Foot / Ankle :: Non-weight Bearing (NWB) To Partial Weight Bearing (PWB) - Pain
Jun 17, 2013
After being NWB for 7 weeks, I've struggled with the PWB phase in that I am moving through it very slowly. I'm 5 weeks into it since my cast was removed and only recently mastered using a walker. It took me forever to get me off the knee scooter and on 2 feet. Last week I thought I was ready to move to using a walking cane and over the weekend used it a little bit while out. I am now in excruciating pain. I haven't really struggled with horrible pain thus far so I am a little concerned. I realize moving from a walker to a cane is increasing the amount of weight on my foot, so is that probably why I am in so much pain? I am now back to using the walker and feeling a bit discouraged that I couldn't handle the cane. I am further discouraged that I am moving so slowly through the PWB phase. Many talk on these boards of it taking only a couple of weeks before they are fully weight bearing, but I am in week 5 and I don't see being close to that yet. Any words of "your experience isn't so abnormal" would be helpful.
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I am 6 days out from microfracture surgery on my left talus to correct an OCD that is actually 25 years old. Back when I was 13 I was diagnosed and went the route of NWB for about 12 weeks rather than surgery. Although I always had a less than fantastic ankle and some arthritis through the years, it was not until this summer that I went back to an OS due to shooting pain and locking in the ankle. The same lesion showed up on MRI/CT, about 1.1 cm x .6 cm still partially attached but with fluid gathering beneath it. OS assumed it was flapping, thus pain some days, no pain other days. I decided to go ahead with debridement and drilling, and so far seems like it went smoothly. The OS said that the piece was indeed very loose but that actually meant that it was easy to remove and they cleaned out the bone and drilled. So far I'm actually surprised that I haven't been in too much pain, I barely took the Percocet and stopped completely just 2 days later. Now I am trying to flex the ankle as much as I can (in a hard splint/wrap that OS does not want me to remove until follow-up on Monday) and it's not too bad. I do have 2 concerns I was hoping OCD veterans could answer:
1. My OS, who is actually the second surgeon I saw about this and chose to go with him because of his experience, believes in early weight bearing after this type of surgery. I've been reading/lurking a lot of threads on here about OCD surgery recovery and haven't come across anyone who did this. I see him on Monday, which will be 12 days post-op, and he plans to put me in a boot with a small amt of weight bearing at that time. Anyone else do this? He even says that in the meantime, I can put the foot flat on the floor and stand with a small bit of weight on it, as long as I don't walk. As in, if I'm standing brushing my teeth, put the foot flat on the floor, and that this hard half-cast should loosen up as I continue to do this. I'm scared to try it! I suspect THAT is when I'll really feel pain.
2. Until yesterday I didn't feel my incisions at all. Now I'm getting a sort of zing pain in one spot that I think it where he said an incision would be. It's sort of stinging. Is this normal? I can't remove the dressing so I have no idea what it looks like under there. Is it possible I popped a stitch? How long are the incisions? They should only be a stitch or 2 long, correct?
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I broke my tibia and fibula while playing soccer 7 weeks ago. I had an IM nail and 4 screws put into my tibia. I recently had my full leg cast removed at 6 weeks, and the doctor told me I could start partial weight bearing (25-45 lbs).
My question is, when the doctor said 25-45lbs, is that because that is the most that my bones can take? Or can my bones take my full body weight at this point? Is my doctor simply taking into account the fact that my joints and my muscles will be very atrophied (which is true)? So can I simply start bearing my full body weight as soon as my joints and muscles let me?
I also got a walking cast, but I do not enjoy using it. Do I have to use it? I can just be careful when I'm outside.
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After surviving the longest MN winter ever, and being extra-careful out on the ice, I tripped on my stairs INSIDE last Thursday. My initial concern was my throbbing left shin, but the right foot ultimately won out, sending me to my GP on Friday morning. X-rays were performed and the fracture was discovered. I was placed into a moon boot, warned that surgery "might" be necessary due to the location of the fracture, and sent home sans crutches, knee walker, or anything else, to await my consult with the orthopod on Monday.
During the vast expanse of free time I had, I rediscovered this site and many others, and also emailed my cousin who is a physician, and managed to get myself totally confused as to the best course of action concerning the healing process.
