1800-893-1264

How Long Does It Take a Broken Ankle to Heal? 3 Tips For a Speedy Recovery

Suffering from a broken ankle can be an excruciating experience. No matter how it occurred – hey, even if it happened when you were wearing those dangerous six-inch platform heels on an icy winter night – healing a broken ankle should be your primary concern. After all, you don’t want to spend all of your time indoors recovering…you want to get out and enjoy life like you used to do.

 

Unfortunately, rushing your broken ankle to heal is one of the worst things you can do for your injury. Your ankle needs a great amount of time to heal, and if you push it before its ready, you could risk re-injuring yourself again. Typically, it takes a broken ankle about six to eight weeks. Therefore, if you want to help your broken ankle heal, you might want to consider taking the following steps:

1. Take a good hard look at your diet. It’s safe to say that if you’re filling up on junk food, you’re not getting the nutrients your body needs to efficiently heal your broken ankle. To give your body a kick-start, consider taking a calcium and magnesium supplement. The calcium is crucial for building strong bones, while the magnesium helps your body absorb all of the calcium. You can find these supplements at drugstores everywhere.

2. Give yourself time to rest. We know it can be boring just hanging out on your couch day after day; however, if you want to speed up your broken ankle healing time, you need to cut yourself some slack. Turn your recovery time into productive time by working from home, starting a blog, or learning a new skill like designing websites.

3. Isolate your broken ankle as much as possible. Instead of using crutches – which come with the risk of bumping your broken ankle – consider using a knee walker instead. This handy mobility device isolates your ankle and makes it easier to move around. You can’t get that kind of promise from a wooden mobility device that causes armpit blisters (ugh).

It can take a few months for a broken ankle to heal, so use these tips to ensure that your broken ankle recovery is a speedy one.

 

Little Known Facts About Roll About Scooter History

The roll about scooter may seem like a miraculous entity sent from your doctor to help you move your broken foot or ankle around. But however celestial the actual device feels, the truth is that roll about scooters – or knee walkers – have been around for some time now.

 

Whether you’re the reluctant owner of a new knee walker or just interested in this special mobility device, here are some little known facts about the roll about scooter, including its history.

•Knee walkers are a surprisingly recent development, and one that was particularly inspiring. For hundreds of years, mankind had to rely on crutches, canes, and other unwieldy mobility devices in order to hobble around performing day-to-day activities. However, knee walkers were developed in order to help people minimize the use of the broken foot or ankle while providing a strong sense of balance and stability.

•Roll about scooters are surprisingly versatile, considering how large they might appear at first. However, knee walkers were developed to fold up and be transported, which makes it easier for individuals to go about their normal activities. Instead of struggling to use crutches in your office, you can simply unfold your roll about scooter and start rolling around the workplace.

•Since their inception, knee walkers have become surprisingly affordable. Units used to be rented for almost $700; now you can find an excellent roll about scooter rental for $100. This is a significant advantage for those individuals who may want the stability of a knee walker but are worried they may not be able to afford it.

Knee walker rental companies have exploded since the development of this mobility device. With this in mind, it’s easier for individuals to find a vendor who can offer the perfect terms and conditions for renting roll about scooters. You can find a local knee walker vendor in your city or you could go online to find a roll about scooter rental company.

We hope you enjoyed these little known facts about the roll about scooter history!

 

 

Non Weight Bearing Scooter Accessory Ideas

When you first received your non weight bearing scooter, you might have been a little less than impressed. Sure, it wasn’t a pair of crutches (what a relief!) but it still looked a little clinical for your tastes…and you want to do something to jazz it up. After all, you may have a broken ankle, but you don’t have broken spirits.

And you want to make your knee walker look a little more fashionable!

Courtesy of https://www.kneewalkercentral.com/testimonial.php

If you’re ready to make your non weight bearing scooter as unique as you are, here are some accessory ideas that can make it shine:

• A knee walker basket can add a unique look while providing a heavy dose of functionality. This basket can be placed in the front of your knee walker, much like a basket on a child’s bicycle. You can carry groceries, books, and other items in your basket, which makes this accessory a pretty important part of your new and very fashionable non weight bearing scooter.

• See that picture above? That woman is turning her knee walker into a walking (well, scooting) advertisement for her patriotism! Consider letting the world know where you’re from by placing a heritage flag on your scooter. Or you could let your national pride take hold and hoist the Red, White, and Blue on your scooter.

• Kick back to the ‘90s and put a boom box in your knee walker basket. You could even bring back the best decade by playing music from that era. We’re talking Boyz II Men, Madonna, Backstreet Boys…we promise you’ll get smiles and cheers when you roll on by.

