I broke my achilles tendon

[Mark]

when I was playing my weekly competition. My question is, has anyone also broke the achilles tendon and is it possible to come back in the same, good, old shape?

If anyone has some tips or exercises to do, please let me know.

Thanks a lot!
Mark.

[edwin]

I knew someone , in his late 20's or early 30's, who broke his achille tendons. He was able to make a comeback and got back to where he was before his injury.

I don't know any exercise that will help with your recovery (your physiotherapist may help you with that though), but I do suggest that you can lift weights (work on your shoulders, chest, bicepts, tricepts) with dumbells or do any exercise that doesn't involve your injured leg so that you can keep yourself in good physical condition while you're recovering. Bench pressing in a weight room will also help.

Best of luck on your recovery. It is frustrating when you're injured and can't play badminton, but your injury will heal. One you put your mind to it and wtrain the same way you've always been training, you'll get back into good shape.

[Winex West Can]

Ouch! You will be out for quite a while! A friend of mine detached his tendon while playing tennis. He was out for about 10 months but was functioning properly after. You just have to be patient and do your physiotherapy as laid down by the therapist. Don't rush things. It's better to have the injury heal properly before doing anything stenous.

After the recovery, you might want to ask either your doctor or the therapist on suggestions on how to prevent future injury (e.g. ankle brace).

Good luck with the recovery.

[Cheung]

The most well known example of this injury was a guy called Boris Becker. He had this injury when he was about 17 years old and came back to win Wimbledon a couple of years later..
I think I was watching that match in which he injured himself.

[trapped-never]

I think that Boris won the Wimbledon when he was 17. It is still the tournament record. Did he win more than once in Wimbledon?

[Mag]

Mark, I'm surprised you don't already know the answers to your questions. You have seen a doctor, I hope? If not, you must. This is a serious injury.

If the tear is small you will probably only need a cast or a splinter and crutches for 6-10 weeks. If the tear is big or you have a total rupture, you'll need surgery too. In any case, this injury always needs a careful excercise programme. It's the only way if you're gonna recover. But your doctor or phsyiotherapist should have informed you of this already.

Everyone heal at a different rate. It's impossible to say when you'll be able to play badminton. It's not a question of so-or-so many weeks -- it's when your tendon has fully recovered. Full recovery is when you have full range of motion, full strength, and can jog, jump and sprint at different speeds and in different direction without feeling any pain. If you rush things it can lead to permanent damage. I would be surprised if you can return to badminton within 6 months, a year sounds more realistic.

Excercises (once the cast or splint is gone) generally consist of stretching during the first weeks, then once the sharp tendon pain is gone you can take up toe raises, heel raises and one-leg balance excercises. Swimming, or later on, water running, is also good for rehabilitation. But again, your doctor or physio should work out an excercise program for you.

A rupture of the achilles tendon is about as bad luck as you can have as a badminton player. I sympathise with you deeply and hope for a successful recovery.

[knock-out]

I know a few people personally who have ruptured their achilles tendon and made full recoveries. Don't despair, with a good work ethic you'll be back. You've recieved good advice already, so I'm just writing for encouragement. I don't know if you know of Dominique Wilkins, one of the most famous NBA players who played at the same time as Michael Jordan, so he didn't get as much attention. He completely ruptured his tendon and fully recovered and continued to play hoops. Good Luck

[Adel]

Hi Mark,

Since so many have written to give you proper medical advice, I suppose I juz wanna say good luck!

For the heck of it anyway... I had a sprain in my right archilles tendon about 4 years back. It wasn't a serious injury but because I didn't take good care of it, I continued feeling the pain when I went running or when the weather was cold for the next one or two years. It doesn't bother me now but there was a time when I always felt as though my foot was abt to come off - esp after shopping for 5 hours. =P

Erm... that's about it I guess...

Take Care,
Adel
(still posting)

[coops241180]

i've just come out of plaster after rupturing my achilles tendon and had the surgery to repair.. check out my blog for pics or the damage.
http://cybermanachillesheel.blogspot.com (http://cybermanachillesheel.blogspot.com/)

i'm going doing my stretching exercises religiously now to get it back to normal length in time for when i start physio in 4 weeks. hoping to be fit again for next season (September 08) long long lay off

[Cheung]

Wow, the skin looked bad. Amazing that you ruptured it with only a bit of stress. Did you have a sore tendon beforehand?