Long story short, orthopod said fairly clean (though spiral) fracture, very minimal displacement, and recommended no surgery, NWB for two weeks, and a follow-up x-ray on the 17th to see if any bone 'tackiness' is evident (judging from what I have read, this seems highly unlikely).
My concern now is that practically ever since the fall, I have had little to no pain in my foot while bearing weight on the moon boot. My MD cousin said, as did some posters here, that weight bearing stimulates healing and bone growth. So... not to second-guess my ortho, but I am wondering whether I am doing myself and my foot a disservice by NOT putting weight on it. It seems to be getting stiffer and sorer (when I gingerly test my weight on it on occasion) ever since I have started using the crutches and the knee walker. Am I doing the right thing? Is the ortho being too cautious and conservative, or am I being too impatient and skeptical?
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I had a horse fall and have managed to fracture my left tibia in a spiral complex formation.
They decided not to operate and I have now been in a cast for 7 weeks and have another 3 weeks until my next visit to the fracture clinic
Has anyone else been in a cast this long and non weight bearing? How long until I will be able to ride again once the cast has come off?
I am getting really bored at home now because my work won't let me return until I am walking and the doctor keeps signing me off!
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I am 7 1/2 weeks post of from Flat Foot Surgery and the outside area of foot from where my incision ends from the double calcaneal osteotomy up to my little toe the soft tissue is halfway numb and very painful. Has anyone else experienced this and if so how long did it last.
I am not sure how long it takes the soft tissue to heal to a point where it does not hurt when you are not walking. Or is what I am feeling nerve pain. I started PT this week and am PWB. My doctor thinks I will be in a shoe in 3 weeks and I don't know at this rate how that could be possible. I am icing a majority of the day for sure after I do my PT exercises.
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I had ankle surgery to repair my medial malleolus back on May 8. It was fairly routine--just 2 screws. I was in a cast for a week, then was put into a boot but told to treat it like a cast--NO weight bearing for 7 weeks, keep the boot on 24/7 unless in the bathtub. I followed directions religiously.
I did notice that when I pressed on certain areas of the foot, I would feel a sharp pain. This occurred in the heel (from the bottom), toes (again, from the bottom, primarily the foot pad below the pinky, second, and 4th toes). When I asked the doctor about this, he said (around week 5) that it was just because I hadn't been using the foot.
The problem persisted, and this week, week 7, I was cleared to start partial weight-bearing--walking in the boot while taking approximately 1/2 the weight off my foot via the crutches. I don't have ankle pain to speak of (or at least, not often and only if I overdo it), but I have terrible shooting pains in my heel and toes as I step. It's OK if I take most of the weight on the crutches, but as soon as I go to more than just a little weight on the boot, the pain starts.
This week I also started PT and the therapist told me this is nerve pain--not uncommon after surgery (don't know why the doctor couldn't have told me this, but OK). I couldn't get much of an idea from her how long this will persist or if there is anything I can do about it.
I'm doing my ankle and leg exercises (those are mostly non-weightbearing at this point) and they are going great. The ankle is clearly healing well. But I don't see how I can progress to full weight bearing (supposed to try that next week!) when much more than a little pressure on the foot results in this nerve pain!
Help! Does anyone have experience with this? Is there anything I can do to speed things along? I need to return to my second job (barefoot hoof trimming for horses--how I broke the ankle!) ASAP and I'm fearful this will slow my progress to a crawl! The doctor is useless.
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I am currently 8 weeks post op from a very extensive flat foot reconstructive surgery . I was excited to start partial weight bearing this week starting w 25 percent in a boot.
My problem is I have sharp pains coming from the bottom of my heel which I am thinking may be from the screws from the calcaneal osteotomy. This is making it very difficult to put any pressure on my foot when weight bearing ?
Has anyone experienced this ? Did it go away on its own? Was there anything that helped this . I am afraid I will not be able to proceed the wt bearing with this continued heel pain.
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I am 7 and a half weeks post op after a Lapidus & an Akin procedure. I was in cast until last week and have managed a tennis type shoe and a sandal on so far.
The swelling has been bad as expected with full weight bearing, but the real pain is in the ball of my foot and my big toe does not lie flat, but rather sits elevated. I think the ball of the foot under the big toe is swollen so that may be the cause? I can only walk for a few minutes properly before the pain becomes too much and I am limping and walking on the outside of my operated foot. I can usually cope with pain so know this must be fairly severe.