• Want to trick out your knee walker? Then consider going old-school – and by this, we mean getting bumper stickers and other labels that demonstrate your personality. You could slap on a bumper sticker that lets the world know you ran a marathon or one that indicates that you’re going to do some serious traveling once your foot has healed.

• Accessorize it however you want – after all, it’s YOUR knee scooter!

One important note – if you rented your knee walker, you should check with your vendor to make sure that you can make changes or tweaks to it without incurring a penalty. For example, a front basket will generally be considered fine, but you may run into some vendors who might not like the idea of having stickers on their scooters.

No matter which non weight bearing scooter accessory ideas you use, make sure that you select those that speak to your personality and style.

 

How to Shower with a Broken Foot

If you thought hobbling around with a broken foot was bad enough, you’ve yet to surmount the biggest challenge of all: learning how to shower with a broken foot (cue orchestra playing a wildly dramatic tune). Sure, you’ve been able to go a day or two after the foot surgery without taking a shower. But you can’t exactly get away with not showering for the duration of your recovery period…

Unless, of course, you want to isolate your family, friends, and loved ones with your interesting body odor!

 

There’s no getting around it: you need to learn how to shower with a broken foot. Luckily, you don’t have to go through painful trial-and-error to find out: you just have to read this article.

1. Enlist a family member or a very dear loved one who can help you manage the shower for the first few times after you’ve had the cast slapped on. This can help you get used to the movements necessary for getting in the shower without risking a dangerous fall.

2. Get yourself plenty of rubber bath mats to lay in the tub as well as on the bathroom floor. You want to minimize every possible risk that could cause you to fall, including those dangerous slippery tiles.

3. Get a shower stool. This handy device allows you to sit in the middle of the shower and get clean – without putting any weight on your broken foot.

4. Before you even get into the shower, put on a waterproof cast cover. Another option is a plastic bag that is taped it shut along the leg. You want to ensure that your entire foot cast is wrapped up in the cast cover or bag, which will prevent any water from soaking your foot cast.

5. Put a non-slip shoe on your good foot while you shower. Sure, it might look like the same type of shoe that your grandma wears to water aerobics, but trust us – it’s worth the mild fashion faux pas.

6. Clear the bathroom of any clutter that might cause you to trip and fall. We’re talking loose towels, bath mats, magazines – anything that might make your broken foot more of a permanent woe than a temporary injury.

Now that you’ve got your hands on these tips to shower with a broken foot, it’s time to cut your family or roommates a break and hop in the shower – pronto!

 

Can You Predict Your Ankle Fracture Recovery Time?

When it comes to predicting your ankle fracture recovery time, you might be tempted to turn to a psychic for help. After all, you’re sick of waiting around for your ankle to get better. You want to head outside, enjoy the air, and run errands without feeling like you’re dragging a dead weight behind you. You want to meet up with friends and have fun with family members without the inconvenience of a cast or crutches.

Most of all, you want to be able to open a door again without feeling like you have a zillion appendages to fumble with!

While you may think that there’s a standard answer for ankle fracture recovery time, the truth is that the answer varies depending on the person. While this can be an extremely frustrating answer to encounter, ankles can heal at different rates. Additionally, ankle fracture recovery time can be hindered by a poor diet, a lack of physical therapy, and using unstable mobility devices to move around the home and office.

Generally speaking, the rule of thumb is that ankle fracture recoveries take a minimum of six to eight weeks in order to heal. However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll be back to your normal self by then. Ankles and feet are extremely complicated, with many tiny bones making up their structure. Therefore, it may be a few months before you can return to the normal activity you once enjoyed before your ankle fracture.

Given that you have a baseline for ankle fracture recovery time, here are a few tips that can help you expedite the healing process:

  • Listen to what your physical therapist says. Those exercises and stretches are done for a reason – and if you’re ignoring them at home, you could be prolonging the time it takes to heal your injury.
  • Get your hands – literally – on a knee walker. These unique mobility devices make it easier for you to move around without the risk of tripping or bumping your broken ankle against various objects. You simply kneel your injured leg on the padded seat and propel yourself forward with your good leg.
  • Don’t rush yourself before you’re ready. If you’ve reached eight weeks, don’t slap on running shoes and push yourself. Treat your ankle gently and give it time to heal in order to avoid re-injury.

While you can’t predict ankle recovery time, you CAN use these tips to help make the healing process faster!

 

How to Climb the Stairs with a Broken Foot

Carefully!

