I ruptured my Achilles tendon about six-months ago. I'm still not fully recovered. Would it help if I went back to physical therapy again?

Achilles' tendon rupture is a common but complex problem. We don't have a clear treatment path that works well for everyone. Surgery may be helpful; the risk of re-rupturing the tendon is higher when surgery isn't done.

Rehab seems to take about the same amount of time whether the patient has the tendon repaired surgically or not. You didn't say if you have had surgery, but it sounds like you've at least had some physical therapy.

To answer this question, you may want to do a short inventory with yourself. Are you limited in what you can do because of weakness in the foot or ankle? Or is it fatigue, stiffness, or pain that limits you?

Just exactly what is it you can't do that you want to be able to do? Is it jumping activities? Walking on uneven surfaces? Running a marathon? Contact your physical therapist with your list and see what she or he would suggest. You may need some direct one-on-one time with the therapist and/or you may just need to bump up your training schedule.

Reference: 

Katarina Nilsson-Helander, MD, et al. The Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS). In The American Journal of Sports Medicine. March 2007. Vol. 35. No. 3. Pp. 421-426.

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