mudogirl44
White Belt
I've been practicing Taekwondo for about 6 months when I broke my ankle in Febrary. I recently got my boot off and I am anxious to get back to training but I am concerned about re-injury. Any good tips for getting back in?
Getting back after broken ankle
- Thread starter mudogirl44
- Start date
jobo
Grandmaster
broken and healed bones shouldn't be any weaker than they were before. But ankles' like wrists are complicated places for breaks. After two months of of being inactive I would suggest that exercise to build up the mobility and strengh in general and of that ankle on particular is the way to go
jobo
Grandmaster
its not bad advice, but it maybe expensive advice, a therapist will twirl you ankle about and then give you a list of mobility and strengh exercises, you can do that your self
mudogirl44
White Belt
I've been covered for some physical therapy by my insurance and I have also been doing a lot of exercises on my own so it sounds like I'm on the right track. Thanks for the advice
Mou Meng Gung Fu
Purple Belt
Bones should heal stronger than before they are broken, but sometimes this isn't always true. I'd recommend plenty of walking for you. Just walk around like you normally would. I assume your foot has been resting in a boot for some time and your leg muscles have probably gotten weaker. Do ankle rotations. Practice bending your toes and moving your foot around. That's all you really can do with a broken ankle. Walk around. Then jog. Then run. Then practice kicking again once you're ready.
BuckerooBonzai
Orange Belt
Completely agree and go slow and easy! Most of the injuries that I have messed up returning from were b/c I went too hard, too fast coming back from them. Nurse it along, use it, strengthen and stretch it but do not go "full gas" for a while. Really listen to your Phys Therapist, they know what they are talking about.
Actually they do much, much more. My daughter tore her hamstring and the physiotherapist had her back walking, training and pain free in short time. The physio also sorted my shoulder out after a badly executed arm by one of my students, and my daughters knee problem which couldn't be fixed by the hospital. When my husband's back goes the physio also helps him immensely, they do more than 'twirl' things around they have things such as ultrasound to help healing.
An osteopath will also help, I know the best one in the UK for sports injuries! she did break someone's ankle once, accidently, but it was in a fight
she fixes things now. Home | Olton Osteopathy
jobo
Grandmaster
ultra sound it the main stream equivalent of sitting under a pyramid to harness vibrations, there is very little scientific evidence that it works better than not doing anything at allActually they do much, much more. My daughter tore her hamstring and the physiotherapist had her back walking, training and pain free in short time. The physio also sorted my shoulder out after a badly executed arm by one of my students, and my daughters knee problem which couldn't be fixed by the hospital. When my husband's back goes the physio also helps him immensely, they do more than 'twirl' things around they have things such as ultrasound to help healing.
An osteopath will also help, I know the best one in the UK for sports injuries! she did break someone's ankle once, accidently, but it was in a fight
here is some reading on the lack of proven science involved
Does Therapeutic Ultrasound Work?
osteopathy is the work of the devil, plain and simple, I went once with a bad back and the result was to transform my injury into a very bad back that needed an epidural so I could walk
It does depend a little on age. If you're in your 30's or younger, the healing will be fast and the knitted area of the bone will likely be as strong as (perhaps stronger than) the rest. Later in life, I'm not sure if the healing of the bone is as complete, but the process is certainly slower, and there will be more rehabilitation time.
I'll compare my time around my knee surgery (I was about 30) and my broken leg (around 40). After my knee surgery, I needed a very short period of therapy to rebuild the support muscles, as I was only off the let for a short period of time (a couple of days) and range of motion was only limited for a couple of weeks. Contrast that with my broken leg (near the ankle, accompanied by a high ankle sprain, so similar results to a broken ankle). I was only off the foot for a couple of weeks (minor break), and there was less restriction of motion (never had to have a cast), but it took me several weeks to rebuild the support. The biggest risk of injury is likely not a re-injury (breaking the bone), rather a risk of damaging the support tissues before they are strong enough to do their job fully.
So, take it easy, even when the ankle feels fine. Focus on rebuilding the support muscles. Balancing exercises are good for this, as I recall. Just assume you'll be a little worse balancing on that leg, and that it will be easier to roll the ankle for a bit. Once you've rebuilt the support tissues, the leg will likely be near-new unless you are older. My recommendation is to work with a physical therapist, if only to get specific advice as to what exercises will help and what might create a risk of injury.
Yes, they will. And that list of exercises is the most important part.