Just kidding (well, not really). We know you’re looking for more than a snappy joke to the question, “how to climb the stairs with a broken foot.” And while we can’t pass up the opportunity to flex our funny bone, we know it’s important for you to get the important information you need. After all, climbing stairs with a cast slapped around your foot can be incredibly dangerous for a variety of reasons.

Ready to become the StairMaster (there we go again!)?

 

Then follow these quick-fire techniques on how to climb the stairs with a broken foot:

•Have a family member or really good friend check the railings to ensure that they’re extra supportive. Why the emphasis on “good friend”? It’s probably just because we’re secret fans of soap operas with back-stabbing friends. But seriously, make sure the person knows how to determine if a railing is stable, and what to do if it isn’t (hint: Phillips screwdriver).

• When it actually comes to climbing the stairs, sit your butt down and get ready to go up the stairs like a toddler would: on your behind. Put your injured leg out in front of you, keep your compactable mobility device by your side, place your hands behind you on the steps, and push off with your hands until your bottom is on the step.

•When you’re ready to go up the next step, keep repeating this process. To get down the stairs, simply use the same techniques, except use your hands to support your weight as you push off your bottom and sit on the next step.

•There are dangers that lay around your stairs as well. Have a family member roll up any loose rugs or carpets that could potentially slip out from underneath you.

If you don’t want to deal with learning how to climb the stairs with a broken foot, considering enlisting a friend to bring your bed downstairs. It can be a hassle at first, but it’s worth it when you don’t have to worry about climbing the stairs with a massive foot cast.

 

How to Exercise With a Broken Ankle

Let’s face it: exercising with a broken ankle seems like a contradiction in terms. When “exercise” is tantamount to working up a sweat, how are you supposed to burn calories and get summer-ready when your broken ankle is desperately crying out for you to hang out on the couch?

Listen, you don’t have to resign yourself to the next six months spent lounging around on the couch. With a little creativity – and a lot of patience – you can exercise your way to a healthy body without putting your broken ankle in danger.

Exercise

In fact, when your doctors finally take off your foot cast to reveal your fully healed ankle, don’t be surprised if your appointment weigh-in reveals that you’ve slimmed down!

So how can you exercise with a broken ankle? The answers are surprisingly simple:

1.First, keep in mind that traditional cardio is completely out of the question now. That means swearing off treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and other machines that forced you to put weight on your foot. And forget about low-impact workouts like yoga – all of the poses put significant weight on your feet (expect for headstands…but we really recommend that you don’t do that!).

2.Focus on the areas that you can work out. You may not be able to run a few miles on the treadmill, but you’ll definitely be able to rock killer abs with Pilates and crunches. Weak abdominal muscles can lead to poor posture, so use your broken ankle injury as an opportunity to whip your posture back into shape.

A safe abdominal exercise involves sitting in a chair with your back completely straight. Bring both legs up in a parallel line; hold for 5 seconds, then carefully lower your legs back down. Repeat to feel the burn.

3.To balance out the amazing abs that you’re going to have, grab yourself some light dumbbells and practice your arm curls. Sit in a chair with your feet firmly placed on the floor. With a lightweight in one hand, curl it up until it’s almost to your shoulder. Carefully lower your arm back down and then repeat – and watch as your arms transform into guns!

4.Get out and about in a knee walker. This mobility device makes it possible for you to take yourself for a walk, which is a great way of getting the exercise you need to stay in shape. To start with, go for a walk around the block to get used to the feel of the knee walker. Once you’re used to using your knee walker, start going for longer walks. You’ll get the cardio you need without putting your broken ankle at risk for re-injury.

If you’re exercising with a broken ankle, get in as many stretches as you can, especially after you’ve done a lot of walking with your roll about scooter. Stretch your arms out, and extend your legs to give yourself a nice all-over body stretch. Relax on the couch and put on a smile…because you’ve just taken another step towards excellent health.

Elevating Your Broken Foot and Other Foot Surgery Recovery Tips

Foot surgery recovery can be a lot like walking into your favorite casino. You could end up getting lucky in your experience, have the time of your life, and walk away from the whole episode feeling like a million bucks…

Or you could end up feeling like your mind, body, and wallet have been drained from your foot surgery recovery!

When it comes to making the most of your healing time, you don’t have to wallow on the couch and count down the days to when you’re better. To speed up your foot surgery recovery, here’s what you need to do:

  • Elevating your broken foot is one of the most crucial techniques for recovering faster. But don’t just prop it up on your coffee table (your mom taught you better than that!). Get a nice long pillow and place it under your knee. You see, many people make the mistake of placing the pillow under the foot, but this can place a great deal of stress on your joints. Keep it under the knee, and your body will thank you for it.

