MAK

I just suffered a burst Achilles and for various reasons (age, living alone, multitude of steps in multi-floor home...) I'm likely going to forgo surgery. (Yes,I know the ramifications.)

If anyone has healed without surgery, were you able to comfortably resume riding at some point. I've never been close to fast so speed isn't a concern. Are distances (50-75 mile rides) doable?

Thank you.

MinnMan

I have no advice or experience here. But I'm really sorry to hear of your injury and send best wishes for full recovery.

I've had plenty of other orthopedic challenges, and the short-term pain has seldom been as much of a problem as the fear of what would become of my ability to cycle in the future. Fortunately, I've come back from all of them, thus far, though some recur.

mstateglfr 

I know 4 people who were/are active and tore their Achilles, all had surgery for the obvious reasons.

I actually talked with a PT last summer about achilles tears since we were already discussing ACL years without surgery(my wife tore hers last spring and chose no surgery).
The achilles is slow to heal due to a lack of blood flow. And when it does heal without surgical attachment, it is usually thinner and weaker than before.

Good luck, I imagine dedicated immobilization for weeks and weeks is in your future(it would be with surgery too though)

woodcraft

Cipro?

slowgo

I assume you are making this decision in conjunction with an orthopedic surgeon? Many times a ruptured Achilles, considering it is a thick tendinous band, will retract and won’t heal as the torn ends are not opposing one another. Even non-operative treatment would be immobilization with plantar extension of the ankle to shorten the Achilles and serial casting or bracing back to neutral over 4-6 weeks.

Carbonfiberboy 

Another total rupture here, maybe 18 years ago. Surgery that evening. Surgeon was quite insistent on speed. Alternative is as slowgo mentioned above, meaning large cast and no way of knowing if the thing healed until the cast is removed. They don't always. Yes, I was offered both approaches and said, quite firmly, CUT! CUT! I have good balance and could ascend and descend stairs on my crutches, our place having the bedroom upstairs. That is after I could get out of bed and move at all. Pain was pretty bad for about a week, no movement. Calves same strength now. Best rehab was hiking rocky trails in the mountains.

MAK

Thank you to those who replied. Yes, any decision will be in consultation with the orthopedist. I don't know what Cipro is but I'll Google it.

Take care.

MAK

I just looked it up and no, I haven't ever taken that particular drug.

woodcraft

Good. It's strongly linked to tendon rupture.

Tell your friends to stay away except in extreme need.

zjrog

I quit all riding including indoor training because of achilles pain. I needed a heel spur cut out, under the achilles. Turns out, the surgeon cutting the spur out found the spur as cutting the achilles, and was about 75% through it. He added a new anchor in the heel bne, and repaired it. It was 6 weeks non weight bearing that really sucked. But I had borrowed a knee scooter for getting around stores... Had that actually burst, it would have been much worse and no real guarantee of the same outcome I got.

thehammerdog

good luck. took me months to heal.
over year before i could run.
cycljng for me was not painful.
stretch ice massage.
do it daily......