I entirely agree about the PT, Tez. Last year, one helped me avoid surgery. I had a forearm muscle torn through 25%. Cody used a range of techniques and things to avoid doing that actually helped heal it. I can barely tell now it was ever torn. PT has actually made some significant progress, from what I've seen, in the last 15 years.Actually they do much, much more. My daughter tore her hamstring and the physiotherapist had her back walking, training and pain free in short time. The physio also sorted my shoulder out after a badly executed arm by one of my students, and my daughters knee problem which couldn't be fixed by the hospital. When my husband's back goes the physio also helps him immensely, they do more than 'twirl' things around they have things such as ultrasound to help healing.
An osteopath will also help, I know the best one in the UK for sports injuries! she did break someone's ankle once, accidently, but it was in a fight
jobo
Grandmaster
yes but the exercises are in the public domain, you don't have to pay a Pt to tell you to waggle it about to increase blood flow and build up the strength in the surrounding tissue
I've found they tailor the exercises to the injury, to where the person needs to rebuild. That's the part that can't be found in the public domain. I've also found that a PT is important in making sure the exercise is done right - like any exercise, doing it "almost right" isn't nearly as beneficial. And in this case, we often have to ignore one of the best cues to good form, because proper form sometimes stresses (on purpose) the tissues that are tender, so a little pain can actually indicate a good result or bad form. Best to have input from a professional, at least when starting.
In the UK it costs nothing to see the doctor and nothing to see a physio so why wouldn't you go rather than do it yourself on the internet.
NHS physios use ultrasound for a number of reasons, they don't use things that cost money but don't work. Ultrasound is a very good diagnostic toolas well.
As for blaming all osteopaths and the profession in general that's just sheer silliness.
NHS physios use ultrasound for a number of reasons, they don't use things that cost money but don't work. Ultrasound is a very good diagnostic toolas well.
As for blaming all osteopaths and the profession in general that's just sheer silliness.
jobo
Grandmaster
it depends how long the waiting list is and the quality of the treatment given. An NHS PT hit me with the ultrasound, then acupuncture, when those didnt work told me id never walk properly again let alone play football do karate. He said that's the best i was going to be and discharged me. But here i am 10 years older doing both and my bad back is a distant memory .
you seem remarkably trusting, did you read the link, have you seen any actual evidence that ultrasound has science behind it?
Agreed. It is possible that @jobo had a bad osteopath. The almost certainly exist (I've had a bad dentist once and a bad MD once). It could also be that there was an undetected condition (also not exactly uncommon in both osteopathy/chiropractic and medicine), or that the condition was going to be worse anyway. Hard to say without more information. In any case, that's still just one practitioner. I see a chiropractor (similar to an osteopath, though not entirely the same, as I understand) about once a month for a couple of recurring issues. I've actually found one who is also trained in orthopedics and is, therefor, more careful not to overextend the range of motion on short connective tissue (like in the spine).
jobo
Grandmaster
its an unregulated industry in the uk, the reason being as they don't classify it as being medical . So if its not medical what is it?
I had a bad back, went to see a highly recommended osteopath and he cracked my spine, I immediately lost the use of my legs and was in unbearable agony, they called an ambulance and took me to hospital where I was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc.. He didn't prolapse the disc, but he did move it so it was digging into my spinal nerves.
Actual evidence other than having had ultrasound and a husband who has also? Or off the NICE website which is the recommendation body for the NHS and investigates what works and what doesn't then reports with the evidence of whichever? for example here...
"The case for adopting the EXOGEN ultrasound bone healing system to treat long bone fractures with non-union (failure to heal after 9 months) is supported by the clinical evidence, which shows high rates of fracture healing."
EXOGEN ultrasound bone healing system for long bone fractures with non-union or delayed healing | Guidance and guidelines | NICE
Incorrect.
Osteopathy - Safety and regulation - NHS Choices
Osteopathy is one of only two complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) that are regulated under UK law. The other is chiropractic.
Regulation works in much the same way as regulation for medical doctors.
Regulation
By law, osteopaths must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).
The GOsC only accepts registration from practitioners who have a qualification in osteopathy that's recognised by the GOsC and who comply with their standards of practice.
Osteopaths are required to renew their registration each year. As part of this process, the GOsC checks to ensure they have the correct insurance, are meeting professional development requirements and remain in good health.
If you use an osteopath and they don't adhere to this standard of practice, you can complain to the GOsC. It has a duty to investigate the complaint.
