Hi I'm Yulong. I create this channel to document my recovery from Achilles Tendon Rupture, and share my thoughts on relevant topics. I hope my videos can help others who unfortunately suffer the same injury.
I believe I started driving when still in boots - that only works for vacoped as it allows the foot to move, so maybe week 5-7. week 2 is very early still! I'd avoid driving at that time
it is to some degree, it has good heel drop, free the tendon area, but heavy. I'd recommend HOKA recovery slides, which feels same good but much lighter
Any specific reason you stayed in the cast longer? I had to do the same thing with a month in the cast. The DR said my Achilles was so frayed that he wanted to be extra cautious
for me it was just the doctor's standard protocol - I honestly started weight bearing while I was still in cast though I don't recommend people doing that w/o consulting their docs
Yep it's really frustrating this next month. I thought i was the only one thinking this. thanks for this video It really help me a ot with my frustration.
I will be traveling internationally 6 months post surgery. The trip is 3.5 weeks, lots of walking and beach activities. This video is so helpful. If you have any other suggestions I’d love to hear it.
Ice is your friend - whatever you did in the day that makes your leg/calf/tendon sore, ice it at night - you can get ice packs in pharmacy store, you can also freeze water bottle or ziplock bag. One tip: add some alcohol to keep it mushy. However you do it, traveling at this time is good - it pushes you to recover, so be well prepared and then embrace it, good luck!
I'm at about the same stage. You are better than me at standing on just the injured leg. My record so far is 12 seconds (30 secs in my shoes). I still do a lot of ankle and leg movement per the Physio. And I ride my bike - with just normal shoes. And I walk 2 x 1/2 km a day. And I go to the pool where I can do 1 leg heel raises and 1 and 2 leg calf raises and walking on tip toe. Then I swim laps.
you are doing a lot, that's great for you! I do single leg stand every time I brush my teeth now its a routine, you can do that too. I am certain you gonna have a speedy recovery 💪
Hi Yulong, I'm 12 months post surgery and i would like to ask you two questions. 1) Do you feel pain when you do a single leg jump? Because after like five jumps I feel pain on my tendon and for this reason I stop doing jumps because I don't know if I have to go through the pain and keep going or no, I don't know how far I can push. When the foot touch the ground I feel like my tendon is so weak. 2) Have you already gone back to playing football? Thank you so much!
Hi, no I don't feel pain in my tendon after jumps - I do feel fatigue and weakness. I can totally relate to the weakness of injured tendon on the ground. If 5 jumps too much try one jump a day. Also check with your physio or doc if possible on what to do best! sadly I haven't gone back to football - I dribble myself but not back to the game yet
Thanks Yulong for all ur videos, very well documented… Please you said you heel raises were 12,5cm good legs and 8,5 on injured legs on month 11. Could you please wirte on coments how kpi evolved trough time ? Thanks a lot . I feel on very similar situation on month 11
Thank you! since month 11 I have added weights for my raises and more plyometrics and running sessions - these sessions do tire both my calf and tendon. Have you tried either? Although I do notice my measurement varies time to time so take it with a grain of salt - even the good leg height changes due to measurement error
Hi Yulong. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us. Are you open to sharing your email address? Would love to connect directly with you one of these days. I'm still early on in the process (8 weeks) and trying my best to recover. If not, I totally understand. I will at least use the opportunity to say many, many thanks to you.
Thanks for the good words and glad the videos help. I prefer leaving comments here! So maybe it helps others too. I will keep going and hope you also keep it up and stay strong. Wish you a speedy recovery
Hi Yulong! I’ve been following your videos from the beginning. I just hit my 12 month mark post operation. I feel your frustration with the standing heel raise - here are 2 things that worked well for me (1) bent knee heel raises - whether you do them seated or standing. Helps work out the soleus of the calf, while the standing heel raise mainly works the gastroc. Also, changing foot position to point toes outward vs inward can change which muscles in the calf you are activating more (2) take your time on the eccentric. 8-10 seconds on the way down on heel raises. You look like you are releasing the tension in your tendon about halfway down and moving too fast. The increased time under tension will help build strength Looking forward to your 18 month update!