ELEVATING

  • Get your hands on a stability mobility device. A knee walker can help you get around the house without putting weight on your broken foot – a crucial part of healthy recovery.
  • Make sure that your mental and emotional health is just as prioritized. Take your recovery time to read up on your favorite books, spend time with family members, or get back into that painting hobby you haven’t indulged in since college. It’s a great way to come out of your healing process feeling healed, relaxed, and rejuvenated.
  • Follow your doctor’s advice! Many patients let their medications lapse, especially after the first month of their foot surgery recovery. Take notes when meeting with your doctor, and don’t be afraid to call his or her office with any questions you might have. Remember, it’s your foot – take care of it!

By elevating your broken foot, keeping busy, and having a mobility device on hand, you should discover that your recovery period is like smooth sailing. So what suggestions do you have for recovering from a foot or ankle injury?

Avoid Crutches-Related Injuries by Using a Steerable Knee Walker

We know what brought you to this article on steerable knee walkers. Maybe you lost your balance for a few terrifying seconds on your crutches. Maybe you slipped on your hardwood floors and gave your injured foot a good shock. Or maybe you even re-injured your ankle and have to stay in a cast for another three months.

Whatever the case, there’s one thing you know for certain: you’re ready to avoid crutches-related injuries by using a steerable knee walker.

Unlike those wobbly toothpicks we generously call “crutches,” a steerable knee walker offers a heck of a lot more stability. Most knee walker models have large and sturdy back wheels that are complimented by sleek yet stable front wheels, which make for easier turning. Rather than balancing your entire body weight on a couple inches of rubber and wood, you’re supported by a strong mobility device that actually works with your body.

Just say no!

Let’s face it: the chances of re-injuring yourself on crutches are really high. There are even more risk factors that can up your chances of falling or losing your balance, including:

  • Moving around on hardwood floors, carpet, or bumpy surfaces (basically ANY surface)
  • Suffering from arthritis or any other condition that makes it painful to use crutches
  • Suffering from back, neck, and/or muscle conditions

A steerable knee walker, on the other hand, presents a much more sensible solution to your mobility woes. By completely balancing your weight on the knee of your bad foot and propelling yourself forward with your good leg, you can get around much more quickly without looking like you grew two extra wooden arms.

Knee walkers are also much kinder on the body, especially the back, neck and shoulders. Because you’re no longer balancing your entire weight on your upper body, you’ll be able to ease any muscle aches in your back, neck and shoulders.

With so many advantages to using steerable knee walkers, it’s honestly a wonder that people still opt for crutches!

If your doctor is attempting to saddle you with crutches, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and insist on a steerable knee walker. Trust us – your body (and sense of balance!) will thank you later.

What Is It Like to Be On A Broken Ankle Knee Scooter?

Dealing with the broken ankle was bad enough – but now your doctor is trying to convince you to master some sort of mobility device known as a knee scooter. Fat chance, right? But before you write off your doctor for attempting to turn you into a half-person, half-machine hybrid, take a moment to really get to know the broken ankle knee scooter…

Because it just might change the way you approach your broken ankle recovery forever (or, well, the next three to six months).

Broken Ankle Knee Scooters Are More Convenient: Forget hobbling around on crutches – a broken ankle knee scooter will make walking feel more like gliding…because you actually are. You see, the knee scooter is a mobility device that completely takes all weight off of your broken ankle. By balancing your knee on the seat cushion and using your good leg to propel yourself forward, you can keep any ounce of weight away from your tender ankle (just try getting that kind of promise from crutches!)

Take a look at the picture to get a comprehensive idea of how the broken ankle knee scooter works:

 

Broken Ankle Knee Scooters Are Sturdier: When your broken ankle is just an accidental stumble away from another six months of recovery, you want to make sure you’re using a mobility device that’s 110% sturdy and well-balanced. Enter the knee scooter: this clever contraption is balanced out by four large wheels that can handle uneven surfaces, like floors with insidious rugs and evil walkways with mini-hills.

Broken Ankle Knee Scooters Are Sexier: You scoffed at this, didn’t you? (Gotcha!) Sure, you may be doubtful that the word “sexy” could ever be attached to anything described as a “mobility device.” But trust us – it’s a lot easier to strike up a conversation with your office crush when you’re cruising on a broken ankle knee scooter, not pitifully hobbling on a pair of ancient-looking crutches.