Healing an Achilles Tendon Injury Without Surgery

My name is Yukon Ebbitt, I am 21 years old, and I recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. I’m an active person and enjoy working out, running, and playing sports. I also enjoy cooking, woodworking, and walking with my girlfriend and her dog. All of my hobbies were halted by my accident, but Independence Health System helped me get them back. 

It was March 10, 2024, when the car accident happened. I started that morning a little earlier than normal with my usual 5K run. We then started our road trip to Boston, MA, to visit family. About 30 minutes into our long ten-hour drive, the sunny winter weather quickly took a turn for the worse. Freezing rain started, which was soon followed by snow. As we were driving, we hit a large patch of ice, which caused us to spin and hit the median in the road, then we bounced from the median to the other side of the road, hitting a hillside, which caused the car to flip. We ended up landing on all four wheels, but the doors were jammed shut and we couldn't get out. The car started filling with smoke, and I had to kick out the windshield for us to escape the wreck.  

Luckily, we escaped without too many injuries. But, while kicking out the windshield, I cut my Achilles tendon on the glass. I didn’t realize this at the time, and when I was taken to a local hospital, they stitched up my Achilles and told me it wasn’t cut.  I then went weeks not being able to walk. Before the accident, I would run a 5K and take a 12-mile bike ride every day, as I was training for a Triathlon. Since I couldn’t be active and could barely walk, I knew it was time to find an orthopedic doctor who specialized in foot and ankle.  

When I saw Dr. Ryan Flanigan at the Square at Norwin, he immediately noticed that my Achilles tendon was partially cut from the glass. He didn’t think I needed surgery because he noticed the tendon was starting to heal similarly to patients who had that surgery. Dr. Flanigan started by giving me a heel lift for my shoe, which allowed me to walk more, and prescribed physical therapy. 

Next, I met Dan Schaus at Independence Health System Physical Therapy at the Square at Norwin. I went to physical therapy twice a week for the next several weeks. Each visit, Dan would help me strengthen my leg muscles to help the healing process and allow me to get back to everyday tasks and one of my biggest hobbies, running. He was very kind and helpful throughout all of our exercises and sessions. We would often talk about food, sports, yardwork, and other topics to take my mind off the physical therapy treatments we were doing. Dan’s friendly and social nature helped me get through each session without realizing until I left therapy how much I was sweating and building up my muscles.  

I looked forward to physical therapy every time I went because I knew how beneficial it was for me. After a few weeks of gaining more motion in my foot and building muscle, Dan collaborated with Dr. Flanigan, and they thought I was ready to finally run again. Dan instructed me to start with a nice, slow jog in intervals with walking. I never thought I would be so happy to be told I was going to run again! I felt like I was on cloud nine because just a few weeks before, I was still trying to walk normally. When I started running, I felt so happy, and I could tell that Dan was proud and excited that I got to this point in my recovery. In between my physical therapy appointments, I met with Dr. Flanigan, who tracked my progress with Dan. Dr. Flanigan was very helpful and knowledgeable about my injury and was impressed with the progress that I had made during physical therapy.  

While I was able to run again, my Achilles was still painful at times and very stiff. During one of my physical therapy sessions, Dan told me about blood flow restriction therapy. This allowed me to do normal strength training activities and helped me to build muscle more quickly. The blood flow restriction therapy restricted the blood flow from my thigh down to increase my muscle mass more effectively. After a few sessions with this therapy, Dr. Flanigan, Dan, and I saw a large improvement in my ability to perform activities without pain. After a few weeks of physical therapy, I had to travel and wasn’t able to attend physical therapy in person. Dan educated me on all of the exercises, weights, and bands that we used, so I could buy these items to continue therapy on my own. Dan would even call to check up on how I was doing.  

Within four months of the accident, I was back to being able to run a 5 K again! I had thought it might take at least a year to get back to that! After six months, I was able to run a 5 K faster than I had before the accident. I then decided to train for the 5-mile Turkey Trot in Pittsburgh. 8 months after the accident, I ran the 5-mile Turkey Trot at a pace of a little over 8 minutes per mile. Because of all the physical therapy, I was able to get back into my passion. 

Looking back on this journey, I am beyond grateful for the care and support I received from Dr. Flanigan and Dan Schaus at Independence Health System. What started as a terrifying accident turned into an incredible testament to resilience, determination, and the power of the right medical team. Their expertise, encouragement, and commitment to my recovery allowed me to reclaim not just my ability to run, but my passion for it. As I prepared for the Race for Grace 5K, I reflected on how far I had come in just a year. From struggling to walk to running faster than before, this experience has taught me that setbacks don’t define us—our perseverance does.

I would highly recommend Independence Health System orthopedics and physical therapy to anyone. I will forever be thankful to Dr. Flanigan and Dan Schaus for helping me turn what felt like an ending into a new beginning! 

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