearing the boots for 7 weeks and everything locking up solid. Most painful part of the whole process to date was without a doubt the physio sessions where she used the graston technique on my achilles to beak things up and get blood into the area to improve healing - strongest pain killers possible required for this! Took about 9months to see some muscle definition return to the calfs but progressing nicely now.
Long may your recovery continue.
cheers
Barrie
Thanks, Barrie! I had a fair bit of tightness on the front/top of my foot that kind of surprised me. I presume the bones shifted while all of the tendons and muscles were loosened up, and it took a long time for them to find their way back into alignment. I have essentially the same range of motion back now, but on the injured side I feel extra tightness at the limit. Keep up the good work, and congrats on clearing the year milestone! -Evan
I am a few days away form 1 year anniversary of rupturing my Achilles' tendon with non surgical recovery. Your videos have been helpful. I just now watched this one. I know the good enough feeling, and not doing as much strengthening as I probably should. I can hike, bicycle, swim and walk. Not much of a runner but slowly getting there. One thing I want to go back to is pickleball, which is the sport that I ruptured my achilles doing. Maybe I should check in with PT first. It stills like a tightness around my ankle area with certain stretching and my heel lifts are only half way there. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Thanks, Barrie. I hope that your recovery has proceeded very well since you posted your comment. Though a degree of definition and muscle mass seem to come back "for free" with walking and minimal exercise, the rest of getting back to "normal" definition and mass take deliberate effort. I've regained a lot through running, cycling and some visits to the gym, but still have work to do. Best of luck to you!
Thanks, Mary! I have avoided tennis and other sudden acceleration activities since the injury, but am starting to dabble with the ground rule that letting the ball bounce twice is much better than the possible consequence of overdoing it. I am a bit concerned that my other AT was weakened by the poorly executed barefoot running that set up my injured AT for failure, so I am taking it easy for awhile. Good luck with your return to pickleball... just don't overdo it and get competitive unless or until you feel justifiably confident in your AT. Happy healing!
I’m three weeks post surgery and can’t wait to get out of this cast 😬😬
Thanks Evan, I just made a year as well.
Great videos Evan, thank you so much for sharing them. I'm just over 3 weeks into my full rupture. I have been in the boot for 2 weeks and today was the first full day I've not used crutches! Aside from the boot, it feels great to walk/shuffle unaided. Did you keep your boot on during the nights?
I kept it on at night for the first weeks to maintain the correct angle for AT healing, and for a few additional weeks to ensure that I did not re injure by pushing against the sheet/blanket in my sleep. I believe I started sleeping without it around week 7 or 8, just before I ditched the boot altogether.
Thanks for the videos Evan! I went non op by initial doctors suggestion and it has been 5 month. I stayed in the boot for 3.5 month , doctors didn't think it was reconnected properl, so stayed a little longer . I was then told I should have surgery because it wasn't feeling that well, I decided to wait a month and now doctor thinks it's too late to have the surgery. I can walk just fine with a slight limp. I don't feel much tension of the Achilles on the injured foot. I can't do a single heel raise with the same foot at all. When could you do one, and when did you start running.? Did you feel the tension of the tendon when you got out of the boot? I'm just trying to see if I'm screwed or there is a chance for me to recover. Thanks for any input.
Alex Truesow The real trick is rebuilding the balance and strength in the lower leg. Some of it comes back in “normal use”, but not all. I am three years post-injury, and still my right calf does not have the same muscle mass and strength as my left. To do a single-heel raise, and have a normal running gait will take deliberate strength training. I’m not sure when I started jogging again, but think it was around the four month mark.
Thanks bud for ya amazing help all best to you.
Hello Evan,
First of all, thanks so much to share those videos. It really makes me feel better.
I had a rupture in my achilles tendon 2 days ago and I'm still not sure with a go to surgery or non surgery procedure. The doctor said that the recovery is almost the same time but with non surgery I have between 0 to 9% of having my tendon rupture again.
I'm not sure what to do but after watching your videos I will try the non surgery way. My concerns is about being back to soccer. I play soccer 2-3 times per week, I play in a league and I'd like to be ready to play as soon as possible. I could not find anything saying that surgery is better (if I wanna play soccer sooner). Do you know anything about it? Thanks a lot.
I've made it to 21 months without a re-rupture, but haven't played aggressive court sports or soccer. I run, cycle and hike without concern, but am a little cautious about explosively pushing off. I think that this would be the case regardless of whether I had surgery, based upon friends who re-ruptured along both surgical and non-op paths. Whichever path you choose, best of luck with your recovery!
