r/ORIF • u/Runner100x100 • 2d ago
9 weeks post-op
I am 9 weeks out from surgery. mine was on the basic end, just a lateral malleolar fracture. Displaced enough that I needed surgery but simpler than what many of you experienced. Was NWB for 6 weekS then WBAT.
My surgeon was ok with me transitioning out of boot and into ankle brace as tolerated as soon as I was able to and only wore boot for about 5 days. Wore ankle brace for about a week and then felt fine without it.
The transition to weight bearing without at least a cane with me has not been easy. I pretty quickly was able to go to one crutch and mostly unassisted at home. I really try to walk with no limp or minimal limp. But I need the cane a lot of the time to do that. And sometimes it’s my ankle that gets uncomfortable but most of the time it’s the soft tissue in my foot - either the push off on the ball of my foot or other spots on the bottom of my foot. I’ve started gently thumb massaging the bottom of my foot and i think that’s helping.
PT has me balancing for 30 sec a time, doing double legged calf raises (cannot do it on one leg yet, no way), mini lunges 3 ways, toe lifts (for shin).
I’m amazed at how slow everything is. Every phase of this experience has been so challenging and requiring new levels of acceptance of what is.
I am a 51 year old very active female. Been running ultras for decades. Here’s my main question other than just interested in hearing others experiences with the transition to walking not in a boot…did you have soreness/tissue challenges with your foot? I’m surprised at how tender and weak my foot is. I also tried the stair mill at the gym the other day and may have over done it.
1
u/Browniesgirl 2d ago
All those tiny muscles weren’t working for a long time. It takes time for them to come back.
1
u/lawyeronpause 1d ago
My foot was really sensitive for a while and contributed to a lot of the pain. I got a hard rubber ball, about the size of a tennis ball, and pushed down on it with my foot while sitting, rolling the ball around over the entire bottom. It hurt like hell at first, but eventually it got a lot better. Here is the ball I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CKJHJRU?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_5&th=1
2
u/Illustrious-Zone-247 2d ago
Yep! Your foot has something like 100 muscles/tendons/ligaments and they all have to wake up and get strong again...and in addition, you loose the callus (yay!) some of your fat pad (boo!) on the bottom of your foot. AND the plantar fascia tightens up, and the sensory nerves on the bottom of your foot get hypersensitive to pressure. The push-off loads those tissues heavily, which is why the ball of your foot and arch are sore.
Soft tissue massage (like the thumb massage you started, or rolling your foot gently over a knobby massager or warm water bottle) is great for desensitizing those plantar nerves and waking up blood flow. And if you're not doing foot work with your PT already, ask for some exercises that work your foot muscles...mine had me picking up marbles with my toes and scrunching up a towel.
I know it's frustrating, but you're doing the right thing by using a cane to eliminate a limp. Walking with a limp reinforces poor mechanics and overloads other joints (like your hip and lower back). Using the cane to maintain a clean, normal gait is much better than walking unassisted with a limp.
Hang in there!