Good luck with your rehab and hopefully we'll see you with some great badminton photos.

[coops241180]

i know - i felt like a complete fraud when i was in the hospital explaining what had happend. wasn't particularly sore - calf and hamstring on that leg had been a little tight, but nothing out of the ordinary.

I've not been out of plaster long so i'm hoping it will clear up over the next few weeks..

Well it's xmas morning here in the UK now.. merry xmas to everybody on BC. i'll keep you all posted with how my badders pics go and how my achilles rehab goes. Merry Xmas!

[Loren]

Two months ago I was playing a fast, hard doubles game, lunged in for a killing shot and found myself on the floor wondering who or what had fallen on the back of my leg. It took a week to finally diagnose the fact that I had done a complete rupture of my Achilles. So now after surgery, four weeks in a fiberglass cast and another four in a cast-boot I am wondering when I will ever play my beloved badminton again!! Is there life after an Achilles rupture?

[coops241180]

Woop! i'm allowed to start going the gym again, achilles is healed, just gotta break up the scar tissue and get the strength back in my leg after 13 weeks off. i've got physio once a week.
Sadly - no badminton for at least three months - restricted to sports that don't involve twisting and pivotting.. (that'd be badminton then :) )
look out local badminton halls - i'm coming baaaaaccckkk!! :D:D:D:D:D:D

[Loren]

Way to go! I'm just a little jealous. I've still got 4 weeks to go in my cast-boot. All the best.

[crosscourt]

Good luck. You had surgery..wow it must have been a bad rupture!

[coops241180]

yeah - it was a total rupture.. ah well - on the mend now.

[ThinkRiver]

Making sure you will have completely recovered before your coming back, because if you don't make your achilles tendon recovered completely, it will be injured easily in your future competation.

BTW, when I was had some kind of injured such as fracture or sprain I would prefer traditional chinese medicine.Anyway, going to visit your doctor first.

Good Luck with your recovery

[coops241180]

oh yeah - well the season doesn't start until september, so plenty of time to recover properly. not planning to go on court until late april / early may..
and even then - it'll be slow - i'd prefer to get to my former level of cardio fitness than going onto court too soon.

[Gollum]

oh yeah - well the season doesn't start until september, so plenty of time to recover properly. not planning to go on court until late april / early may..
and even then - it'll be slow - i'd prefer to get to my former level of cardio fitness than going onto court too soon.

My sincere sympathies to you, sir. :(

My recent shoulder surgery was bad enough, but your Achilles injury sounds much worse. I do hope you make a full recovery.

[denizen]

Coops, I hope you've made a full recovery. Thanks for your blog. It was informative.
I completely ruptured my achilles tendon 2 days ago playing basketball. I'll probably be having surgery this coming week. Sigh! I'll post pictures throughout this ordeal as well.

I've started to write about my experiences as well. Please take a look
http://valuemavens.com/mvnblog/


Woop! i'm allowed to start going the gym again, achilles is healed, just gotta break up the scar tissue and get the strength back in my leg after 13 weeks off. i've got physio once a week.
Sadly - no badminton for at least three months - restricted to sports that don't involve twisting and pivotting.. (that'd be badminton then :) )
look out local badminton halls - i'm coming baaaaaccckkk!! :D:D:D:D:D:D

[denizen]

Hi, just a followup on my achilles tendon rupture, I've been chronicling my experiences on: http://achillesblog.com/dennis

I’ve also been gathering and posting a list of external blogs and forums related to achilles injury, as well as other useful resources on the main site. I hope you find this useful.






Coops, I hope you've made a full recovery. Thanks for your blog. It was informative.
I completely ruptured my achilles tendon 2 days ago playing basketball. I'll probably be having surgery this coming week. Sigh! I'll post pictures throughout this ordeal as well.

I've started to write about my experiences as well. Please take a look
http://valuemavens.com/mvnblog/

[coops241180]

hey dennis -hope your recovery is going well..

NHS physio signed me off today - not surprising - i can walk without liimping now - and i'm starting to jog a bit - i've made an appointment with a recommended private physio to get me from just walking back to sport..

i know i'm getting better because i'm pretty comfortable bounding up the stairs - i suppose the next test will be if i can come down them two steps at a time as well..

good luck!

