Martha Stewart is on the mend following surgery for an injury to her Achilles tendon.
“Not the prettiest photo nor the happiest backstory,” Stewart captioned an Instagram picture of her bandaged left foot, ankle, and calf elevated above her. “Ruptured my Achilles tendon a while ago,” Stewart explained. “Tried to get it to heal on its own to no avail.”
The 79-year-old said she underwent a three-hour surgery at NYU Langone medical center in NYC this week to “repair the damage” to the tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone and is essential for walking. She thanked the hospital for “attempting to make me whole again.”
Now Stewart is beginning a lengthy recovery process. “Recuperating at home,” she wrote. “I have been ordered to lay still with [my] leg elevated for two weeks. After that, another two to four weeks of crutches. Then maybe some more normal activity.”
Stewart said that while “most such ruptures occur when dancing or playing sports,” she incurred her injury when she took “a surprise step into a hole in the dark getting out of the car.”
The Achilles tendon is crucial to moving the foot. This cord of fibrous connective tissue, which attaches the heel bone to the back of the calf muscle, enables people to perform basic movements necessary for walking, such as pointing the foot down, coming up on the toes, and pushing off the foot, the Mayo Clinic explains.
But the Achilles tendon can rupture (or tear) partially or completely from any kind of movement that overstretches or causes a sudden increase in stress on the tendon, according to the Mayo Clinic. While, as Stewart noted, Achilles tendon ruptures most often occur in people playing sports (especially those involving jumping or running), the Mayo Clinic says that stepping into a hole is actually a common example of how people sustain the injury.
Achilles tendon ruptures typically cause immediate sharp pain and difficulty walking properly, as well as, sometimes, a popping sound at the moment of rupture, according to the Mayo Clinic. A doctor can diagnose the injury with a physical exam and potentially an MRI.
There are surgical and nonsurgical treatment methods for a ruptured Achilles tendon, and the right course for an individual depends on factors like the severity of their injury, their usual level of physical activity, and their age, the Mayo Clinic explains. Generally speaking, younger and more athletic people opt for surgery, while older adults more often choose nonsurgical treatment.
The nonsurgical treatment approach (which Stewart first tried without success) can include rest, immobilization of the ankle with a walking boot or cast, icing, and over-the-counter pain medication. Surgical treatment usually involves an operation where the surgeon cuts into the back of the leg and stitches the ruptured tendon tissue back together, sometimes also reinforcing it with other tendons.
Both treatment approaches require physical rehab after a period of rest and immobilizing the area, just as Stewart mentioned. Rehab includes doing therapeutic exercises that can help your tendon and surrounding leg muscles regain strength, stability, and coordination. The majority of people can get back to their normal level of activity within four to six months, per the Mayo Clinic, though continuing to do rehab exercises after that can help prevent lingering issues.
Related:
- Martha Stewart Says She’ll ‘Pop’ 20 CBD Gummies in a Day and Feel Just Fine
- 5 Running Injuries Every New Runner Should Know About
- Ashley Judd Shares an Update and Recovery Photos After ‘Shattering’ Her Leg