Appreciate for the interest and the tips! I have been doing both bend knees calf raise and eccentric, but for latter def not 8-10sec, maybe 3sec tops, I will try slowing it down! That's a good idea. Wish you a speedy recovery and come back stronger 💪
Happy for you. My doctor had me back playing at 5months; ruptured July 4, 2023. The PT was very helpful.. I’m currently doing PT at home to regain mass and strength in my calf. I was very fortunate that my calf muscles didn’t get to small while in cast and boot. Plyometrics really helped me a lot. Good luck and stay strong. Your videos were very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing your story.
yeah moon boot stabilizes your ankle so much less risk riding bikes but in pool you can't wear it and it's slippery so they are cautious I do know vacoped is designed to be wore in water too so if you happen to have that you can ask your physio if getting in the the pool with that is ok
if you feel pain when e.g. stretching then prob not. my previous video has a chart of pressure on tendon by different activities - you can try the lighter ones there first, and progress if you don't feel pain in tendon. this is not medical advice - do check with your doctor or physician!
Damn, I’m in the process of starting my journey 😢 ruptured it playing basketball didn’t even do anything out of the ordinary. Just had surgery so time to start the road to recovery. Will be watching your videos for encouragement 🫡🙏
Hey. Found your videos really helpful, i did the exact same with the vacoped: 5 degrees at a time. I'm now into week 6 and have a pool at my house, are there some water based exercises or rehab you could suggest for me please? Thanks!
great! do check with your physician but at week 6 I think maybe something that does not require dorsiflexion like calf raises or walk on the toe? also might wanna wait until fully neutral if being on the cautious side
Thank you for this video. I torn my Achilles playing basketball days before Christmas, had surgery 8 weeks ago, able to remove the boot tomorrow, but now I’m considering a vacoped. Also, these exercises are very helpful!
Hey amazing video. What were the Nike shoes called again? I maybe try them out. I have Bursitis and damn It goes crazy whenever something slightly rubs it at the back.
My 8 yrs old got his tendon fully ruptured in an accident. He had the surgery this August 13 and he is making some progress as well. Thank you for the update
Great video Man, love seeing your progress, I ruptured my Achilles in Late September, started walking again in December, making progress everyday, I already had a big surgery before in my right injured leg, got to keep pushing, much respect.
I did have minimal invasive surgery as told by my doc thou mine looks a bit different from ones I saw online so might not be representative - you can see my scar in the video
Yup I see that your procedure was bit different compared to what seems most common the speedbridge where sutures are anchored in the heel bone. Surprisingly I didnt need to take any pain meds and I am at exactly at 72 hours post op. Definitely felt tightness inside my splint first two days but I “feel” like swelling has come down.
Thank you for the helpful videos. I ruptured my achilles tendon in May during soccer game. I didn't go to any PT because it is hard to find a good therapist in where I live. Now i'm able to jogging and do small jumps, but don't know what to do next in terms of exercise. Hope you'll get back soccer soon.
I got my Achilles tendon pains last year in sports but I was treated and I start playing football and anytime i shoot ball with power I feel the pains for a minute then it go away again please what do I need to do so that it can go forever
the usual reason for tendon pain is inflammation or overuse of tendon, so likely you need to ice or rest it. however I am not a doctor so def see your doctor for the proper advice!
@@iamyulong ok thanks a lot my tendon don’t stop me from playing football but I don’t know how to treat it to go away forever if you can give me any advice I will be happy thanks
@@abubakarisumaila883 imho you might need to rest and not play sports that involves tendon stretch until it feels better - again, consult your doctor for proper help! good luck
Hi yulong, thanks for your video, since I’m following ur videos from 1st week. I have been completed 3 months post op, from 8th week I’m started my first step. but I’m still limping almost 1 month when I walk, almost 6000 steps everyday. My walking pose still awkward. Seems my calf very week. Hopefully dorsiflexion doesn’t part of the walking pose.Is that same for u? Which month can walk normally? Without any limps
thanks for following! for me its around 3-4mo however I remember I have to walk very intentionally to maintain the balance otherwise I would limp too, and if I walk for a long distance (~30min nonstop) I'd limp too. It's very good to practice normal walking pose as well as "think" while you are walking as the injured calf is bound to be weaker so if you don't be super aware of walking pose while you are walking, your brain would just naturally find the optimal way to distribute energy which putting more on the stronger leg, and that is limping.