Evan Brown thanks again.
hi evan I rapture my achilles tendon 3 month ago what I wandering is how long the pain is going to last
By 3 months, the only pain I had was in my heel when I stood or walked (resolved later with memory foam insoles), temporarily in the AT if I over-did something, or some aggravation between the bones of my injured foot after a long walk as the bones were still not back in their normal positions. I hope your recovery is going well!
Amazing human being. Thank you.
Not really, but I am glad the info is helpful. :-) Good luck with your recovery!
Feeling Frustrated!! I was told the rupture in my achiles tendon is 5 centimeters apart and I need surgery or will limp forever. I am regaining strength and almost on track according to videos like this one. Did anyone experienced a tendon separation like mine and recovered without a surgery?? Please share your stories, I really need to hear some good hopeful news, or face reality. Thank you
So I have been in a splint with foot in planter flexion position going on to 3 weeks now. Ortho is putting me in a cast for another 6. Is that a good idea? I feel like I will have muscle issues after this without any foot movement.
How long take u to be ok
Thanks for sharing 👍
do you feel like your balance is off when you walk ? I've noticed that I put a lot of pressure still on the external side of my foot. so my feet are not flat on the floor and I keep loosing balance. does this happen to you ?
Thank you
Hi Even, I ruptured my Achilles' tendon a week ago. No pain while foot is elevated but when I stand I feel like my calf muscle will explode. It's like a cramp I can't stretch out. No pain in the Achilles to touch but my calf feels like it's bruised to touch. Did you experience these symptoms in your calf?
craigandanet same here too! as soon as I stand up it feels like the pressure rushes straight down my leg. but when I straighten my leg my calf feels so tight
Emre Basmaci I had this for the first 3 weeks, it's normal. Keep it elevated as much as possible :) Once you start weight-bearing the blood flow improves and it gets much better. I'm at 7 weeks now, I still elevate when I can but it feels fine :)
James Morcom cheers buddy! I'm starting to get a lot of feeling and a little pain at my achilles tendon so I'm trying look at that of a positive sign of healing. but when I touched the area yesterday when changing the liner of my boot the skin felt very hard! did you experience that?
Not that I remember - but mine was in a cast for the first 3 weeks so I couldn't really get at it!
Hello Evan, I'm into my 15 months recovery for my non surgical Achilles' tendon rupture. I'm having a problem building my calf muscles on my injured leg. I'm doing my daily excerise, I walk for a living, I still go to the gym and still nothing. I'm wondering if or did your build up? if so, can you please tell me what you did for it? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
I'm at 21 months, and though the injured leg is much stronger and balanced than a year ago, it still isn't quite matching the "good leg". I hold myself responsible for this, because the tendon has been strong enough for focused, deliberate strengthening exercises for many months, but I have been complacent. I run, cycle, swim and hike without noticeable differences, and therefore haven't put in the extra effort to work on muscle mass. I think you can get your former strength and definition back, with discipline and patience.
bro..I also broke my Achilles tendon...did your calf hurt as well? This is my second week since I injured my Achilles tendon...my calf hurts so much...is it normal?
As I recall, the calf was sore, but not super-painful... except when it cramped, which gave me some of the worst charley-horse cramps of my life. Fortunately, those were primarily in the first few weeks and not very often.
when you were in the early weeks and months did you use a ankle brace just for support on the ankle? I have noticed since I'm starting to walk that my injured ankle by the heel is a bit numb. maybe due to the way I step perhaps. did you experience any of that.
I tried a neoprene ankle brace once, but it made my shoe uncomfortably tight and it did not provide enough benefit to justify the discomfort. Heel pain was a problem for me for months, but I don't think I encountered numbness. I found that memory foam shoes and insoles were worth their weight in gold to make my heel comfortable. Hopefully they will help you as well. I found one set of memory foam insoles for $9... not bad.
Hello Evan,
My name is Martin and I ruptured my tendon 2 weeks ago. I went to see an ortho and I am going the non surgical route as well. I was curious about putting pressure on the injured foot. I do not feel any pain on the effected foot unless the boot is off or i attempt to point my toes. Its been 2 weeks since the day of the injury. I was curious if this is good or bad for me to be walking around with the boot two weeks after the injury?
With the important caveat that I am NOT a doctor: Doctors differ in their approaches, but generally it seems that the earlier one puts weight on the injured foot, it encourages healing and staves off some of the ills that come with long-term immobilization. In my own case, at 2 weeks I started to put weight on the boot, but was still using crutches until the end of week 4 when I ditched them. That was the protocol given to me by my doc, and it worked. I can't recommend going entirely without crutches after only two weeks, because it is beyond my own experience and protocol, but I can't say for sure that you are running additional risk by doing so if you are careful. Be sure to take your time, as the tendon is still healing at that stage. You don't want to risk stumbling and reflexively reacting in a way that harms your AT. Best of luck with your recovery!
its been 1.5 years since my ATR, and i still can't to a single legged heel raiswe with my bad leg. It's gotten so much stronger but im worried
I did not spend enough time focusing on strength training, and after 2.5 years my right calf still isn't quite back to where the uninjured leg is. I've been cyclic a lot, and recently started working in the gym again, and am finally confident that I will get there. However, I am equally confident that it would never return to its original size without that kind of deliberate effort. My recommendation would be to work on flexibility/range of motion and calf raises, and over time you will regain the strength in that leg. Good luck!
