Timeline after rupture using conservative (non operative) treatment.
| Time after rupture | Status |
|---|---|
| 0-2 weeks | Foot in air cast. Using two crutches to walk |
| 2-4 weeks | Restarting the treatment due to nurse forgetting to put wedges in the air cast. Foot in air cast with three wedges. Using two crutches to walk |
| 4-5 weeks | Foot in air cast with three wedges. Using two crutches to walk |
| 5-6 weeks | Foot in air cast with two wedges. Using one crutch to walk indoors, two outdoors |
| 6-7 weeks | Foot in air cast with one wedge. Using one crutch to walk indoors, two outdoors |
| 7-7½ weeks | Foot in air cast with no wedges. Using one crutch to walk indoors, two outdoors |
| 7½-8 weeks | Stopped using air cast. Using two crutches to walk. Very swollen foot. |
| 8-9 weeks | Using two crutches to walk, but can hobble around without crutches if I need to. Swollen ankle. |
| 9-10 weeks | Using two crutches to walk, but can walk a few meters without crutches if I need to. Lightly swollen ankle. |
| 10-11 weeks | Switching between no, one and two crutches to walk indoors. Two crutches outdoors. Occasionally swollen ankle. |
| 11-12 weeks | Switching between no and one crutch to walk indoors. Two crutches outdoors. Rarely swollen ankle. |
| 12-13 weeks | Two crutches outdoors. Can only walk around 1 km outdoors without strain. Occasionally lightly swollen ankle. |
| 13-14 weeks | No crutches. Can bike 8km and walk 1km daily, barely. Rarely lightly swollen ankle. |
| 14-15 weeks | Biking 8km daily and can walk short distances at a brisk pace without any strain. Walking up stairs is easy, walking down stairs is a bit unnatural due to lack of flexibility. Foot is stiff when I haven’t stretched for a while, and very stiff in the morning. Rarely lightly swollen ankle. |
| 15-16 weeks | Can walk a few kilometers, but not really pick up the pace for long. Walking down some stairs is a bit problematic. Foot is stiff in the mornings. I no longer get swollen. |
| 16-17 weeks | Can bike at full power again. Foot gets tired after walking for more than a km or so at a time. Foot is stiff in the mornings. |
| 17-18 weeks | Same as previous week, but foot is regularly lightly swollen |
| 18-19 weeks | Same as previous week, but foot is barely ever swollen |
| 19-20 weeks | Can walk almost 3km without pain. Can use the crosstrainer for almost 30 minutes before I get lopsided. I now only stretch once a day, in the morning, to loosen up the foot. |
| 20-21 weeks | No real improvement. Stopped stretching. |
| 21-22 weeks | Can walk 5km at a brisk pace. Can do around 10 single leg calf raises at half height. |
| 22-23 weeks | No real improvement. Can jog at a very slow pace for a few seconds at a time. |
| 23-24 weeks | No real improvement. |
| 24-25 weeks | No real improvement. |
| 25-26 weeks | No real improvement. |
| 26-27 weeks | Can “jog” for a kilometer at a time at around 9-10min/km. |
| 27-28 weeks | Swollen foot. Can only go for short walks. No jogging. |
| 28-29 weeks | Constantly lightly swollen and aching foot. Can only walk for around 30 minutes or the swelling increases. Started stretching again. |
| 29-30 weeks | Slightly stiff ankle, especially in the morning. Constantly sore calf muscles. Can easily walk 5km+ again. Stopped stretching. |
| 30-31 weeks | No obvious improvement. |
| 31-32 weeks | Changed physiotherapist, since I was very unsatisfied with my previous one, and got a much better training programme. Can now walk/run for 2.5km within 25 minutes two/three times a week. |
| 32-33 weeks | Can walk/run for 2.5 km within 19 minutes every other day. |
| 33-34 weeks | Can run for 3 km within 22 minutes every other day. Still cannot do full height calf raises. |
| 34-35 weeks | Can run for 3 km within 21 minutes four times a week. |
| 35-36 weeks | Can run for 4 km at 7:00/km 4.5 times a week. It feels like hitting a wall somewhere around 5 km, after which the leg starts arching. |
| 36-37 weeks | Can run for avg 5 km at avg 6:38/km 4.5 times a week. |
| 37-38 weeks | Can run for avg 4 km at avg 6:41/km 4.5 times a week. Left leg still has notably less muscles than the right one. |
| 38-39 weeks | Can do most kinds of run as I could before, like sprints at 3:00/min. I would treat my achilles tendon as healed now, but it will take many more months to fully regain the muscles. I still cannot do full height calf raises, but they get ever so slightly higher every other week or so. |