Today was another really good day on the comeback trail after my Achilles tendon rupture.
First of all, we started with the first exercises in physiotherapy – things began gently with a few squats.
For that I need a sort of heel support (like a wooden board).
I position myself so that the load of the movement is placed on the ball of the foot.
This way, the Achilles tendon is further relieved even with the shoe.
We also extended the training plan to include cycling and good mornings.
When cycling, it’s important that I transfer power through the heel.
I’m still struggling a bit with good mornings – I’ve never done the exercise before and tend to round my back.
But it’s crucial to keep the back straight and make the hips the only “pivot point” of the movement.
There’s another new addition in physio.
Starting today, we’re using TENS/NMES.
That means transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or neuromuscular electrical stimulation – basically similar to EMS.
They stick four electrodes on my calf muscle, connect them with two adapters, and hand me a remote control.
Then a 30-minute program starts, sending targeted electric pulses to stimulate the calf.
There’s an alternating rhythm of contraction and relaxation phases.
This felt extremely strange to me at first.
It’s a weird mix of electric shock and loss of control.
The great part: my calf muscles are getting activated and trained.
During the contraction phases, I actively flex the muscle (leg straight: gastrocnemius; leg bent at 90°: soleus)
and relax when the device signals it.
This type of training actively supports my muscles.
From the outside it kind of looks like a baby kicking from inside a pregnant belly.
Weird – but hey, the pros are always right there. 😉
