BajaNomad

achilles tendon

bacquito - 10-19-2014 at 08:18 PM

Has anybody had problems with a ruptured achilles tendon? I ruptured mine Sept.11th and received treatment the next day at Sharp and I am now in therapy Eveything I have read indicates a long curing process. I am 73
There is no pain and I am able to walk with an airboot

Maron - 10-19-2014 at 08:48 PM

no advice, but good luck and fast recovery

Aqsurfer - 10-19-2014 at 09:00 PM

Hola Bacquito,

Many years ago, I ruptured my achilles surfing at El Conejo. I was fortunate that the orthopedic surgeon of the San Diego Chargers performed the surgery. Long recovery but no problems since. I surf, run, bike. hike, climb etc no problems.

I was left with a big scar up my calf because the surgeon couldn't pull the two pieces back together to suture. So they took a piece of tendon from the upper portion of my achilles where it widens and spliced it into the gap. Like I said, long recovery but good to go.

All the best in your recovery.
Peace,
Aaron

mulegemichael - 10-19-2014 at 09:10 PM

hey amigo....i don't think you actually "ruptured" your achilles, you "strained" it....if it was ruptured you would require a very complex surgery and wouldn't be able to put any weight on it for a long long time....take it easy and let it heal itself...i have strained mine on a couple of occassions in the past and it feels like it's ruptured but it's not...take it easy...at our age, nothing heals quickly.

bacquito - 10-20-2014 at 08:35 AM

Thanks all for your comments, the Orthopedic surgeon did not operate so I hope all goes well.

ehall - 10-20-2014 at 09:39 AM

Even after therapy is over remember to stretch it every morning.

Pop!... goes the tendon.

Pompano - 10-20-2014 at 01:06 PM

I feel your pain, bacquito…been there, done that too.

I pulled (ruptured) my left Achilles tendon when I was playing tennis on the Posada Conception court back in 1988. I had not warmed up before the match…a huge mistake. The tendon made a clear POP as I spun quickly to make a backhand. I went down like a Hefty bag full of minestrone.

I followed a visiting ‘sports medicine’ doctor’s advice and flew to San Diego for surgical repair and got myself into a leg cast for 4 months.

Some things we did around the house….


I already had a pair of crutches at the house, and so put them to good use.




My case was a break or ruptured tendon, but it seems like yours in a sprain…which is a better case scenario.
You can take some anti-imflammatory pills, and others for any pain… Advil, Aleve, or Motrin, will help with pain and swelling, but read the bottle first. Use of a Ace bandage is good, too..helps to compress the area and keep swelling down.

You could try using a heel lift in your shoe. That should help protect the tendon from further stretching. Practice stretching and strengthening exercises as recommended by your doctor. When my cast finally came off…I would stand leaning with both hands against a door and rocking myself up and down using only my feet…a great way to strengthen the injured parts.

Rest your leg. Avoid putting weight on your leg as best you can. Elevate it when you can. Relax…you’re not going to be running around anytime soon.




The most fun you can have with a leg cast…..artistic competitions!





And most important!...Pay good attention to your nurse's advice...






[Edited on 10-20-2014 by Pompano]

EnsenadaDr - 10-20-2014 at 01:27 PM

Do you know there is an association with Ciprofloxacin, a commonly used antibiotic and ruptured Achilles tendons?

http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/news/20080708/fda-warnin...

bacquito - 10-20-2014 at 01:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
Do you know there is an association with Ciprofloxacin, a commonly used antibiotic and ruptured Achilles tendons?l

http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/news/20080708/fda-warnin...


WOW, just prior to the rupture occuring I was taking Levofloxacin for an infection. I reviewed the data and it states that rupture of a tendon particularly the Achilles Tendon can occur.

EnsenadaDr - 10-20-2014 at 02:12 PM

Since you are particularly susceptible to that particular side effect of the fluoroquinolones, I suggest you look for an alternative antibiotic that can treat the infection next time.

bacquito - 10-20-2014 at 02:39 PM

I was walking on the beach Sept. 11th and heard a pop and felt a sharp pain. I went to the orthopedic doctor in San Diego and he said I had a ruptured Achilles tendon. He put me into a cast for two weeks and then transfered me to a Aircast walking boot. At the present I still have the boot on. I do receive therapy. I spend greater than 90% of my time seated, relaxed.
I chose not to have an operation and the doctor agreed. I feel I have a partial rupture. An operation has greater risk of infection and I read something about the condition of the skin in the heel area, also I am 73.
Dr. Ensenada makes a good point about medications. Read the label and pay attention to side affects.

LancairDriver - 10-20-2014 at 02:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
Do you know there is an association with Ciprofloxacin, a commonly used antibiotic and ruptured Achilles tendons?

http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/news/20080708/fda-warnin...


Thanks for the heads up on that Doc. That information might save some of us some nasty discomfort down the line.

EnsenadaDr - 10-20-2014 at 03:15 PM

You are welcome. I am here to help and tell a bad joke once in a while!!

Skipjack Joe - 10-20-2014 at 06:29 PM

I ruptured my achilles tendon at the age of 30 while playing pickup basketball. Just a pop and not really that much pain or swelling.

Went to Kaiser and was told that no surgery was necessary, the two ends were close together and would heal together on their own, they said. Then went to Dr Dillingham, later team physician for 49ers, who asked me if I wanted to lead the active life that I had led up til then - basketball, volleyball, etc. If you do then he advised surgery.