I am doing my toe bending exercises and think that already the range of motion is not too bad.
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It is my right foot only. Heel pain, and basically all of my foot. I wear inserts plus an extra heel cushion. I been to the foot doctor and gave me a antibiotic and he recommended icing and heating and stretching bottom of foot. Any other suggestions?
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I had PTTD reconstructive surgery on Feb. 24th. I am still NWB and in the hard cast.
I have been good about icing and elevating, and now the swelling is rarely an issue. However, now that the cast is much looser, I am very aware of the feeling that my foot is turning inwards... as in...It feels like i'm "standing" on the outside of my foot. If I prop the foot up so that the bottom of my foot is all fully touching the bottom of the cast, I have significant pain along that outside area from what feels like right under my ankle to just below the ball of my foot. Is there any chance that I am healing "crookedly" due to the cast being loose? Although I can't put weight on it, just straightening my leg completely will cause that "rolling out" and pain.
On an unrelated note:
Is there anything that I can do for nerve pain at this point in my recovery? I am no longer taking the "heavy" pain medication. I am just taking Advil and Tylenol. I am finding, however, that these do nothing for the nerve pain. Is there anything that I can do besides going back to narcotics? I'm wary of taking them for too long, but the real issue is that I would rather be clear-headed.
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It has been quite a while since I have been on here. I had surgery on Mar 14 to repair a tendon and release the nerve that runs on the top of my foot. I have had severe nerve pain since the surgery. I could only get so far in rehab - because of the severe nerve pain. I had a cortisone shot about five weeks ago - it was somewhat helpful. I can finally let a sheet rest on the top of my foot.
However, it is my right foot. It is extremely painful to drive - and basically impossible for me to be able to drive more than 25 miles without pulling over to alleviate the pain from the nerve. I still cannot wear anything more than sandals as I cannot let anything touch the top of my foot. Now mind you, it has improved some. It used to be the entire top of my foot. Now it is mainly the toes and about 3 inches up from my toes - it is so severe it has put me in tears more than once. I have been living with some friends of mine - about 25 miles from where I work. The problem is that I own a house about 52 miles from work - one way. There is no way I can drive that far - and don't think that will get better anytime soon.
I see my surgeon again on 8/16/13. I am willing to try another cortisone shot - but someone else has strongly recommended I cut the nerve to alleviate the pain. If he cuts the nerve - I will not have any feeling on the top of my foot for the rest of my life. I have asked him if I would be able to drive, etc....and he commented that cutting the nerve might actually make driving/pain worse?
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Besides 2 hours of working out each day, does anyone know of some natural methods to help with stubborn weight? I have an underactive thyroid And unless I work out like crazy its hard for me to lose weight.
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All I have eaten while on the 40mg pill for five days is fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains. I've drank lots of green tea and water.
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I have been dealing with pain in my feet for several years which has gotten progressively worse. The past 6 months or so have been so bad that 3 months ago my doctor prescribed Gabapentin which helped significantly for a brief few weeks, but I am at the highest levels now and there is a new pain in my right ankle that will just not go away. I am weaning off of the Gabapentin so that I can try Lyrica. I am being scheduled for a nerve conduction test to try and determine what is wrong exactly. I am not diabetic. I believe it is from too many years of standing/walking on concrete (I'm a caterer/chef) without proper foot support. My doctor seems to support this opinion, she does not seem to have any answers. Just had blood work done, I am in excellent health otherwise! Am so worried that I'll be unable to continue working. Pain is relentless. Cannot live on pain pills, just do not want to go down that road! Anyone out there have experience with this sort of problem? How about Lyrica?
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I've been reading older messages regarding this topic because i have been having this problem since my surgery in September 2013! Doctor has no idea why i'm still in pain and my physio therapies don't get nowhere. So i'm a lot desperate! Can anyone help me, pls? Is it sesamoiditis? Is it tendonitis? Who has experienced any of these and can advise me what to do?
