19 weeks post lisfranc surgery

19 weeks after lisfranc surgery scar

This week has been a rough, painful week.  Every step I took, even in sneakers, caused a sharp, shooting pain in my mid-foot.  What bothered me the most was that my foot continued to have intermittent shooting pain even when at rest.

I know my tendency  is to overwork my foot, so I cut out HydroWorx water therapy.  I was not able to do my home therapy exercises and painfully made it through necessary daily activities.

I was really looking forward to my physical therapy appointment so that I could discuss the possibility that I may have sustained a stress fracture. During my appointment my therapist compared my recovering foot's flexibility with my "normal foot." As he manipulated my recovering foot he noted my muscles in my foot were very stiff and not as flexible as last week.  

While pressing on various parts of my foot he and I discussed at length the type of pain I was having making me clarify exactly where I was having pain.  He made me differentiate between aching, shooting pain and just being stiff.  When he forcefully pressed his thumbs underneath my foot, tears sprung to my eyes. 

 I looked up at him and he said, "I guess that hurt, right?"  

I said, "You have never hurt me before, so it took me by surprise."

As he continued to test areas of my foot for amount of pain, I learned to be a little more vocal about the pain level number I was experiencing while he pressed.  

After a few minutes he took both his hands and squeezed my foot, scrunching all my toes together.  I realized he wasn't looking at my foot anymore and was watching me carefully for my reaction. 

I smiled at him and said, "now that doesn't hurt at all."

He smiled back and said, "good, that means you do not have a stress fracture." 

 He went on to say that if I did have a stress fracture, I would have probably kicked him when he squeezed my foot with that amount of pressure.   I assured him I would never kick him, but he did make his point.  I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me.  

lisfranc physical therapy

Together as we talked, we discovered the pain I was experiencing was a lot like when you get a charlie horse in your calf, only mine was in my mid-foot.  That is why my pain continued intermittently even at rest.  I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  What I was experienceing was overworking of the muscles in my foot which is a normal part of walking again!!!  

19 Weeks post lisfranc surgery

19 Weeks post lisfranc surgery image right side