[Cheung]

My recent shoulder surgery was bad enough, but your Achilles injury sounds much worse. I do hope you make a full recovery.

Shoulder surgery is pretty painful just after the operation.

[Gollum]

Shoulder surgery is pretty painful just after the operation.

Yeah, tell me about it. ;)

Initially I was doped up on morphine and barely knew I was awake.

When the morphine wore off, my neck/shoulder/arm felt numb from the nerve block -- as though they were dead flesh. Ugggh.

When the nerve block wore off, I wished it hadn't. :eek: Thank god for dihydrocodeine. Shame it's so constipating, but it's a damn good painkiller.

[bad4life]

This website has exercise videos of strengthening your achilles.

http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/350_therapy-leg-foot-pain.htm

[coops241180]

Yeah, tell me about it. ;)

Initially I was doped up on morphine and barely knew I was awake.

When the morphine wore off, my neck/shoulder/arm felt numb from the nerve block -- as though they were dead flesh. Ugggh.

When the nerve block wore off, I wished it hadn't. :eek: Thank god for dihydrocodeine. Shame it's so constipating, but it's a damn good painkiller.

i'm totally totally agreeing with you on all counts of this.. especially the dihydrocodeine... wicked stuff.. especially the way it just wipes you out.. spent probably three days in a painkiller induced haze...

[coops241180]

weeeee i hit a shuttle for the first time in almost 6 months last night :) nothing exciting.. just decided that i deserved to give myself a treat after working so hard.. all the balance work and conditioning work make a huge difference.. apart from not moving my feet i was told i looked solid..

no problems stepping in or across.. but the minute it was hoisted above and behind me i hit trouble.. automatically turning to go back.. and just as i was about to push off... i thought if i go for this like i'm supposed to i'm gonna put my entire weight thru the bad leg.. best stop now before i hurt myself :D

but it was great to get back on court for a bit of a hit about..

physio is pleased.. we did some agility exercises and lunges as well as some new calf strengthening exercises which work the other muscle in my calf. and some high kneed jogging on the spot.. after 20 minutes of work my foot was giving me serious grief.. but just from being out of action for so long.

all in all recovery is going great :D:D

Neil

[coops241180]

hi guys - just thought i'd let you know the physio signed me off today :D woop! - she's happy for me to start playing again. i actually think my balance is better than it was before my injury.. still working on the strength and fitness tho - but badminton can only help now :D

so i treated myself to a new pair of shoes :)
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii199/bigcoops/Misc/DSC00055.jpg
they's so shiny - and you even get two sets of laces - so i can choose grey/silver or blue - i might even put one set on one shoe and the other on the other :D

the season is three months off.. i should be back in tip top form in no time :D:D

woop woop!

Neil

[rissyli]

It's been 97 days since I've partially ruptured my left Achilles tendon at a badminton tournament.
I was playing singles and I lunged to get a really tight net shot and it just..."popped". And previously, I think I landed a badly attempted jump smash funny which was did the initial damage and the lunge was just the trigger.
I'm not that old either (only a high school student). I play regularly and came first in mixed doubles for regionals and city finals.

I chose the conservative way to heal. I like it "natural," but now I sorta regret not doing surgery. I just got out of my walking cast yesterday. Right now, I can walk normal and go up the stairs, but going down the stairs is slightly painful. My tendon feels really tight and sometimes I can't walk in a straight line.

I'm looking to do physio soon and while I heal, I'm planning to co-teach a beginner badminton class 1) to teach others to play properly so they don't end up like me 2) to "play" badminton so my skills won't leave and 3) it's for a school project (Do what you love to do especially if you get marks for it =] )

I really hope because of my age and my determination, I can play on my school team again this year and not let my partner down and to prevent this happening ever again!!

I have to say three things:

1) Don't take life or anything in life for granted. You don't realize how important it can be until you lose it. Luckily I get my leg back, but some other things aren't that easy to get back.

2) Nothing is impossible. I got a wheelchair and I still went on the vacation my family had planned. I fell down and I got back up... literally. I learned to walk again.

3) EXERCISE AND WARM UP ADEQUATELY BEFORE DOING ANY KIND OF SPORTS/PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. I must stress this for I believe it played a major role in my injury.

Cheers~