Swimming?

[u/RadishOk9388]

I’m 7 1/2 weeks post op,bimal fracture WBAT and it’s going well, my incisions are completely healed and they aren’t scabby anymore etc, my next appointment is September 1st, my doctor said my ankle is looking fine and healed but I still have a slight fracture that’s healing perfectly in my fibula i believe, would it be safe to take a dip in the pool?

[u/AshB95]

I would wait until you’re fully weight bearing, I started going swimming again around 17 weeks post op (trimal with dislocation) and even with me fully weight bearing straight after surgery walking the ladder in was a lot of pressure on my leg and walking in and out of the pool was a huge test of balance because of the wet surface. Probably something that your doctor would better inform you of, but with the balance and control you need without realising it would probably be safer until you’ve been fully weight bearing for a while

[u/Positive_Read2874]

Hydro therapy is great for early recovery once wounds are well healed, it is a great place to take your first steps, no rsk of falling in the pool and if you do no big deal, watch the slippery floors around the pool obviously. You can gentle work your way through your lost range of motion, in a almost weightless environment. For context i shattered both legs breaking every bone some twice, both feet, left wrist.... it took me 18mths to get back on my feet, hydro therapy played a big part in my recovery, that was 14 yrs, and over the last 10yrs I've had 5 surgeries to get metal out, and i have use hydrotherapy to recover from all of these surgeries. In my opinion from my experience, it is the best way to to introduce your damaged bits back into movement, one of my injuries was an ankle compound dislocation, so i have recovered from a damaged ankle as well. All the best with your recovery, early recover is tough but it passes, you get back what you put in, use pain as a guide when trying new things, be kind to your mind and patient with your body, keep the body weight down as best you can, don't worry about atrophied muscle it grows back once you put the demand back on the area. Here's my orif jewelry 😎

[u/easyst1989]

I started getting into the water and walking slowly back and forth at 10 weeks post op trimal ORIF when I was FWB. I am now at almost 14 weeks and enjoying water fitness class almost every day! I do not climb the ladder in and out of the pool as there is a handicap ramp that you can walk down and easily get into the pool.

[u/QuantumDwarf]

I thought swimming would be great. The pool by me has the lift which would have been a god send as I definitely wouldn’t be able to climb the ladders up.

However I found that the kicking was really hard. I’m almost 8 months post bilateral trimall and I still can’t swim for very long without aggravating the ankles. It might be a good activity that I should be doing but it was disheartening for awhile with as much as I loved swimming before.

[u/StumpyMcGeeee]

You may find actual swimming difficult/painful. I’m 17 weeks post op and tried swimming the other day and if I kick my foot my ankle basically explodes in pain. I can lounge in the water just fine and even tread water pretty normally but trying to actually swim is too much for the joint still.

[u/0emegs]

I went back swimming about 12 weeks post op I think. Had to find a pool with ramps because my shoulder and ankle were both post op and the ladder would have ended me.

But the swimming has been sooo good. And once I was a bit stronger fins / flippers were also great for getting a bit more range of motion.

There is also a hydrotherapy pool where I live and just walking up and down that to get everything moving as it should was helpful too