I’ve been looking for this type of explanation for about two months. Now I understand what is happening with my distal tendon. Thank you for making this video.
Muchas gracias por el video , tengo el tendón de aquiles muy lastimado y ahora tengo una mejor idea del tiempo y los procesos que conlleva su recuperación, gracias nuevamente!
can you help a brother out? I had achilles tendonitis in my left foot first because of starting football and increasing volume too fast… Then with some simple treatment like taping and excentric stretches it managed to get better.. until it started in my right foot lol. After some months my right foot felt better.. until it started hurting again! I hoped treating it the same way like my left foot would work the same but somehow it still hurt months after. Probably because right is my strong foot and I put more stress on it unconciously. I took some weeks off until i didnt experience any pain but Im still scared to start again. How long did it take you and do you have any hints?
Thank you so much for this very clear and concise video, Dr. D! I ruptured my Achilles tendon 3 weeks ago and going the nonsurgical route. Was reading up on NIH and PubMed papers on tendons, but this video provided what I was searching for in order to understand how tendons repair itself and their timeline.
Hellow Kieu Wong , how is ur foot going after one month? I just got ruptured mine a few days ago , and doctor said am going for the not surgery rout , but am alil a fraid cuz they dnt Do the MRI or ultrasound exams. They just said it will heal by it self and put me on cast .How was ur experience at the moment of ur injurie. Doctors make MRI and ultrasound for you? How is the progress of ur foot right now ? Thank you in advance, and Wich you a good recovery.
Hi MLW - I am sorry to hear that. It’s really a hard injury to deal with and the recovery is long but you can do it. And it will heal itself as long as you take care and follow the doctor’s and physical therapist’s protocols! You will see by weeks 6-8 that the tendon has grown back. By week 12, it’s pretty certain that the tendon has thickened enough for you to start more stretching exercises. I am in week 12 and can walk better with less of a limp, no more boot, and doing more exercises. Progress each day! Check out SJ’ channel, Evan Brown’s and Shaun Resolute’s channels. They were so helpful!! Wishing you a speedy recovery and keep positive! You got this!
@@kieuwong3940 thankyou very much! Yes is very hard , I live by my self and I habe some struggles for doing the daily things at home , but I was very worried about my injury, thankyou very much for ur fast response, now I feel better and less worried. I’ll go check those videos thankyou ! I’m glad ur foot is healing well ! Thankyou again!!🖖
August 22, 2022. Agree with everyone below... great video, very informative and helpful. I'm only 2 weeks into what I think is a partial tear, MRI in 2 days time, so that will tell me exactly how much damage is done. I'm in a boot, most of the time. I have been doing some weight bearing with boot, sometimes with crutch other times no. I can move my foot fore and aft and side to side with some resistance... Having watched this video, I'm going to be even more careful how much of that sort of thing I do, and careful with the weight bearing for the first 28 days. Thanks for this video.
@@harajly23 After I finally got an MRI, it turns out I had a complete tear (rupture). I choose not to have surgery but I was put into a cast for 3 weeks and then another 3 weeks of non weight bearing. After two months the Dr. I was going to still did not want me to do any Physical Therapy while everything I was watching here on youtube, people with similar condition were "early weight bearing" and healing fine. I became frustrated with the Dr. and changed Dr.'s. The new Dr said that the tendon was already very strong and started me on Physical Theraph - finally - in NOVEMBER. Yes, injury August 8th, nearly 3 weeks before I was in a cast for another 3 weeks, then 3 more weeks non-weight bearing. A bit too much non-weight bearing I think. OK,,, so by mid November I was doing 2-5 miles on a stationary bike, in January I got out on my regular bike 10 miles, and I have gradually imporved since then. A couple weeks ago I biked 58 miles in a bike event, and yesterday it was 22 miles at 17 MPH on my bike. Every once in a while I feel some tightness in the tendon but not bad. My calf on the injured leg has lost muscle mass - which I may never recover. So you I can confirm that non-surgical can work, and you can completely heal - or - you could choose surgical route. Try to talk to your doctor - my initial doctor while having a good reputation as a surgeon, had little people skills and didn't even want to share the MRI with me and explain things. Good news is that it will heal, but you do have to be patient.
@@charleso1262 awesome. I’ve been in a cast for 17 days they’re going to do an MRI on Monday finally got the approval from my insurance Medicaid, Blue Cross, Michigan, and I hope the next step would be a boot I’m on crutches it’s my left tendon. Thank God I can still drive so I also drive for a living which is good. I also choose the non surgical route.
Thanks so much for making this video, currently writing an assignment for uni on Tendinopathy. This has been incredibly helpful in gaining a deeper understanding! Keep up the awesome videos
Re the last bit of the video, for a full achilles rupture non op protocol, I guess the tendon ends somehow manage to get close enough to start reknitting together. Since it’s such a common approach to recovery. Really interesting info, thanks
You mentioned at the end of the video that a completely torn tendon must be surgically prepared because the ends cannot find themselves. There is a protocol that was developed in 2007 to not surgically repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon that involves positioning the foot to bring the tendon ends closer. So do they find each other?
