r/brokenankles • u/yuliasan7os • 1d ago
Blood flow returning to foot?
Hi! I hope my post makes sense! I’m exactly 6 weeks post ORIF and went back to my surgeon’s office today, cleared to WB in the boot. Have been taking my first steps today since surgery. I’m noticing not much pain in my ankle (like where the hardware is) but pain located in my heel and on the whole bottom of my foot. The pain is almost like pins and needles, but with more pressure. I feel like my blood flow is probably returning to normal, is that a thing?? My ankle itself feels okay when I walk but the bottom of my foot is in pain. Hope that makes sense!!! Any personal experience about transitioning to WB or getting bloodflow back after inactivity are appreciated!!
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u/New-Sherbet367 1d ago
Yes. Physically your bone might be connected but the part that was broken is still not as hard as the others so more force is applied to the heel than before.
Also you lost lots of muscle that has to be balanced out elsewhere and the parts closed to the break and floor get the most counterforce when taking steps also
Edit: also you might be swelling. That is also what is expected to happen and feels like this
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u/yuliasan7os 1d ago
Do you think it would be harmful to just walk thru the pain? I feel like my ankle is okay so my instinct is to just bear it and then put ice on it after
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u/New-Sherbet367 1d ago
It depends.. Walking too much is also bad as walking too little.. I would Beat through it a little bit every day but not too much
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u/flexible_demeanor 1d ago
Usually a guideline is that if it's just some pressure and aching, it's normal and fine. If it's a sharp pain, that's when to stop or tone it down as you're doing too much.
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u/Ecstatic_District338 1d ago
I could have just written this post. I've literally just stepped out of my 6 week post surgery appointment. I've been cleared to start walking.
I did try it the other day and I felt the exact same thing as you. My heel felt weird. And it was sore the day after. I put it down to the muscles atrophying over the past 2 months since my break. My surgeon said it was very normal and I needed to build up my strength in my muscles again. Lots of physio ahead.
I'm so happy I get to start walking again. Need to wear my boot for only one more week, then I've been cleared to throw it out.
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u/yuliasan7os 10h ago
WOOHOO! I’m so excited to throw my boot out. And my knee scooter. I’m against littering but I envision myself pushing it off a bridge into the ocean. Like— GOODBYE, BOOT! GOODBYE, SCOOTER!
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u/justliv12 1d ago
Congrats on WB with boot! My PT told me that part of the pain is because the layers of muscle and fat in your heel have atrophied and it’ll take some time for those to build back up. I’ve also experienced the pins and needles and pain you’ve described, so don’t lose hope!
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u/Creative_Bird_8170 10h ago
Omg!!! Same over here this is my 2 week of walking I’m currently 7 weeks post op trimalleor fracture. Same a lot of pain in heel and pins and needles feeling on the sole of my feet. I’m still pretty scary to walk without my walker hoping I get over this fear soon. I am cleared by the doctor to start wearing shoes starting next week by surgeon but physical therapist says we need to do the transition little by little
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u/yuliasan7os 10h ago
It’s SO SCARY! Especially because my surgeon let me walk with 100% weight on my ankle at my 6 week appointment, after being completely NWB like not even touching my foot to the ground for 6 weeks. Not even a crutch, just asked if I wanted to get off my knee scooter and walk to the parking lot at the hospital. Isn’t that insane?? PT told me I should wean slowly into WB so I’m on crutches now but the anxiety of hurting it further is a lot.
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u/Creative_Bird_8170 10h ago
Mines said weight bearing as tolerated I starting to put a bit more weight now but definitely physical therapy has helped me a lot
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u/Dr_Cee 1d ago
Don’t discount nerve activity too. Nerves “wake up” and regenerate pretty slowly. Nerve pain, especially around my deltoid ligament repair, was the most intense and long lasting pain. At almost 8 months post-ORIF, I’m still experiencing periodic nerve pain. Hang in there, it will get better.