Fused ankle joint

[mechs]

I'm not an expert but am a sports massage therapist so deal with a number of injuries and ailments most days.

You won't have as much flex in your ankle once it's fused as you did before but should hopefully have less pain. The pain when walking makes sense above due to the loss of movement in the ankle yet you don't really need to bend and flex the ankle much when cycling so as said above cycling should be back to normal after surgery and as tempting as it is don't go too far too quick. Your muscles and ligaments will be needing strengthened back up again after surgery as you'll have been less mobile whilst recovery so little and often is ideal.

Also, as much as they're handy please try and stay away from the supports you can get as much as possible. Without trying to contradict myself by all means wear one when your walking, cycling etc if you really need to but ONLY if you really need to and take it off as soon as you stop to rest. Reason being is that if you wear it all the time the muscles, ligaments and tendons around the ankle relax and lose tone as they don't need to support the joint because the support your using is doing the job for them if you see what I mean.

Mounting and unmounting as you've said could be an issue at least for a while after surgery as you won't be able to put weight on the ankle for some time.

I've had a bad right achillies tendon since last September, running (which I hate anyway) at one of my gym classes. Felt it at the time but was able to continue so didn't think it was that bad - until the next day when I could hardly walk! And it's still causing me problems now and cannot walk on it at all first thing in the morning or if I get up from sitting for a while however I can cycle until my heart's content!

Bone heals better than tendons and ligaments as they just tear and take alot longer than a broken bone to heal so please take care of these and they'll take care of your fused ankle.

Lastly remember RICE = Rest Ice Compression Elevation especially when been doing any activity and / or if you feel pain.

Sorry if i've bored you, it's my job Good luck!

[Geoff.D]

I'm not an expert ..............................Sorry if i've bored you, it's my job Good luck!

Not boring, at all, Mechs. This is just the kind of feedback I need to help me make my decision and then work through it successfully. I'm meeting a consultant, and I always like to have enough information myself, before I meet, so that I can have a proper discussion with him. I don't want to simply take his word for things. I want to be able to put intelligent questions, and be able to judge his answers. All these responses will help in this.

It may be that I (we) decide that I'm not so far gone as to need it yet. But, it's deteriorating and can only go on that way. So, I think the time will come when it's required. I'm 64 and am aiming for many years cycling (probably recumbent trike) yet. It might well be worth doing it sooner than later, giving my body more chance of recovery period at a younger age.

Many thanks, for your thoughts

[mechs]

No problem, just remember that the surgeons are great at fixing things but don't deal with the pain afterwards, that's where pain management comes in. Obviously your going to have some amount of pain whilst reccovering which should ease. Weather you'll be pain free or not is a different matter. I also do pain management training and sometimes, not always, if a person's had an injury, surgery etc months, even years down the line they still say they have pain in the area, ie, your ankle. It doesn't mean your mad but it is usually referred to as a phantom pain if there's no reason as to why you feel the pain. It's about retraining your mind, breathing techniques and overcoming the pain as long as there are no complications.

But you may not have the ongoing / phantom pain anyway. And don't be scared to take painkillers and get them into your system straight after the operation to build up an immunity to the pain but then start to gradually reduce the dose over time of whatever you get although your doctor / surgeon will advise you.

You still want to feel slight pain / discomfort so that you know your not overdoing it and just masking the pain causing problems at a later date.

[Geoff.D]

Thanks, Mechs. Appreciated.