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I had a modified brostrom ligament reconstruction back in October of 2013. I am still having a LOT of pain in my ankle. It is very much more stable now that it used to be... Before the surgery it was like every step it was close to popping out of place due to the ligament, however I still have severe pain in my ankle and shin... Does anyone else experience the same issue, and any advice on what I need to do? I called the OS and they recommended me going back to the brace and although that works, I would like to at some point be without the brace, because it hurts even with the darn brace on!!!! It just feels more protected while in the brace but it doesn't stop the pain from happening.... It aches like when you have the flu, I feel achy in the ankle all the time, but w/o the brace it HURTS about a 5 out of a 10.. I have a very high pain tolerance and would say the pain is about the same as it was before the surgery.. The pain before the surgery was never so bad I couldn't deal, but it was like all day nagging pain... I am still having that pain. Is that normal 6 months after surgery?
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I sustained a calcaneus heel fracture on 1/10/2015 in a mountain biking accident. I fell off a ledge and tried to catch my fall with my foot. Landed on concrete and twisted my ankle in the process. I had surgery on 1/21/15 and have two screws in my heel and a plate and two screws on the side of my ankle. Two weeks after surgery (four days ago), I lost my balance and fell forward and caught my fall with the ball of my foot (I was in a boot). My foot is so stiff that it will not lay flat on the ground. My heel started hurting a few hours afterwards and the next day. It felt better Wednesday and i did some stretches to my foot. Now it is hurting again today. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience? Do you think it is a stiff tendon (plantar fasciitis) that I just pulled or do you think I could have done damage to my heel? I didn't land on my heel, but I feel a dull ache at the bottom of it now.
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I just had tarsal tunnel release yesterday and am wondering what others took for pain. My doctor asked me what I generally take and I told him NORCO. I've taken it for years, sparingly, for back pain and am wondering if I've built up a tolerance as it's not working too well right now.
He was so generous to give my husband his cell number since it's the holidays so we could call him if needed but I don't want to seem like a wimp.
I have addison's disease and pain is not good for me at all.
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Okay, here again, asking if anyone who has had heel pain after pttd surgery has had any solutions to heel pain problems. Prior to surgery and the osteotomy, I never had the least issue with my feel. Now it feels like there is a rock under my heel in the middle, and I walk on the outside edge of my foot, with my toes scrunched tightly to the ground. Very unnatural. And the surgeon who did my procedure can't think of any reason why I am having this issue, and recommended that I go for a second opinion with someone else. Sooo...... For those of you who might have had this issue, any solutions? Did it go away by itself in time?
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I'm a 38 year old with ankle and foot problems all my life. I was born with flat feet and I was always spraining my ankles. I acquired PTTD/Flat Foot on my left about a year ago and finally was diagnosed by an orthopedic foot and ankle expert. He recommended surgery and after a second opinion I decided I might as well get this taken care of so that I can go back to a normal life of walking through the streets of Europe.
I had my surgery about 2.5 weeks ago and I wanted to lend advice to those about to take on this crazy surgery. Firstly, the morning of surgery when the anesthesiologist was performing the nerve block it hurt like hell and made me even more panicked about the surgery. The relaxing medication they gave me did nothing to settle my nerves. I woke up from surgery a few hours later and I could feel all sorts of shocking pains coming from my foot. I asked if I should be feeling all the pain and they said that the nerve block failed. The anesthesiologist was busy for another hour and so I writhed in pain (crying hysterically) for the hour and vomited multiple times due to the extra anesthetic they gave me due to the failed nerve block.
Once the new anesthesiologist came she figured out that my nerve split into two and the other guy had not seen this split. After she was finished it was completely numb and I was worn out. I was sent home. Over the next day I vomited profusely, found out that I cannot breath when I take Oxycontin, I lost balance and fell on my foot and I was taking anything I could get my hands on for constipation. I finally found the foul tasting milk of magnesia and I can now go to the bathroom every few days.
My pain was managed by a morphine twice a day while in the splint, but now that I am in the cast my heel is killing me especially at night and the dr gave me hydrocodone which didn't touch the pain last night. Is it normal to have more pain at this point?
When will I be fairly pain free and when will I be able to leave the house? I live in Santa Barbara and i have an ocean view so I should not be complaining but i am feeling pretty horrid and ready to get out. When I think about leaving I worry about falling again and having my throbbing leg down.
Am I alone in all of this? Many experiences I have been reading say that after 5 days everything was hunky dory.
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