@@harlisonalves8094 i dont know but i guess because its the biggest tendon on the body and probably not going to move a lot so it stays closer together. i got my thumb long extendor ruptured and it needed to be surgicaly sewed up, im at day 33 now after the surgery and i still have to wear a othesis so to not move the thumb upwards. its a pain in the ass because you have to be very careful or the thread will tear and i have to be cut up and do it all over again. the human body is weak and strong at the same time....having a not functional hand is one of the worst things i ever had in my life .
The Romans used to cut the Achilles tendons of slaves who rowed their boats, so they could not run away. Every six to 9 month they had to re-cut the tendons because it healed back together. Non-op was the way to go for 1000s of years, now in 2022 we are back at the non op method.
Very interesting! I'm curious as to how you'd explain the aponeurosis as they're similar to tendons. My (direct) inguinal hernia seems to be healing slowly (it's staying in place better and better). Despite some doctors speaking in such a way implying a tear in the fascia, I suspect it's more a case of a 'stretch mark' in my aponeurosis seeing as no damage was visible on my CT/ultrasound. Drinking bone broth seems to help heaps.
A foot surgeon told me that after cutting the transverse ligament during a Morton's Neuroma surgery, that ligament will recover the same way as a tendon heals after a rupture
What you covered was an injury of the WHOLE tendon right? What if I only experience a little pain sometimes? Is the whole process similar but just on a smaller scale? And how would that change the duration?
If your tendon rips out of the bone, it would go back... I have a 50% partial distal tendon tear... Been on rehab for 2 months and next month will be assessment to see if surgery will be needed. I can't see my tendon getting strong enough not to require surgery since I need my arm to be close to a 100% for my job
Great video my friend! I just think you need to correct your last sentence - "it wont heal on itself if that is a full tear and you bring them together". I think Achilles Rupture community will not agree with you :)
Hi John, fantastic explanation - thank you. Following the up to 180 day period would a distal bicep tendon for example be highly stressed even at a 85% strength recovery?
The Body is capable of healing in any place in ways most don't relize do to recent past ideals. every one has fallen down one time or another though i dis agree with the last part i think the body could reassemble the tendon without surgery but surgery is faster per say
RU-vid through up this fascinating summary which I think applies to my shoulder AC Joint injury - I may have started moving it too early (now at day 16) but as an advanced yoga practicioner, I think I’ve got away with it. Clinically would you say as much range of movement and loading by increments without significant pain is the road forward. thanks
Excellent Video John. Thank you so much. One question however - you state that on a fully severed tendon (Achilles) it will not repair itself. My understanding is that if the plantar position is maintained for several weeks so the tendon ends are pushed together it will grow back together. Can you comment please John? Thank you very much.
Great question. Were you able to get clarification on this? Also, you probably already noticed that there is a series of videos from someone named Agnes who had a complete rupture and was able to fully heal together
Great vid , easy to understand. - Would it be normal to feel some sort of sensation in the remodeling phase ? Until the tissues has gained strength for the daily activity acquired for work . ?
I slashed my thumb with a razor blade a year ago and it won’t stop twitching. Lost about half my rotation out of it. Do you think over time it will gain more mobility?
Cool explanantion. So does the tendon recover the mechanical properties of an uninjured tendon? i.e., a achilles tendon after complete rupture and repair surgery
Generally, you said tendon will never be as strong as it was. Only may be %85 of what it had been. Is that correct ? Does that mean tendon will never handle the same loads as it did before injury?
Guys for the first 2 months of healing I was working as a landscape construction worker and I worked through pain and stuff I sometimes had to shovel holes all day in clay areas which means I was pushing the shovel into the ground with my legs and body weight and sometimes jumping on the shovel. I then left after like a month and 20 days and now it’s been 5 months and I’m so scared it’s beginning stages healed wrong due to being so active. Please help me someone. I need information on my situation I been checked by a sports med and they said I have jumpers knee but they didn’t mri or no scans. They gave me poor info saying I need physio therapy but I’m worried it’s way worst and to late to make a full recovery.
What if for example, I had a repair and the tendon was left with a permanent reinforcement (thread). Would it be equally or even stronger than the uninjured tendon?
@@user-ic9ly3ch6f supraspinatus (rotator cuff). Got damaged from doing risky exercises, not warming up and overtraining. Had an MRI right after injury, there was a lot of blood and inflammation of supraspinatus. Had an ultrasound recently and they say it’s good now, but still hurts. Gotta do an MRI again , so they can see better what’s going on.
So what do you think about tendon strength? It's a big topic in armwrestling for example. Some people light weights others heavy. Some say long rest before a tournament 1-2 months. Others say couple days is enough...