Mine isn't as strong as it could have been with more deliberate exercise. Once it got "good enough" for walking and running fairly naturally, I became less disciplined about heel raises, etc.. My only advice is to keep after it (without overdoing it) and continue working on strengthening it. Good luck!
Hi. I,m 38 years old. I ruptured completely my left leg achilese tendon on the 20 August 2019 while playing football. Had surgery and my foot was placed in a plaster for 12 weeks after which I have started some physio exercises for 3 weeks now. I am now on my 15 weeks. I still cannot do a single toe raised with my left foot as I feel a lot of pain at the base of the injured tendon while trying to raise that foot from the ground. I can walk though not perfectly and the numbness and pain is still there.
Can you please tell me at what week or month were you able to at least start doing a single toe raised on the injured leg?
Hello...this days I'm going trough the some situations like you...how are you feeling today,are you recovery?
@@svetlanajovanovic9885 hello. Today after almost 3 years after injury, i can say I've recovered above 95%. Thanks GOD, there is almost no pain and i can walk normally and do single toe raised and run as normally as before the injury. However, following the advice of my Doctor, I no longer play competitive football.
I had a strain in my Achilles 2 months ago. Now it’s been really stiff/tight for 2 weeks..is this normal? 🤔
Unfortunately, I don't have a much knowledge about strains. I studies ruptures enough to inform my recovery decisions, but never had a strain or studied them. I hope your situation clears up soon!
I just got my boot today after 6 month injury to achilkies tendon I have tears in it do I have to wear this boot at night also?
Sorry for not seeing your question sooner. I hope that you were able to navigate those early months well and are getting back toward normal again. I recall wearing my boot at night for a couple weeks past the end of my two months of wearing it full time, just to keep for re-injuring in my sleep by pushing against sheets or something the wrong way.
Hi Evan, First off I want to Thank you for posting your journey through your non surgical path to healing. It's helped guide me through my journey as I'm now 18 weeks post rupture. My question to you is if you experienced pain in the Achilles area when pushing off at the ball of the foot. If I don't push off there is no pain really, just stiffness. Just wondering your experience with this. Hope to hear from you soon!
Great question. My own approach to this recovery has been one of constant adjustments. There were times when I started to walk with a solid push on the ball of my foot, and then felt a twinge in the AT. After that, I would sort of throttle back and not push off as much. After a couple runs when the AT was actually sore, I deliberately transitioned to a full-on limp again for a couple days on purpose to give it a rest. Some discomfort is to be expected, but if it crosses the line into pain, I would take that as a sign to rest it, let time be your ally, and work your way back into the offending activity gradually. Good luck!
Hello Evan i had my full rupture around 10 month ago and i also went the none op route. however, i still am unable to walk properly and am very limited to around 2 blocks, do not have calve strength and am starting to have other parts of my body being effected because of this. I am usually extremely active yet have been unable to do so because of my achilies. hopefully you could give me some personal advise on my situation in relevance to what you've experienced.
Wow. Limited calf strength is to be expected, but if you have a hard time walking more than a couple blocks after 10 months... that does sound a bit concerning. What is the limiting factor? Be fair to yourself, if it is simply regaining a normal gait. Calf strength takes a long time time to restore, unless you are really disciplined about strength training (I was not, after the initial months of PT). After two years, I am probably at greater than 75% of pre-injury, but at 10 months... not nearly that strong.
Hello ! I just saw your comment, I'm 7.5 months after my breakup and the non-surgical route. and like you I am limited to 30/40 minutes of walking and I still limp a lot in the evening. ! I wanted to know if you have recovered from your injury? thank you
awesome video, great advice, thank you, I am about 2 months into on non- surgical recovery so these things are ideal... thanks @evanbrown
Thanks, Tom, and good luck with the recovery. The worst is behind you.
Surgical is the better way to go.
I did it both ways.
Two ruptures in 11 month period.
Surgical is the better way.
Sorry Evan.
I'm very sorry about your re-rupture. Unfortunately the data show that re-ruptures happen just as often to surgically repaired tendons, but I am glad that your second recovery is working out better than the first. Regardless of the op/non-op choice, each recovery is an experiment, with many variables that can contribute to re-injury. I'm glad that you are navigating the recovery process successfully, and wish you continued success.