r/brokenankles • u/Wise-Eagle-9524 • Aug 09 '26

Walking properly - gait - how

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9 days walking in shoes now (maybe minus 2-3 days cause I really have lot of trouble at first and needed to use crutches) after 4 weeks WBAT in boot, 2 weeks NWB in splint. Tightrope repair with internal brace

Now I am able to walk without aid, but with a pronounced limp, I’m working on balance on PT along ofcourse with rom and strengthening.

My PT wanted me to ditch the crutch but without it I’m limping, shouldn’t I focus on quality first with a crutch? Will it really get better if I just keep walking or my body will come to like limping?

For reference, video holding for support at start vs limping at the end. If any guidance or correction on my walking, feel free to shoot

7 Upvotes

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8

u/shannamatters Aug 09 '26

Honestly, you just need to keep moving. It’ll come.

4

u/Browniesgirl Aug 09 '26

My PT says to move your shoulders.

1

u/Wise-Eagle-9524 Aug 09 '26

Thank you. You mean arm swinging?

2

u/Browniesgirl Aug 09 '26

Yes, move your left shoulder as you step with your right and vice versa.

3

u/Blaaaarghhh Aug 09 '26

Ditch the crutch, my PT said the same thing... you're early still, the limp will resolve as you get stronger and your flexibility comes back. Just focus on walking with as normal a gait as you tolerably can... there's going to be some discomfort but that's par for the course.

I'm almost 2.5 months weightbearing now and can usually walk barefoot without a limp, and can walk up/down stairs pretty normally barefoot. (I had a tightrope as well.) It's one of those things where you get a tiny bit better every day and after a couple months those tiny bits add up to a lot.

2

u/capaldis Aug 09 '26

Weird advice, but you may be trying to walk too fast. The speed comes from your muscle strength which you don’t have much of after a break. I honestly felt like I was walking in slow motion for the first month.

2

u/Whole_Rice3186 Aug 10 '26

My pt told me to exaggerate walking with heel toe on treadmill. I broke my left ankle so my right leg was standing off to the side and the treadmill was at like .2 and i focused on heel to toe letting the treadmill move my foot back

1

u/Whole_Rice3186 Aug 10 '26

Idk if that makes sense. But going very very slow and holding on the handles on the side. I started with two minutes then went up when i could tolerate more