As an active and body-conscious individual crossing over into my 50's, I became aware that my body was malfunctioning more easily and frequently. At first, I was resigned to the ageist mantra that this was to be expected. I had always been pro-active in getting massage treatment for my back which was vulnerable at times and was prepared to pay for this, if necessary. But what was once an annual event, became a biannual and then monthly visit which drained reserves and resources. What turned the tide was finding the right solution away from the treatments. For me, this was regular Pilates, for others it might be different.
In recent weeks, I have been incapacitated with a ruptured Achilles tendon having just decided to reopen with government restrictions easing. The orthopod at Homerton Hospital revealed, with disturbing cheeriness, that there had been a spike in Achilles tendon ruptures due to the sudden changes in lifestyle brought on by lockdown ( there were two other cases in A&E in the brief time I was there ). With lockdown, my daily life had changed, overnight, from treating clients regularly with all the physical benefits, to working at a computer all day. The surprise when it popped, at the end of a not particularly gruelling tennis match, was the lack of warning and absence of pain. There had been no prior stiffness or muscle tightness and I had been moving freely. The lack of pain can be deceptive but I suspected what had happened. A friend had torn hers while running and, not realising, had hobbled around for the rest of the day, finally giving in to excruciating pain. I went straight to A&E and was put in a cast immediately. The subsequent weeks have been annoying but not unpleasant. The test for this injury is simple. The surgeon squeezes your calf as if pumping an air bag and, if the foot flexes, the tendon is intact. If the foot remains still the tendon has separated at some point. The most typical, as was the case with me, is a tear nearer the muscle end. A subsequent ultrasound was encouraging as the gap was small enough to negate the need for surgery.
To make life easier while recovering, I rented a wheelchair so my wife could push me around. Walking on crutches I was more worried about wrists and shoulders than the damaged ankle. The young man who delivered the chair had had a similar experience but on a football field when an opponent, frustrated by his superior play, kicked him in the back of the foot - like Paris on the battlefield, peeved that Achilles was slaughtering all the Trojans, took a pot shot at the eponymous tendon and got a result.
It is debateable whether suffering such an injury would put a therapist at an advantage when seeing clients suffering the same fate. Drawing on personal experience to help others can be tricky. It is key that what evolves during a massage session is dependent on what is presenting to that specific time - that the therapist be wary of interpretation from personal factors.
I have another week in the cast and then a clever boot to begin the rehab process. The risks of re-rupture can be mitigated by doing the physio (tick - I can do that) and working on the scar-tissue to stop adhesions and get valuable blood and fluids into the affected area (tick - I can do that too).
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