I have had two total Achilles’ tendon ruptures in 18 months playing the marvelous game of squash. Both left and right. I’m 50 and have been playing for 35 years. The left one last week. Surgery on both, with FHL transfer from the big toe muscle to promote and enhance blood flow. This video is the most informative I’ve seen on tendon science. I plan and hope to play again when I’ve healed, but am wondering what can I do nutritionally to promote that essential type1 remodeling and directional cross linking? Any scientifically-based tips? I’m trying to eat 100g protein a day. What about supplements? Colostrum? I want maximum repair. :-)My surgeon is an expert in this field, and he feels very confident that my chances or re-rupture are less than 2%, even with hard use. I want to attain that goal. Ideas?
It'll never be the same dude, it would be in your best interest to not be aggressive on it anymore, because if it happens again, it'll be even worse still, good luck man..,
You could try Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides. Type 1&3. Also look into proline and lysine. & they say take 1000mg of vitamin C each day. Keep researching.
Does intraarticular hyaluronic acid injection or corticosteroid injection can be helpful or should be left alone to heal naturally.. debilitating pain though since recent shoulder injury ! Light exercises too are difficult..
no matter how gradual my workload is to try to build it up, my petellar tendon continues to get inflamed two years later, anti inflammatories do nothing, massaging does nothing, pt does nothing, ice or even heat does nothing, supplements do nothing, eating healthy has little effect, isometric contractions do nothing, passive movements do nothing, cant even use a indoor exercise bike.... i wonder if it is even remodeling at this point... i can't do any eccentric loading exercises, water exercise doesn't work, hot tubes dont work, even squatting as an example does nothing, it gets irritated no matter what i do or take, the amount of rest does nothing , it seems like a no win situation no matter what, it's like my lifes over at 22.... i just wish they would approve 3d printed tendon grafts already to fill in the parts that are damaged as the treatments they have today are pretty much useless, surgery is absolutely useless, and often causes more harm, they already have the technology to lay tendons fibers microscopically in the correct orientation with your own cells, for the past several years, they already have repared tendons in mice with this technology, this is bullcrap that it isn't approved for humans after 7 to 10 years... how long before actual treatments, that actually work are approved? I can't work, i can't exercise, i can't walk far, i can't use both legs to walk up or down the steps, i can't carry anything, i can't ride my bike, i can't run, i can't live my life AT ALL, ive been home bound for what feels like forever... this injury is like a death sentence... especially for a young person...
Hey I feel your pain, I am on a full year of Achilles tendonitis with no sign of improvement. I am trying to find new information to help me finally recover. Best of luck
Hi there, I just wanted to reach out and say I empathize with both of your situations (people who commented). I tore my groin & adductor muscle 2 months ago and it’s been a huge battle trying to get it to heal. Have looked into / started to try all the modalities you mentioned and nothing has worked or given me hope it will work in the future. I’m housebound, on crutches, etc. Keep up the good fight and hit me up if you want to talk.
@@jtomasone7430 Thanks dude, I'd suggest we chat once in a while to rant about this shit, just because nobody who doesn't have this understands and they think you're either being a hypochondriac or are over estimating what your dealing with, you get called lazy, and that it is an excuse, when certainly isnt, you try to explain why tendonitius and tendonosis/tendinopathy is such a pain in the ass, but it doesnt matter, people start judging you, shit ain't fun my dood, anyway, you try to take care as well, it isn't easy, especially when it happens to weight bearing tendons...
@@kelseycollins8397 I appreciate that, wish youtube didn't get rid of that personal message stuff so we could start a personal chat or something. This stuff isn't easy, and most people like i said to that other dude above, just don't get it.
@@analogaudiorules1724 I appreciate the reply, yes I would love to chat and rant on this lol cause I feel that way, like you said above. Like I can walk normal but I can't do much more so people think I am a baby and that's just what they see on the outside
hi i would like to ask if there is a reason why the type 3 collagen fibers gets activated in the proliferative phase? why doesnt the body immediately lay down type 1 collagen fibers?
Nice vid john, i had a accident 2 months ago, im 100% sure i have torn my tendon or tendons waiting on a hospital appointment at the min, after 2months passed i have started working out with weights that arent too heavy, is this okay? only done a few sessions so far.
@@mrwoody6634 tore a tendon in my shoulder and im worried just as you were a year ago... how has your healing process been? has your shoulder fully healed? i would love to know.
So you said if it’s a complete rupture then the tendons won’t find each other again but people are doing non op Achilles’ tendon recovery. How is this possible ??
It would be nice if medical research would come up with at least ONE useful drug or method for helping tendon healing. Literally nothing for the past 50 years. How about genetic research? Some people have no tendon injuries during their lives and others have a lot. Wouldn’t that be a clue maybe? How is there so much money poured into research and… nothing.
You could try Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides. Type 1&3. Also look into proline and lysine. & they say take 1000mg of vitamin C each day. Keep researching.
I wish I was educated on these matters before I got hurt... Public education is failing America. Could save thousands per person, times x people, gotta bring in the $ bill.