I followed his advice and less than 6 months later it was as though nothing had ever happened. No limp. Able to quickly accelerate and cut side to side. It's been forty years and have never had an issue with it again.

The torn ACL was another matter.

The cipro/achilles_rupture connection seems suspect to me.

EnsenadaDr - 10-20-2014 at 07:16 PM

How I first found out about it was about a year and a half ago studying for the US Medical Boards. It was a board question, evidently it was given enough weight to be put on the exam questions. It is a well documented connection. Do your research. Yes there are other reasons, such as extreme athletic activity but I don't think Bacquito has been playing strenuous sports. In the absence of heavy exercise or activity, it is plausible and proven by studies. The idea that cipro and a ruptured tendon is not the idea that I came up with.
Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
I ruptured my achilles tendon at the age of 30 while playing pickup basketball. Just a pop and not really that much pain or swelling.

Went to Kaiser and was told that no surgery was necessary, the two ends were close together and would heal together on their own, they said. Then went to Dr Dillingham, later team physician for 49ers, who asked me if I wanted to lead the active life that I had led up til then - basketball, volleyball, etc. If you do then he advised surgery.

I followed his advice and less than 6 months later it was as though nothing had ever happened. No limp. Able to quickly accelerate and cut side to side. It's been forty years and have never had an issue with it again.

The torn ACL was another matter.

The cipro/achilles_rupture connection seems suspect to me.


[Edited on 10-21-2014 by EnsenadaDr]

Bajaboy - 10-20-2014 at 07:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
How I first found out about it was about a year and a half ago studying for the US Medical Boards. It was a board question, evidently it was given enough weight to be put on the exam questions. It is a well documented connection. Do your research. Yes there are other reasons, such as extreme athletic activity but I don't think Bacquito has been playing strenuous sports. In the absence of heavy exercise or activity, it is plausible and proven by studies. It is not my idea that I came up with.
Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
I ruptured my achilles tendon at the age of 30 while playing pickup basketball. Just a pop and not really that much pain or swelling.

Went to Kaiser and was told that no surgery was necessary, the two ends were close together and would heal together on their own, they said. Then went to Dr Dillingham, later team physician for 49ers, who asked me if I wanted to lead the active life that I had led up til then - basketball, volleyball, etc. If you do then he advised surgery.

I followed his advice and less than 6 months later it was as though nothing had ever happened. No limp. Able to quickly accelerate and cut side to side. It's been forty years and have never had an issue with it again.

The torn ACL was another matter.

The cipro/achilles_rupture connection seems suspect to me.


Okay, I give. Please tell me what "it" is?

EnsenadaDr - 10-20-2014 at 07:50 PM

"It" refers to the association between Fluoroquinolones and tendon rupture.

Here is another article describing the association between the medication and the effect on the musculoskeletal system.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921747/



[Edited on 10-21-2014 by EnsenadaDr]

Tioloco - 10-20-2014 at 08:09 PM

Really a good reminder to stretch before exercise.
Always do your wrist and elbow stretch exercises before baja binge drinking. Could be dangerous otherwise

Skipjack Joe - 10-20-2014 at 11:09 PM

Good point Tio.

A lot of people think that achilles are ruptured in the manner we see football on the telly. Bodies hurled at one another and legs mangled beneath. But it's usually not like that at all. I was shooting free throws, missed one, and made a step forward to get my own rebound. I felt a pop and the foot just sort of hung there. You can't step forward any longer. The entire leg needs to be moved. I didn't even think it was serious and was reluctant to see a doctor. A buddy of mine had the exact same think happen while stepping into a stroke in racquetball.

Stretching would have prevented it but back then none of us stretched.

Cypress - 10-21-2014 at 11:12 AM

Have pulled or stretched an achilles tendon a time or two, don't recall what I did to cause it, but the pain is something I won't forget.

DanO - 10-21-2014 at 04:45 PM

I pulled mine years ago getting off a train in Barcelona while wrestling with my wife's huge suitcase. Hurt like hell whenever I tried to move, so when we got to our hotel I told my wife to go out and find the biggest Ibuprofen pills she could find, and a cane. She said, "yeah, right, I'm sure there's going to be a cane store right down the street." "This is Europe," I said, "there's probably one within three blocks." Twenty minutes later she was back with a bottle of 600 milligram Ibuprofens and a wooden cane with a carved pewter handle. "So you found a cane store right down the street," I said. "Well, it was a cane AND umbrella store," she shot back.

:lol:

bajadock - 10-21-2014 at 05:31 PM



Best wishes on your achilles rupture/strain/owee.

This stuff works on tendinitis. I have been using it since 1974 for achilles tendinitis injuries from running. Most recent bout was in 2012. You can find it at any horse feed/farm supply store without a prescription.

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DMSO is taken by mouth, used topically, or given intravenously for the management of amyloidosis and related symptoms. Amyloidosis is a condition in which certain proteins are deposited abnormally in organs and tissues.

DMSO is used topically to decrease pain and speed the healing of wounds, burns, and muscle and skeletal injuries. DMSO is also used topically to treat painful conditions such as headache, inflammation, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and severe facial pain called tic douloureux. It is used topically for eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and problems with the retina; for foot conditions including bunions, calluses, and fungus on toenails; and for skin conditions including keloid scars and scleroderma.