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Hey everyone. Great forum here with lots of great information.
On June 5th of this year I broke my left tib just above my ankle and my fib in two separate places. Dirt bikes are a wonderful hobby. I had surgery within 2 days of the accident. I have one plate with 9 screws on the tib and another plate on the ankle/fib with 7 more screws. The upper fib break was left untreated. At this point (11 wks in), I am on crutches with a removable boot. No pain and no complications to this point. Knock on wood.
During my last visit 2 wks ago to my OS, I was given the OK to weight bare up to 30 lbs for the next 7 wks at which point I will no longer require the boot. From there I would progress to full weight.
However, during the same trip to the hospital, I also met with a PT. I was told that I could weight bare up to the point where there was discomfort. Basically she told me to let my body be the guide of how much weight I could support. This seems to make more sense to me.
So, my questions is this: Who's advice would you recommend I follow? For me, 30 lbs seems like a waste of time when I think that I could be doing much more and in turn speeding up the process instead.
I would follow the advice of the PT when my os told me that I could only put weight on tippy toes, but wrote the script for my pt he stated weight bearing as tolorated. Which is the same as let your body guide you, trust me your body will let you know when your doing too much.
JSBonz, I agree with greenyes. My OS wrote my PT prescription as 100% weight bearing! I was nonweight bearing for 6 weeks, and then my OS gave me permission for 100% weight bearing!!! I asked my OS if he was sure about that, and he clarified saying "weight bearing as tolerated" and reiterated that my body will tell me when to much is too much, and it's the truth! Good luck!
Hey everyone. Great forum here with lots of great information.
On June 5th of this year I broke my left tib just above my ankle and my fib in two separate places. Dirt bikes are a wonderful hobby. I had surgery within 2 days of the accident. I have one plate with 9 screws on the tib and another plate on the ankle/fib with 7 more screws. The upper fib break was left untreated. At this point (11 wks in), I am on crutches with a removable boot. No pain and no complications to this point. Knock on wood.
During my last visit 2 wks ago to my OS, I was given the OK to weight bare up to 30 lbs for the next 7 wks at which point I will no longer require the boot. From there I would progress to full weight.
However, during the same trip to the hospital, I also met with a PT. I was told that I could weight bare up to the point where there was discomfort. Basically she told me to let my body be the guide of how much weight I could support. This seems to make more sense to me.
So, my questions is this: Who's advice would you recommend I follow? For me, 30 lbs seems like a waste of time when I think that I could be doing much more and in turn speeding up the process instead.
What do you think?
Welcome JS Bonz
I listened to my body and sometimes my body let me know when I overdid it and speeding up the process by blessing me with painful shin splints. So listen to your body as you progress and when you start having discomfort know you went to far ice up area rest elevate and try again next day. Happy healing and Good luck!!! Bev
Does anyone here have any tips on exercises during a leg injury? I've come along very nicely but the PT has advised that I am not allowed to run or do exercises that require hopping or jumping. Can anyone suggest good exercises? I am starting to see a little gut and I wish to get rid of it. I normally follow my routine at the gym but that is drastically taken out because I cannot use my legs for high impact exercises.
Does anyone here have any tips on exercises during a leg injury? I've come along very nicely but the PT has advised that I am not allowed to run or do exercises that require hopping or jumping. Can anyone suggest good exercises? I am starting to see a little gut and I wish to get rid of it. I normally follow my routine at the gym but that is drastically taken out because I cannot use my legs for high impact exercises.
Suggestions and success stories?
Swimming and biking are great for cardio! Goodluck!
Does anyone have any tips for scars as for as fading them and dry skin over the scar? I have one huge scar over my shin where the car went into my leg and I have tried everything from vit e. cocoa butter and even utter cream it is so dry and itchy I cannot stand it. Most of my other scars are starting to fade some what but again not this one my leg is a mess and I cannot stand it. Thanks Margie
Yesterday I went to OS for another Xray being that it had been 2 months since last -- not much bone growth, if any and I used EBI bone stimulator for 46 days, 10 hrs a day! Dr. said Cigna is now using EBI - cheaper for them but requires longer hours vs. some of the others that can do same in 1 hour (go figure insurance companies)!! OS decided to have me start PT and walking on my leg using walker vs. crutches (for stability). For the next six weeks I will get PT and use bone stimulator and then we will do another Xray -- I'm already thinking I'm a candidate for a bone graft! But OS did say my break was pretty bad (tib/fib and ripped out of skin) and considering I'm not that far off target for healing! I did ask why others with "rod" seemed to be starting rehab, etc. sooner (then me with plates.) He said I couldn't do the rod being that I had a compound fracture (skin broke). Anyway, I got home and walked with walker to the bathroom - wasn't as bad as I thought BUT my heal does not touch the ground in boot at this time so all weight was on ball of foot. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about overdoing it until I start with PT! Anxious to start PT on 8/31 (going on vacation next week so now I have to wait to start --- darn!)
I was non-weight bearing for about 13 weeks and then I was allowed 50% weight on my broken leg (still using crutches) and I did that for a month longer. I was then let of the crutches which i would use on my bad days (which were many) and only wore my boot then. a month later i was to take the boot off but my leg just wasnt ready so I used it a few extra weeks. Now im on my own and will rarely use the boot if I have to walk for a while. It makes it much easier.
All and all its a long tuff road but once you start weight bearing....things start to happen and change quickly!
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Conflicting advice... need some more.
