Exercises to strengthen foot following fusion

lizporter

Hi,
I had a fusion of my talonavicular joint 6 months ago. Because I am a theatre nurse, I have been unable to return to work until now. I am due to return to work next week on a phased return.
I have been weight bearing for 8 weeks, & walking without aids for 3 weeks.
I was not offered Physio by my consultant, despite my requesting this. :oops:
Could anyone give me some pointers for exercises to strengthen my foot, and to improve the range of movements.
I find it difficult to walk carrying heavy weights (eg shopping)
I also find standing for long periods of time (more than 1 - 2 hours) uncomfortable as my foot & heel swell up.
18 months before surgery, I used to hill walk, swim & cycle, before my foot became too painful.
Many thanks in anticipation
Liz
ps. I'm a 'naturally fit', skinny 54 yr old!!

stickywicket

Hi Liz. I do some very basic ankle exercises every day but you sound capable of a great deal more. (Most people are ) If you put 'exercises' into the Arthritis Care search engine in the pink box above quite a lot of stuff comes up.

You could always ask your GP to refer you to a physio. It might simply be a case of two sessions – one to give you the exercises and another to check that you're doing them correctly. Good luck!

barbara12

Hello Liz
Glad you have got the op over with , but now I suppose is the hard bit getting it strong enough for work..sorry Im not much help but I do wish you well ..x