Risks of early exposure
If the foot is loaded too early, a refracture may occur or the healing of the wound may be delayed. In addition, if a set screw had to be inserted, too early loading may cause the material to collapse, which would mean a new operation. In other cases, it is possible that the fractured area of the foot could break again at the same location or even at a different location due to excessive stress.
In most cases, however, the wound healing phase is significantly delayed. It swells up again and the pain increases again and the foot can be felt more clearly even when at rest. It is possible that every step will be painful and support is needed again. Therefore it is very important to follow the doctor’s instructions, who can estimate exactly when it is possible to put weight on the foot again.
Does the ankle joint still need to be protected after physiotherapy?
Basically, the first question is how long the physiotherapy was carried out. If the prescription is issued by the employers’ liability insurance association because it was an accident at work or an accident on the way to work, prescriptions are given on a permanent basis until a doctor describes the injury as fully treated. The patient is usually prescribed not only physiotherapy but also lymphatic drainage, which clearly supports the healing of the wound.
The therapy also takes place 3 times a week and runs alongside the entire healing process. In the case of accidents that have taken place privately, the treating physician is usually bound to a limit. In the worst case, the patient will only receive 3 prescriptions in one quarter and will have quickly processed the prescription for 2 treatments per week.If this is the case, the patient should continue to adhere to the treatment and exercise plan after completion of the physiotherapy and take it easy as needed. As long as pain and changes in the foot can still be felt, a complete load, as before the injury, is not yet possible and should be avoided.
